Althouse Hall Room 218
717-245-1261
Mengnan Zhu received his Ph.D. in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University in 2022 and has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP)® since 2011. He specializes in utilizing machine learning techniques to investigate empirical corporate finance issues, such as capital structure, initial public offering (IPO), and the impact of financial regulations on both firms and investors. In recent research, "Does the Confidential IPO Registration Process Create Value?" he conducts textual analysis on corporate disclosures and documents that valuable information is produced during the confidential revise-and-resubmit process between the going-public firm and the SEC. Before coming to the U.S., Mengnan worked in a private equity firm in Beijing, where he was a Senior Financial Analyst focusing on large-scale natural gas infrastructure projects.
INBM 110 Fundamentals of Accounting
This is a core course designed to provide students with a fundamental knowledge of the "language of business" and its applications for decision-making purposes. The course is organized into three sections. In the first section students learn about the accounting cycle- essentially the analysis and recording of financial transactions and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The second section of the course focuses on the analysis and interpretation of financial statements. This section emphasizes the use of financial information by external stakeholders for decision making. The third section of the course concentrates on the fundamentals of management accounting. This section centers on the use of accounting information for operational performance evaluation as well as operational and capital decision making. By the end of the course, students will understand the basic principles and concepts of accounting, the business and economic activities that generate accounting information, how accounting information is used by internal and external stakeholders for economic decision making, and how accounting affects society and individuals.
INBM 350 Investments
This course aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of key investment theories and concepts from a practical perspective. The course first explores the fundamental principles of investment in financial markets, providing a solid groundwork for subsequent in-depth discussions. Participants will then delve into an array of topics vital to their success in the investment field, such as the evolving role of investment in the market dynamics, investors’ decision-making process, determinants of the risk-return portfolio, asset valuation and allocation, and understanding of current issues and debates in financial markets. Prerequisites: 250.
INBM 250 Finance
Knowledge of finance will allow students to adopt the perspective of financial officers in both for-profit as well as not-for-profit organizations. This knowledge is needed to evaluate the health of an organization using key performance indicators and making ethical decisions that involve both short-run and long-run planning horizons. In the short run, this knowledge helps to effectively carry out business functions such as managing cash flow, borrowing money for short periods of time, and keeping control over inventory. In the long run, it helps to choose among competing investment projects and alternative, efficient methods of raising capital. Also, as individuals, knowledge of basic finance will help students to make better-informed decisions concerning their personal financial situations. Apart from covering the fundamentals of financial markets, instruments and institutions, this course will emphasize critical thinking based on quantitative reasoning and decision-making skills. This will include the use of elementary statistical and algebraic methods to investigate fundamental principles of theoretical finance such as the relationship between risk and reward and the pricing of capital assets. Apart from basic theory, knowledge of the hands-on aspects of financial modeling will be imparted via use of spreadsheet software packages such as Microsoft EXCEL; whereby students will be encouraged to create and analyze computational models to test and demonstrate some of the theoretical concepts taught. Prerequisites: ECON 111 and INBM 110.
INBM 400 Sem:Intl Bus Policy & Strategy
This capstone course focuses on the challenges associated with formulating strategy in multinational organizations. The course will examine multinational business decisions from the perspective of top managers who must develop strategies, deploy resources, and guide organizations that compete in a global environment. Major topics include foreign market entry strategies, motivation and challenges of internationalization, the analysis of international industries, building competitive advantage in global industries, and the role of the country manager. Case studies will be used to increase the student's understanding of the complexities of managing international business operations.
Prerequisite: Completion of INBM 290 and at least three of the four 200-level courses (220, 230, 240, 250).