Her research focuses on exploring the impact of culture on China's design innovation potential by investigating the structure, operation and evolution of the Chinese creative industry and the overall knowledge economy. She is also interested in entrepreneurship in the creative industry, and how it fits into the overall picture of China's innovation. She is specialized in design thinking as a trans-disciplinary method to drive innovation, creative expression and entrepreneurial success. At Duke Kunshan, she teaches and develops pedagogy around the themes of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
As associate director for innovation and entrepreneurship, she leads the DKU Innovation Lab and Incubator and is responsible for developing the innovative and entrepreneurial culture across campus by initiating and strengthening various programs, topics and resources.
Ren has a B.E. in industrial design and a B.M. in marketing from the Taiyuan University of Technology, and an M.SD. and Ph.D. in design from Arizona State University.