Qinghe SUN - Research

*: PhD students/Postdoctoral fellows supervised;#: Other student collaborator.

Working Papers

"Analytics for on-demand food delivery: A Hurwicz satisficing perspective,'' with Ziao Zhao* and Li Chen, under minor revision at Transportation Science.
- Finalist, 2025 INFORMS TSL Data-Driven Research Challenge
A project on feeder network design, with Mingyang Li* and Li Chen, under major revision at Transportation Science.
"A nested branch-and-cut approach for robust overnight freight service planning on urban rail transit networks,'' with Tao Feng*, Lingxiao Wu and Hans Wang, under minor revision at INFORMS Journal on Computing.
"Adaptive emergency operations: A three-stage robust optimization model, with Li Chen, Tao Feng* and Lingxiao Wu, under major revision.

Publications

Chen, L., Chou, M. C., & Sun, Q. (2026). Process flexibility: A distribution-free approach to long chain resilience, Operations Research, 74(1), 1--24. [DOI]
Sun, Q., & Chou, M. C. (2026). Data-driven bunker refueling under price uncertainty, Production and Operations Management, 35(7), 2625--2644. [DOI]
- Best Presentation Award, 2021 Analytics for X Conference[video]
Qiao, X.*, Yang, Y., Sun, Q., & Wang, S. (2026). A branch-and-price approach for optimizing all-electric ships scheduling in waterborne transport, Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 211, 103517. [DOI]
Cao, Z.*, Feng, T.*, Sun, Q., & Wang, S. (2026). An ADMM-based decomposition approach for flexible blending in port operations, Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 210, 103489. [DOI]
Wang, H.#, Sun, Q., & Wang, S. (2025). Data-driven models for optimizing second-hand ship trading strategies under contextual information, Naval Research Logistics, 72(2), 275--291. [DOI]
- Top viewed article of Naval Research Logistics (Wiley, 2025).
Cao, Z.*, Sun, Q., Wang, W., & Wang, S. (2025). Berth allocation in dry bulk export terminals with channel restrictions, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 179, 105263. [DOI]
Cao, Z.*, Sun, Q., & Wang, S. (2025). Dry bulk terminal operations: A critical review of models and optimization methods, Transportation Research Part C: Emerging Technologies, 178, 105221. [DOI]
Guan, L.#, Zhou, C., Sun, Q., & Che, A. (2025). Delay-tolerated vehicle positioning and scheduling problem at terminal aprons: A target-oriented robust optimisation approach, International Journal of Production Research, 63(17), 6514--6529. [DOI]
Guan, L.#, Zhao, Z., & Sun, Q. (2025). Understanding the Baltic Dry Index (BDI): An explainable decomposition approach, Maritime Policy & Management, 53(1), 111--135. [DOI]
Sun, Q., Li, W., & Meng, Q. (2024). Single-leg shipping revenue management for expedited services with ambiguous elasticity in transit-time-sensitive demand, Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 180, 102886. [DOI]
Sun, Q., Chen, L., Chou, M. C., & Meng, Q. (2023). Mitigating the financial risk behind emission cap compliance: A case in maritime transportation, Production and Operations Management, 32(1), 283--300. [DOI]
Zhu, S., Jia, S., Sun, Q., & Meng, Q. (2023). An empirical study of China--Singapore International Land--Sea Trade Corridor: Analysis from supply and demand sides, Transport Policy, 135, 1--10. [DOI]
Lee, S. J.#, Sun, Q., & Meng, Q. (2023). Vessel weather routing subject to sulfur emission regulation, Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, 177, 103235. [DOI]
Sun, Q., Chen, L., & Meng, Q. (2022). Evaluating port efficiency dynamics: A risk-based approach, Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, 166, 333--347.[DOI]
Sun, Q., Meng, Q., & Chou, M. C. (2021). Optimizing voyage charterparty (VCP) arrangement: Laytime negotiation and operations coordination, European Journal of Operational Research, 291(1), 263--270. [DOI]

Book Chapter

"Risk mitigation in green technology investment," with Li Chen, Mabel Chou, and Qiang Meng in Encyclopedia in Operations Management.

Patent

"A data-driven bunker planner system" [European Patent: EP4505383A2; Japan: JP2025511833A; China: CN119365888A; WIPO: WO2023195917A2]

Competitive Funding

[PI] " Supply diversification with flexible configurations: A three-stage robust optimization model," Hong Kong RGC General Research Funding (GRF), HKD 514,261, 01/2027-12/2029.

[PI] "Adaptive emergency operations: A three-stage robust optimization model," National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), CNY 300,000, 01/2026-12/2028.

[PI] "Robust flexibility design for operational efficiency and resilience," Hong Kong RGC General Research Funding (GRF), HKD 642,944, 01/2025-06/2027.

[Co-I] "Optimising maritime network line design using reinforcement learning," Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) Fellowship, SGD 384,000, 02/2024-01/2026 (PI: Dr. Hong Ming Tan @NUS).

[PI] "Mitigating supply risks with process flexibility: Theory and applications in maritime logistics," Hong Kong RGC Early Career Scheme (ECS), HKD 430,599, 01/2024-06/2026, PI.

[Co-I] "Port congestion modeling and management in a multi-participant framework," NSFC General Program, RMB 534,000, 01/2024-12/2027 (PI: Dr. Xiwen Bai @Tsinghua).