Ran Cao

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Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Strategy
Faculty:
Faculty of Business and Law
School:
Management
Location:
Cambridge
Areas of Expertise:
Business Management , Marketing

Ran Cao is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Strategy, and School of Management Course Director. Since joining UK Higher Education in 2017, Ran has worked at Durham University, Teesside University, University of Westminster and ARU, with a wide range of academic roles.

[email protected]

Research interests
  • Marketing:
    • Service marketing
    • Service-dominant logic
    • Value cocreation
    • Service ecosystem
    • Customer learning
    • Customer culture
  • Health:
    • Health service
    • Chronic condition self-management
    • Patient experience
    • Patient centricity
    • Diabetes
    • Remote diagnostics
    • Digital pathology
    • Artificial intelligence (AI) in health education
    • Culturally appropriate care
  • Education:
    • Adult education
    • Self-directed learning
    • Learning psychology
    • Pedagogic research
  • Sociology:
    • Culture
    • Social network
    • Health sociology
Areas of research supervision

Ran is not currently available for PhD supervision, but is normally interested in supervising projects on the topics of:

  • Service marketing
  • Healthcare context
  • Customer learning
  • Customer culture
  • Health sociology
Teaching
  • Principles of Marketing Management (PG)
  • Entrepreneurial Action (PG)
  • Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Supervision (PG)
  • Integrated Marketing Communications (PG)
  • Marketing and Design Innovation (PG)
  • International Marketing and Brand Management (PG)
  • Marketing Postgraduate Major Project (PG)
  • Principle of Digital Marketing (UG)
  • Tourism Management and Innovation (UG)
  • Marketing Undergraduate Major Project (UG)
  • International Marketing (UG)
  • Retail and Shopper Marketing (UG)
  • Developing Content for Campaigns (UG)
  • Undertaking the Campaign (UG)
  • Data and Analytics for the Digital Marketer (UG)
Qualifications
  • PhD in Social Science, Institute of Education, University College London (UCL) (studying)
  • MSc Marketing, University of Nottingham
  • BA (Hons) International Business Management, University of Nottingham
  • PGCert Learning and Teaching (Higher Education), Anglia Ruskin University
  • CIM Award in Consultancy (Completing)
Memberships, editorial boards
  • Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
  • Chartered Manager and Business Educator (CMBE)
  • Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Member (MCIM)
Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange
  • Cambridge United Football Club: university student market development, marketing practice audition and development, customer experience enhancement.
  • Vision and Eye Research Institute (VERI): social media enhancement strategy for diabetes educational video programme; culturally and linguistically appropriate training videos in Chinese Mandarin, Diabetic Retinopathy Awareness and Prevention Programme (ARUDRAPP).
  • Diabetes experience among UK Chinese immigrants.
  • Toward diabetes-inclusive universities: understanding the needs of diabetic staff and students at a UK university.

Funding application

  • Course Development Fund, £3,682, 2025-26.
  • Pump-Priming Research Funding, £600, 2025.
  • PSS Training & Development Fund: £1,620, 2025.
  • Learning and Teaching Innovation Fund: £1,000, 2025.
  • Course Development Fund: £4,771, 2024-25.
  • Course Team Fund: £1,500, 2024.
Selected recent publications

Sehmbi, T., Cao, R., Sapkota, R. and Pardhan, S. (2026) '‘If you cut me, I’d probably bleed Coca-Cola’: a qualitative exploration of barriers and facilitators to Type 2 diabetes management among Chinese adults in the UK', Journal of Diabetes Research, 8119786. Available at: "https://doi.org/10.1155/jdr/8119786

Sehmbi, T., Cao, R., Sapkota, R. and Pardhan, S. (2025) 'Knowledge and awareness of healthcare systems and the uptake of diabetic services among Chinese people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the UK', Ethnicity & Health. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13557858.2025.2496188

Recent presentations and conferences

Cao, R. (2025) ‘Student-led Tourism Newsletter & The Level X Programme - Best Learning and Teaching Practice at ARU Elevator Pitch’. Presented at Faculty of Business and Law Teaching and Assessment Conference 2025, Cambridge, UK.

Cao, R. (2025) ‘Awards Gap Action Planning’. Presented at Faculty of Business and Law Teaching and Assessment Conference 2025, Cambridge, UK.

Cao, R. (2025) ‘Marketing Clinic - a Consultancy Unit for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurial Professional Development’. Presented at Engage Learning and Teaching Conference 2025, Cambridge, UK.

Cao, R. (2024) ‘Canvas Course sites Video Poster Initiative’. Presented at Course Director Conference 2024, Cambridge, UK.

Cao, R. (2020) ‘Self-directed Value Co-creation in Learning’. Presented at Learning & Teaching Enhancement Conference 2020, Teesside, UK.

Media experience
Media experience

ARU students help CUFC think outside the box, ARU Press Office, 2 September 2025.

Awards

Faculty of Business and Law Reward and Recognition Award - Student Experience and Engagement 2024.