The Impact of ESG Legal Risks in Due Diligence on Merger and Acquisition Decision-making of Chinese A-share Listed Companies

About the Project

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors form the foundation of sustainable development and serve as an enrichment and extension of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) concept. Corporate mergers and acquisitions constitute investment activities fraught with considerable risk. Within due diligence processes, legal review acts as a "safety valve" for the smooth implementation of subsequent M&A transactions. This study will approach the issue from the perspectives of both the acquirer and intermediary institutions, focusing on identifying ESG legal risks present in M&A due diligence. It will explore feasible solutions to address ESG concerns and adjust M&A decision-making accordingly.

For more information about doctoral scholarship and PhD programme at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), please visit https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/global/entry-requirements/ https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/admissions/global/fees-and-scholarship

Supervisors:

• Principal supervisor: Assistant Professor/Dr. Kai Liu (XJTLU)
• Co-supervisor: Senior Associate Professor/Dr. Teck Chai Lau (XJTLU)
• Co-supervisor: Professor/Dr. Robert Stokes (UoL)

Requirements:

A Master's degree with Merit and a Bachelor's degree with first-class or upper second-class honors are required for PhD admissions. Evidence of good spoken and written English is essential. The candidate should have an IELTS (or equivalent) score of 6.5 or above, if the first language is not English. This position is open to all qualified candidates irrespective of nationality.

Degree:

The student will be awarded a PhD degree from the University of Liverpool (UK) upon successful completion of the program.

Funding:

The PhD studentship is available for three years subject to satisfactory progress by the student. The award covers 50% tuition fee reduction for three years (RMB 148,500 total value). It also provides up to RMB 16,500 to allow participation at international conferences during the period of the award. The scholarship holders are expected to conduct the majority of their research at XJTLU in Suzhou, China. However, they may apply for a short-term research visit to the University of Liverpool if the project requires it.

How to Apply:

Interested applicants are advised to email Kai.Liu@xjtlu.edu.cn the following documents for initial review and assessment (please put the project title in the subject line).

• CV
• Two formal reference letters
• Personal statement outlining your interest in the position
• Certificates of English language qualifications (IELTS or equivalent)
• Full academic transcripts in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)
• Verified certificates of education qualifications in both Chinese and English (for international students, only the English version is required)
• PDF copy of Master Degree dissertation (or an equivalent writing sample) and examiners reports available

Contact:

Please email Kai.Liu@xjtlu.edu.cn with a subject line of the PhD project title.

The principal supervisor’s profile is linked here: https://scholar.xjtlu.edu.cn/en/persons/KaiLiu