The Academy of Social Sciences has elected Professor Yu Xiong to its prestigious Fellowship, recognising his groundbreaking contributions to digital innovation research and policy development. Professor Xiong joins 62 other distinguished scholars in this autumn’s cohort of Fellows.
The Academy’s Fellowship comprises 1,700 leading social scientists from academia, public, private, and third sectors, selected through a rigorous peer review process that recognises excellence and substantial contributions to social science for public benefit.
He was elected alongside academics from 39 UK organisations, comprising 29 Higher Education Institutions as well as think tanks, non-profits, and businesses. The Academy welcomed Fellows from beyond the UK as well, including scholars from Australia and China.
Professor Yu Xiong currently serves as Chair Professor of Business Analytics at Surrey Business School and director of the Surrey Academy for Blockchain and Metaverse Applications (SABMA) and leads research at the intersection of emerging technologies and sustainability.
His educational background includes a BSc in Computing Engineering from Chongqing University and a PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Nottingham Trent University, complemented by professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer from the Engineering Council UK. Before joining Surrey, his academic career spanned positions at Queen’s University Belfast, University of East Anglia, and Northumbria University.
Xiong gained international prominence in 2021 through a Nature Communications study that exposed the massive carbon footprint of Bitcoin mining, projecting emissions equivalent to entire nations. The landmark research fundamentally changed global discussions about cryptocurrency sustainability, influenced policies at COP26, and contributed to China’s regulatory crackdown on crypto mining operations.
He has also built successful business ventures including OxValue.AI (co-founder and Managing Director), Keath.AI (chair), and Endless Genesis Cloud (co-founder and Chief Scientist). These ventures showcase his practical application of emerging technologies: OxValue.AI analyses investment data, Keath.AI applies generative AI to educational data serving universities and global education companies, while Endless Genesis Cloud provides blockchain solutions for climate change.
His policy influence extends to chairing the Advisory Board for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Metaverse and Web 3.0 and serving on the advisory committee for Artificial Intelligence. He previously held fellowships at the Cambridge University Institute for Sustainability Leadership and currently serves as a Senior Research Associate at Oxford University’s Technology and Management Centre for Development.
Professor Xiong has also held leadership positions, including President of the Chinese Economic Association Europe/UK (2020-2021) and Vice President of the International Association of Operations and Supply Chain Management. His research ranks first among UK authors for citations in Supply Chain, Closed Loop, and Remanufacturing studies between 2014 and 2023. Notable recognitions include carrying the London Olympic Torch in 2012 and receiving the Global Gandhi Award at the UK Parliament.
Through his varied roles in academia, business ventures, and policy advisory positions, Professor Xiong has built a reputation for connecting theoretical research with practical applications. His election to the Academy of Social Sciences recognises this broad impact and adds to a growing list of accolades for his contributions to digital innovation and sustainability.
