Obaid Gulzar

Biography

Obaid is an occasional PhD Scholar at the University of Essex and a final year PhD scholar in Management Sciences at COMSATS University Islamabad, Pakistan. Obaid brings a diverse blend of industry and academic experience. He served in prominent roles within the banking sector and civil service in Pakistan from 2012 to 2019, and has been actively engaged in teaching and research across multiple universities since 2019. Obaid's' PhD research focuses on exploring corporate entrepreneurial dynamics that imparts FinTech innovation. He adopted a novel FinTech innovation index in his PhD work by using a machine learning approach, extracting relevant keywords from corporate patent applications to measure firms FinTech innovation activities. As part of his doctoral work, he has published one research article in Technology Analysis & Strategic Management (ABS-2), one is currently under final revision at the International Journal of Finance & Economics (ABS-3), while a third manuscript has recently gone for review at Technovation (ABS-3). In addition, he has research interests in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Innovation, and Entrepreneurship. He has also published several papers in well-reputed journals, including Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal. During his tenure at the University of Essex, he aims to further strengthen his teaching and research skills, and benefit from the expertise of his supervisor as well as other leading academics within the Essex community and beyond. He also looks forward to collaborating with scholars working in related areas of research. In the long term, he aspires to join UK higher education sector after completing his PhD. Research Publications: - Gulzar, O., Nawaz, F., Shahzad, F., & Baig, M. H. (2025). Corporate entrepreneurial strategy and fintech innovation: a moderation analysis with financial flexibility. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 116. https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2025.2480378 (ABS-2) - Baig, M. H., Xu, J., Shahzad, F., Gulzar, O., & Ali, R. (2025). Unveiling the link between CEO overconfidence and Fintech innovation: the role of firm risk taking in China. International Journal of Accounting and Information Management. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-11-2024-0448 (ABS-2) - Gulzar, O., Arshad, A., & Shahid, O. B. (2025). Fostering resilience: exploring financial inclusion as a catalyst in mitigating economic policy uncertainty and safeguarding food security in developing countries. Sustainability Accounting Management and Policy Journal. https://doi.org/10.1108/sampj-08-2023-0591 (ABS-2) - Arshad, A., Gulzar, O.*, Shahid, O. B., & Nawaz, F. (2024). Exploring the mediating role of financial inclusion in the relationship between economic policy uncertainty and CO2 emissions: A global perspective. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 31(34), 4696546978. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-33954-y

Qualifications

• PhD Occasional Student Essex Business School, University of Essex, UK (2026)

• PhD in Management Sciences (in Progress) COMSATS University Islamabad, Attock (2026)

• M.S. in Management Sciences COMSATS University Islamabad, Attock (2017)

• B.S. in Business Administration COMSATS University Islamabad, Attock (2011)