Dr Ellen Pei-yi Yu — Birkbeck, University of London

Overview

Biography

Dr Ellen Pei-yi Yu is Senior Lecturer in Finance at Birkbeck, University of London. Her research spans sustainable investing, environmental and climate finance, corporate disclosure, green innovation financing, and blended finance. Her recent publications include papers in the Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Business Strategy and the Environment, International Review of Financial Analysis, Journal of Investing, Research in International Business and Finance, and the Journal of Fixed Income.

Highlights

Ellen organised a workshop on the theme of "Environmental Finance for the Common Good", co-funded by the Money Macro and Finance Society (MMF) and Birkbeck. This was a free and hybrid workshop on 31 March and 1 April 2022 (on-campus and live stream). This event was open to the public.

Qualifications

PhD in Finance , University of Birmingham, UK
MSocSc in Money, Banking and Finance , University of Birmingham, UK

Professional activities

Academic activities:
Presenter – 2025: International Finance and Banking Society 2025 Oxford Conference, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford; Conference on International Sustainable and Climate Finance, Future Finance and Economics Association, Edinburgh Napier University. 2022: 1st Conference on INternational Finance; Sustainable and Climate Finance and Growth, Università degli Studi di Napoli 'Parthenope' June 12-14, 2022; 2021: 37th International Symposium on Money, Banking and Finance. Banque de France, 16-17 June 2021; 2019: International Finance and Banking Society 2019 Angers Conference, ESSCA School of Management-Angers, France, 27th -29th June 2019; Academy of International Business 2019 Annual Conference, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, 25th -27th June 2019.

Professional activities:
External examiner for the PhD viva at various UK universities.

Professional memberships

Member of the Impact and Sustainable Finance Consortium; Member of the Academy of International Business; Member of the US Western Finance Association; Member of CA19130 COST Action; Member of the European Finance Association; Member of HEA

Research

Research interests

Ellen’s research focuses on sustainable investing, environmental and climate finance, corporate disclosure, financing for green innovation, and blended finance.

Research Centres and Institutes

Birkbeck Centre for Innovation Management Research
Birkbeck Accounting and Finance Research Centre
Responsible Business Centre

Research clusters and groups

accounting and finance group

Supervision and teaching

Supervision

Supervisions within Birkbeck:: 2

Ellen welcomes PhD applications in the areas of sustainable investing, environmental and climate finance, corporate disclosure, financing for green innovation, and blended finance.

Current doctoral researchers

CLARA YU

Nature of supervision:
Principal Supervisor, Sep 2024 onwards

Doctoral alumni since 2013-14

STEPHEN KATAYA

Nature of supervision:
Joint Principal Supervisor, Oct 2019

Title of thesis:
The Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and the Three: Corporate Performance; National Cultures; Economic Growth

Awarded:
2024

Teaching

Teaching experience
Graduate Lecture Courses
• Portfolio Management and Sustainable Investing
• Bank Financial Management

Undergraduate Lecture Courses
• International Financial Management
• Corporate Finance

Teaching modules

Principles of Investment Management (BUMN072H7)
International Financial Management (BUMN111S6)

Publications

Article

Bußmann, N. and Giudici, P. and Tanda, A. and Yu, Ellen Pei-yi (2025) Explainable Machine Learning to predict the cost of capital. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence 8, ISSN 2624-8212.
Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Tanda, A. and Luu, B.V. and Chai, D.H. (2021) Environmental transparency and investors’ risk perception: cross-country evidence on multinational corporations’ sustainability practices and cost of equity. Business Strategy and the Environment 30 (8), pp. 3975-4000. ISSN 1099-0836.
Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Luu, B.V. (2021) International variation in ESG disclosure – Do cross-listed companies care more?. International Review of Financial Analysis 75, pp. 101731. ISSN 1057-5219.
Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Luu, B.V. and Chen, C.H. (2020) Greenwashing in environmental, social and governance disclosures. Research in International Business and Finance 52 (101192), ISSN 0275-5319.
Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Guo, Qian and Luu, B.V. (2018) Environmental, social and governance transparency and firm value. Business Strategy and the Environment 27 (7), pp. 987-1004. ISSN 1099-0836.
Elgadi, E. and Yu, Ellen Pei-yi (2018) The profitability of Islamic banking in Sudan. International Journal of Management Practice 11 (3), pp. 233-258. ISSN 1477-9064.
Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Luu, B.V. (2015) Bank performance and executive pay: tournament or teamwork. Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting 47 (3), pp. 607-643. ISSN 1573-7179.

Book Section

Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Luu, B.V. (2017) Pay dispersion, culture and bank performance. In: Ibeh, Kevin and Tolentino, Paz Estrella and Janne, Odile and Liu, Xiaming (eds.) Growth Frontiers in International Business. The Academy of International Business. Springer. pp. 257-286. ISBN 9783319488509.

Conference Item

Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Guo, Qian and Luu, B.V. (2018) ESG transparency and firm value. 45rd Academy of International Business (UK & Ireland Chapter) Conference, Birmingham, 12th -15th April, 2018., 2018, Birmingham, UK
Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Luu, V. Pay dispersion, culture and bank performances. 43rd Academy of International Business (UK & Ireland Chapter) Conference, International Business in a Multi-speed Global Economy, London, UK

Monograph

Yu, Ellen Pei-yi and Luu, Bac Van (2016) Pay dispersion and bank performance: the role of culture and law. London, UK: Birkbeck College, University of London.

Business and community

Outreach

Yu, Ellen Pei-yi, Luu, B. V., and Chen, C. H. (2021). International evidence on the mismatch between firms’ ESG disclosure and ESG performance, Sustainability Matters, Conference Board. February. https://www.conference-board.org/research/sustainability-matters/mismatch-between-ESG-disclosure-performance

Presenter
Panel Discussant, Birkbeck Climate Festival 2025: “Breakfast with Birkbeck Environment & Sustainability” webinar, 20 March 2025.

Invited Speaker, World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) Listings Working Group Call on 25 March 2024.

Panel Discussant, A City of London & Birkbeck Roundtable Event on Entrepreneurship and Green Finance on 25 July 2022 at Gresham College, London.

Online Event via Zoom, “Recent Results in Green Finance” Organised by GrEnFin European Project, 2 December 2021.

International Conference: Environmental Justice, August 2021, Lassalle-Institute, Switzerland.

Panel Discussant, Birkbeck Women Vs. the Climate Crisis Symposium round-up organised by the Birkbeck Students’ Union Women’s Network and the SU Environment Society on 6 May 2021.