Michelle Liu

Michelle has taught finance and accounting across the world, but she says her love of teaching started much closer to home. 

“I come from a family of teachers. My grandfather, my mother, and many other family members were all teachers. Our family appreciates education and the role teachers play in inspiring others,” she says. 

That inspiration led Michelle to begin her career in China, where she spent 13 years at Dongbei University of Finance and Economics teaching subjects like corporate finance, securities analysis, financial derivatives, and financial markets. She enjoyed helping students connect classroom learning with the real world, and regularly presented her research at international conferences.

Her journey then took her to London, where she taught at Brunel University and worked as a teaching assistant for the University of London. While there, she also completed her Fellowship with the Higher Education Academy (HEA), which recognised her focus on engaging and effective teaching.

Michelle’s classroom style is interactive and practical. She likes using project-based learning, where students work on real-life tasks that build problem-solving skills and creativity.  

“Engagement learning is most important to me, and I ask my students to engage in pre-class learning and in-class dialogue,” she says. 

In 2024, Michelle returned to New Zealand and joined the Bachelor of Accounting team at NMIT. She is excited to bring her international experience to her students and is currently researching a Corporate Governance Index for New Zealand public companies.

For Michelle, teaching is more than a career, it’s something she feels called to do. 

“For me, teaching is not just a job. It’s about inspiring people and expanding minds,” she says. “NMIT gives me the chance to do that here in New Zealand.”