Cheng Hua is an associate professor at the School of Economics, Renmin University of China (RUC). She serves as the executive director of the Digital Economy Research Center and directs the Master's program in Digital Economy program at the university.  

Her primary research focuses on industrial organization in network industries, digital economy, and digital finance. She has published over 20 academic papers in journals including The World Economy  and Economic Theory and Business Management . Furthermore, she has overseen more than 20 research projects commissioned by institutions such as the Ministry of Finance and the Beijing Municipal Financial Regulatory Bureau. Her academic contributions have been acknowledged with the Second Prize of the National Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award and the First Prize of Beijing Higher Education Teaching Achievement Award.