Leigh Anne Liu, a scholar renowned for her research on how culture and cognition influence negotiation, conflict management, and collaboration in international settings, has been appointed director of the Institute of International Business (IIB) at Georgia State University's J. Mack Robinson College of Business.

Since joining Georgia State in 2005, Liu has been heavily involved in the growth of Robinson’s international business programs focusing on helping students develop cross-cultural competencies and international business negotiations skills. She has led numerous college and university committees and Georgia State’s federally funded Center for International Business and Education Research (GSU-CIBER) earning a faculty recognition award for exemplary service in 2020.

“Leigh Anne Liu has the leadership acumen to advance the IIB and to work in collaboration with her colleagues to develop an exciting new vision for the study and understanding of global business,” said Richard Phillips, dean of the Robinson College. “I look forward to seeing how she advances the institute and helps our students prepare for the opportunities that await them in global business.”

In addition to her scholarship and teaching at Georgia State, Liu has led international business research and programming at leading business schools around the world. She recently returned from the Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki, where she was the 2020-2021 Fulbright-Hanken Distinguished Chair in Business and Economics. The chair is jointly awarded by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, and the Fulbright Finland Foundation. She also has held visiting scholar roles at Peking University (China), the University of South Australia, and the University of Toulouse (France).

Professor Liu holds a doctorate from Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management. She succeeds S. Tamer Cavusgil, Regents’ Professor and executive director of GSU-CIBER, who served as interim director of the institute following the retirement of Professor Daniel C.  Bello.