Dr. Li Chen, Professor

Faculty of College of Business, Delaware State University, Dover, USA

Biography

Dr. Li Chen is a well-known tenured professor of sport business with college of business at Delaware State University, USA. He has served as a department chair, president and chairs of international associations, and editor of international journal of sport marketing and management. His research has been on consumer behavior, motivation and perception of consumers in sports industry with publications over 80 and served as keynotes speaker and presenter more than 100 times in international conferences.

Topic

Perceptual Differences of Esports: Comparative Study of Consumer Behaviors Across Nation and Gender

Abstract

Esport has been a multibillion-dollar industry with professional sporting competition and increasing engagement for participants across university campuses internationally. Chen and colleagues (2022) constructed a valid Profile of Esports Perception (PEP) with five critical factors (Attraction, Economics, Socialization, Recognition, Technicity) affecting perceptions of Esports derived from relative theories. They indicated that perceptions of university students could be affected by either one or all factors accordingly. There has been insufficient evidence and quantitative support in the literature of Esports consumer behavior regarding the individuals’ perceptions toward Esports. What could be perceptual deviations across cultural impact and gender difference on perceptions toward Esports among university students? Therefore, the purpose of study would be determining interactive effects of perceptions toward Esports across nation and gender. An international survey was conducted among a convenient student sample selected from 10 American and Chinese universities. A total of 1200 survey packages were distributed equally to the selected Chinese and American universities and 1008 effective packages (return rate of 84.33%) were collected and verified for statistical analysis. A significant interaction effect was found in 2 x 2 factorial MANOVA and univariate ANOVAs for each factor on independent variables (nation, gender) to examine simple main effects were followed. The findings demonstrated significant (p < .01) differences between male and female participants on Attraction, Economics, Recognition, and Socialization, Technicity, and Socialization across America and China. The study explored that Chinese participants preferred Attraction more important than American participants due to cultural impact, and the males were more favorable on Attraction than the females between nations because of gender difference. While American males rated higher than females on Economics, Recognition, and Socialization based on gender preferences, Chinese females recommended all factors, but Attraction, higher than American females. However, Chinese males liked more than American males on Technicity impacted by their perspective cultures. The research provides empirical evidence for the organizers to continuously improve their managerial system of collegiate Esports. The study has inserted an investigative insight into the literature of consumer behavior in Esports, and could serve as a meaningful reference to researchers and practitioners in Esports business.

Dr. Mohamad Alsaleh, Associate Professor

College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China

Biography

Dr. Mohamad Alsaleh is an Associate Professor of the College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Ocean University. He obtained his Ph.D. in economics from University Putra Malaysia which now ranks ^134th based on QS World University Rankings for 2026. Currently, he is also an International Associate Researcher at the Institute of Tropical Agriculture & Food Security (ITAFoS), Malaysia. He have published more than 70 research papers in reputable international journals indexed by SSCI and SCI. He was ranked by ScholarGPS, USA, in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide. In China, he was rewarded by Lingang Special Area with the “Top 10 Science & Technology Pioneer Nomination Award”. Also, he was rewarded by Hebei Yangtze River Culture Research Institute as “Yangtze River Cultural Ambassador”. In 2023, he was rewarded by the Shanghai Human Resource and Social Security Bureau as “Shanghai High-End Level Talent”. In 2024, he was rewarded by Liaoning University as the Best “Teacher Award” for outstanding performance.

Topic

Digital Economy and Big Data in Marine Resources Economics and Environmental Governance

Abstract

The digital economy and big data have emerged as transformative forces reshaping global industries, and the marine sector—an indispensable pillar of the blue economy—stands at the intersection of this technological revolution and sustainable development imperatives. This speech focuses on the synergies between digital innovation, marine resources economics, and marine environmental management, addressing how big data-driven tools can optimize the allocation of marine fishery resources, enhance the economic efficiency of aquaculture systems, and mitigate the ecological risks posed by climate change and overexploitation. Drawing on interdisciplinary insights from marine economics, resource economics, and environmental science, we argue that digitalization is not merely a technical upgrade but a strategic enabler for balancing the dual goals of blue economic growth and marine ecological conservation. Specifically, we explore three core dimensions: first, the application of big data analytics in dynamic monitoring of fishery stocks and aquaculture supply chains, which improves the precision of resource management policies; second, the role of digital platforms in facilitating stakeholder collaboration—including fishermen, enterprises, and regulators—to resolve the collective action dilemma in marine environmental governance; third, the challenges of digital divide and data security in coastal and island regions, which require targeted policy interventions to ensure inclusive and sustainable digital transformation. By linking these discussions to global blue economy agendas and national strategies such as China’s “Blue Granary” initiative, this speech concludes that leveraging the digital economy and big data is critical to building a resilient, equitable, and prosperous marine economy for future generations.