Qing Liu

Prof. Dr. Qing Liu is a Professor of Maritime Economics at the University of Hamburg's Business School, where she has led the Maritime Economics Research Center (MERC) since May 2016. Her work focuses on global maritime shipping, port dynamics, and logistics optimization, leveraging expertise in game theory, operations research, and geospatial analysis. She previously served as Director of Transportation Economics at the Nick J. Rahall Transportation Institute (2014–2016) and as a Research Assistant at the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute (2012–2014).

Education:

• Doctorate in Transportation & Logistics, North Dakota State University (supervised by Dr. William Wilson)
• Bachelor's in International Shipping Management, Dalian Maritime University

Her research spans port competition, optimal routing for global logistics, inland waterway shipping, and green transportation strategies. She actively collaborates with public agencies, private practitioners, and international partners, aiming to position MERC as a global hub for maritime economics research and industry engagement.

Professional Engagements:

• Committee member, Standing Committee on Transportation and Economics Development (ADD10), U.S. Transportation Research Board (TRB) (2012–2018)
• Europe Board of Directors, Chinese Overseas Transportation Association (COTA)
• Co-chair, Technology Committee for Port Competition and Collaboration, World Transportation Convention (2017–2019)

She has led externally funded studies as Principal Investigator and contributes to policy discussions through presentations at forums like the GIGA Forum 2019 and IAME conferences.