Dr Gu Pang

Dr Gu Pang

Department of Management
Associate Professor in Procurement and Operations Management

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0) 121 414 9251
Email
g.pang.1@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
Birmingham Business School
University House
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Dr Gu Pang is an Associate Professor in Procurement and Operations Management and Deputy Head of the Department of Management at Birmingham Business School. Her research applies operational research, machine learning and econometric methods to pressing challenges in supply chains, digital technologies, food systems, remanufacturing and e-commerce.

Gu has published widely in leading international journals, including the European Journal of Operational Research, Long Range Planning, International Journal of Production Economics, International Journal of Production Research, and Industrial Marketing Management. Her current work focuses on three interconnected agendas: blockchain, AI and digitalisation in sustainable and circular supply chains, with applications to electric vehicle batteries and remanufactured electronics; the resilience, fairness and traceability of global food value chains; and operations modelling for healthcare and public services, including discrete-event simulation of NHS care pathways.

Gu has secured over £440,000 in competitive funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 programme, ESRC/Innovate UK, BISCA and NHS partners. Her research has informed UK food safety policy through a high-level consultation with Lord Krebs at the House of Lords and through formal submissions to Defra and DAERA government consultations. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Qualifications

  • Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • PhD, Nottingham University Business School
  • MSc Operations Management, Nottingham University Business School
  • BSc Management Science, Lancaster University Management School

Biography

The role as an educator enables Gu to promote a student-centred learning environment promoting self-sufficient learners. Gu believes the experience of teaching and the journey of learning enrich educators and learners to explore countless opportunities.

As a researcher, Gu has established a close working relationship with colleagues in operations, marketing, systems and economics. This has enabled her to conduct multi-disciplinary research and to explore new research areas, including big data analysis, digital transformation, and blockchain technology.

Teaching

  • Exec MBA (UK) Sustainable Operations
  • Exec MBA (Singapore) Sustainable Operations
  • Organisation Decision Making and Operations Management (MSc Management)

Postgraduate supervision

Gu welcomes PhD applications in: livestream commerce; digital technologies in supply chains (blockchain, AI, machine learning, explainable AI); sustainable and circular operations (remanufacturing, closed-loop supply chains, reverse logistics); food systems, food safety, and traceability; healthcare operations; and transportation.

Completed PhD supervision (lead supervisor)

  • Keru Duan awarded 2026
  • Yeun Soo Park awarded 2025
  • Supanan Phantratanamongkol awarded 2020

Research

Blockchain technology, remanufacturing, reverse logistics, closed-loop supply chains, sustainable supply chains, sustainability of food value chains, food waste management, transportation network design, optimisation, modelling, time series econometrics, machine learning.

Research Projects

  • EU Horizon 2020 Project VALUMICS on understanding food value chains and network dynamics Proposal No. 727243-2 VALUMICS, 48 months duration, €318,555, completed in May 2020.
  • ESRC Knowledge Transfer Partnership with Byker Community Trust on sustainable and strategic marketing strategy, brand development and management of change, 24 months duration, £130,000, completed in July 2020.

Publications

Recent publications

Book

Pang, G & Onyeaka, H (eds) 2026, Food Safety in the Digital Age: Fundamentals to Applications. 1st edn, Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394362660

Article

Duan, K, Pang, G, Govindan, K & Amoozad Mahdiraji, H 2026, 'Blockchain integration for cost-effective EV battery remanufacturing in closed-loop supply chains', International Journal of Production Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2026.2659261

Gokalp Ozpolat, E, Pang, G, Duan, K, Janjua, A & Jyothish, D 2026, 'Discrete-event simulation of the diabetes and maternity care pathway in a major UK city', Journal of the Operational Research Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/01605682.2026.2661269

Amoozad Mahdiraji, H, Arobi, HS, Vrontis, D & Pang, G 2026, 'Exploring the Nexus of industry 4.0 on structural power and B2B marketing: A comprehensive approach to sustainability and competitive advantage', Industrial Marketing Management, vol. 134, pp. 220-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2026.02.009

Park, Y, Pang, G, Liu, B, Duan, K & Liu, J 2026, 'How market signals shape online auction prices for remanufactured electronics: an explainable artificial intelligence approach', Industrial Management & Data Systems. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-06-2025-0798

Chapter (peer-reviewed)

Pang, G 2026, Artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive food safety. in G Pang & H Onyeaka (eds), Food Safety in the Digital Age: Fundamentals to Applications. 1st edn, Wiley, pp. 107-126. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394362660.ch07

Pang, G 2026, Big data analytics in food safety. in G Pang & H Onyeaka (eds), Food Safety in the Digital Age: Fundamentals to Applications. 1st edn, Wiley, pp. 127-146. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394362660.ch08

Duan, K, Pang, G & Onyeaka, H 2026, Blockchain and Food Supply Chains: Insights from Detailed Case Studies. in SA Kaliji, A Pakseresht & L Camanzi (eds), Agri-Chain Innovation: Leveraging Blockchain for Sustainable Food Systems. 1st edn, Springer, Cham, pp. 37-48. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17051-4_3

Duan, K, Pang, G & Onyeaka, H 2026, Blockchain’s Role in Preventing Food Fraud and Contamination. in SA Kaliji, A Pakseresht & L Camanzi (eds), Agri-Chain Innovation: Leveraging Blockchain for Sustainable Food Systems. 1st edn, Springer, Cham, pp. 103-114. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17051-4_7

Pang, G & Duan, K 2026, Consumer Behavior and Awareness. in H Onyeaka, T Miri & OA Odeyemi (eds), From Waste to Plate: Innovations in Food Waste Valorization for Sustainable Food Systems. 1st edn, Springer, Cham, Springer, Cham, pp. 239-259. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-22472-9_10

Pang, G 2026, Cybersecurity in digital food systems. in G Pang & H Onyeaka (eds), Food Safety in the Digital Age: Fundamentals to Applications. 1st edn, Wiley, pp. 209-226. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394362660.ch12

Pang, G 2026, Emerging trends and future directions in digital food safety. in G Pang & H Onyeaka (eds), Food Safety in the Digital Age: Fundamentals to Applications. 1st edn, Wiley, pp. 403-414. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394362660.ch24

Duan, K, Pang, G & Onyeaka, H 2026, Innovations in Blockchain Technology Relevant to Agriculture. in SA Kaliji, A Pakseresht & L Camanzi (eds), Agri-Chain Innovation: Leveraging Blockchain for Sustainable Food Systems. 1st edn, Springer, Cham, pp. 289-299. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-17051-4_17

Onyeaka, H & Pang, G 2026, Integrating sustainability into digital food safety. in G Pang & H Onyeaka (eds), Food Safety in the Digital Age: Fundamentals to Applications. 1st edn, Wiley, pp. 347-362. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781394362660.ch21

Review article

Pang, G & Szliter, M 2026, 'Governing AI in operations: ethical risks, accountability mechanisms, and responsible digital operations', AI and Ethics, vol. 6, no. 4, 338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43681-026-01191-3

View all publications in research portal

Media experience

  • Invited panellist, AI for Sustainability: Promise, Paradox, and Responsibility, international roundtable at the COMPTEXT 2026 conference, University of Birmingham (25 April 2026), aligned with the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action (BISCA) AI for Sustainability research theme. Panel convened with colleagues from the University of Vienna, Technical University of Munich and Leiden University to examine the transformative potential of AI for environmental challenges alongside its ethical and environmental costs.

Policy experience

  • Parliamentary Launch of the COP30 Report, House of Commons, 3 November 2025. Invited guest at the parliamentary launch of the University of Birmingham's COP30 Report, Bridging Research and Policy for Global Climate Action, hosted by Sonia Kumar MP at the Terrace Pavilion, House of Commons
  • House of Lords consultation, 13 May 2025. Presented research on food contaminants, regulatory regimes and detection technologies in a high-level consultation with Lord Krebs, contributing to ongoing UK food safety governance. A follow-on review on food processing additives and gut microbiome health is being prepared for Nature Communications, with the aim of informing parliamentary debate via the House of Lords Science and Technology and Environment and Climate Change Committees.
  • UK Parliament written evidence, 2023. Co-authored submission on fairness in the food supply chain (FSC0011).