What led you to your career as an academic and researcher?
When I was a master’s student, I was involved in a research project on pensions in China. This experience inspired me to be interested in issues related to poverty and income distribution. My undergraduate major was math, so I am quite strong in data analysis. Using data analysis to examine the economic reality is very interesting and fulfilling to me. I was a member of the China Institute for Income Distribution at Beijing Normal University and decided to pursue research and teaching for my future career.
What are your main research areas and interests?
My research focuses on income distribution, social policies, and rural old-age insurance. My current research examines effects of public transfers on income distribution and poverty in China as well as the poverty reduction effect of basic public services such as pensions, education, and medical care.
Can you briefly introduce your home institution?
I come from the School of Finance at Renmin University of China, founded in 1937 and one of the top universities in China. The discipline of Public Finance at my university has been ranked at the top in China for many years in a row. The predecessor of the School of Finance, the Department of Fiscal Credit and Loan, is one of the earliest eight departments established by Renmin University of China. It is also the first base in China to train senior talents in the financial fields and has made a pioneering contribution in the development of finance in China.
What aspects of being a visiting scholar at Columbia are exciting to you?
Columbia University is my dream university. It is one of the world's top private research universities and one of the Ivy League universities. More importantly, my advisor, Professor Qin Gao, is a very prominent scholar in poverty, inequality, and public policy both in China and internationally. Her advice and guidance will be invaluable for me to strengthen my research skills and advance my career.
What are your main research activities during your stay at Columbia and in NYC?
My main research project during the visiting period focuses on the effects of public transfers on income distribution and poverty in China. Through this research, I aim to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the effects of public transfers than what has been done in the literature. I also hope to provide a more accurate evaluation of the income redistribution effect and poverty reduction effect of public transfers. I hope my research findings will inform income redistribution policies to help achieve the goal of precise poverty alleviation in China.
