Introduction
There has been remarkable progress in global poverty reduction. Since 1990, a quarter of the world’s population has risen out of extreme poverty. In 2015, 10 percent of the world’s population lived on less than $1.90 a day, down from nearly 36 percent in 1990. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts, it is likely that the poverty reduction progress will slow down or reverse in 2020. The World Bank estimates that 40 to 60 million people will fall into extreme poverty (under $1.90/day) in 2020. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the global extreme poverty rate could rise by 0.3 to 0.7 percentage points. It is evident that without intensified action and concerted global efforts, the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 will not be met.
It is also important to note the changing global poverty landscape. In the last three years, East Asia and the Pacific has continued its poverty reduction progress, mainly driven by decreases in poverty in China. In contrast, the Middle East and Africa have seen a sharp reversal in their poverty reduction trends. In Latin America, poverty reduction has largely stagnated. The United States is still suffering from the huge hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, with those in poverty hit hardest and becoming especially vulnerable. China aims to eliminate extreme poverty by the end of this year, but to eliminate relative poverty will be its long-term task. Fighting against different forms of poverty both at home and abroad will be shared challenges faced by China and the US.
Against this backdrop, we are honored to invite eight leading scholars from China and the United States to have a dialogue on how to end poverty in the changing global context.
Agenda
Time: 8:00-9:30pm (Beijing Time) / 8:00-9:30am (New York Time), Oct. 13, 2020
Platform: Zoom Webinar
Opening Remarks:
Xu Xiuli, Dean and Professor of College of International Development and Global Agriculture (CIDGA), China Agricultural University
Melissa Begg, Dean and Professor of Social Work & Biostatistics, Columbia University School of Social Work
Moderator: Qin Gao, Professor of Social Policy and Social Work, Director of China Center for Social Policy, Columbia University
Opening Keynote (10 minutes)
Li Xiaoyun, Lead Chair Professor, China Agricultural University (CAU), Honorary Dean of College of International Development and Global Agriculture, Chair of China International Development Research Network (CIDRN)
- Poverty Reduction in China and the US: A Comparative Analysis
Panelists (8 minutes each)
Jane Waldfogel, Compton Foundation Centennial Professor for the Prevention of Children’s and Youth Problems, Columbia University
- Measuring Poverty: Lessons from the US and UK
Li Shi, Distinguished Professor, Zhejiang University; Acting Director of China Institute for Income Distribution, Beijing Normal University
- Poverty in China: Measurement and Trends
Ron Mincy, Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social Work Practice, Columbia University
- Playing 2nd Fiddle: Black Men and Poverty alleviation in America
Zhu Ling, Professor and Research Fellow, Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
- The Role of Social Insurance and Social Assistance in Poverty Alleviation in China
Gan Li, Clifford Taylor Jr. Professor of Economics, Texas A&M University and Southwestern University of Finance and Economics
- Incentive-Compatible Poverty Reduction Experiments in China
Closing Keynote (10 minutes)
Jeffery Sachs, University Professor and Director, Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University
- Social Policies Addressing Poverty in the US, European Union, and China
Q & A (30 minutes)