Alex Ho Lun Wong 黃浩倫

My official name is Ho Lun WONG. I go by Alex. I am a Hong Kong native, married, and the proud parent of four children.

I am an applied economist with a passion for conducting economic and interdisciplinary research that generates practical insights for addressing real-world challenges. My primary research areas are development economics and the economics of education, with additional interests in health economics, labor economics, and public economics. Much of my research focuses on poorer regions in developing countries, such as rural areas in China and Ethiopia. My work often involves analyzing micro-level experimental or observational data to evaluate the impacts of intervention programs and policy changes. My research has been published in leading peer-reviewed journals, including the Economics of Education Review, Education Economics, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Development Studies, Journal of Public Economics, Pacific Economic Review, Review of Development Economics, and World Development.

I am deeply committed to teaching economics and inspiring students to explore the economy and society through rigorous reasoning, scientific methods, and biblical integration. Currently, I teach three of the four required intermediate and upper-level courses for Economics majors, including Intermediate Microeconomics, Econometrics, and the Economics Senior Seminar. I also teach Development Economics, an elective course that reflects my primary research focus.

Contact information

Office: MSC 305

Email: alex.wong@wheaton.edu 

Mail: 501 College Ave., Wheaton, IL 60187, USA

Phone: (630) 752 5313

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0456-3006

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LpHCeycAAAAJ&hl=en 

Employment (Current)

Associate Professor of Economics, Department of Business and Economics, Wheaton College, IL, USA (2019-present)

Affiliate Fellow, Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (2019-present) 

Employment (Past)

Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (2019-2023)

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (2013-2019)

Centre Fellow, Pan Sutong Shanghai-Hong Kong Economic Policy Research Institute, Lingnan University, Hong Kong (2015-2019)

Hostel Warden, Lam Woo Hall (Hall D), Lingnan University, Hong Kong (2016-2019)

Research Project Manager, Fung Global Institute, Hong Kong (2012-2013)

Education

Ph.D., Economics, Stanford University, USA, 2012

Thesis: Roads, Anemia and Early Childhood Education: Evaluating the Program Impacts in Rural China

M.A., Economics, Stanford University, USA, 2008

B.A., Economics and Mathematics (double major) with Political Science minor, University of California, Los Angeles, USA, 2005

Matriculation, Queen's College, Hong Kong, 2001

Fellowships and Awards

Graduate Fellowship, Department of Economics, Stanford University, 2005 – 2007

Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Scholarship, Department of Economics, UCLA, 2004 – 2005

Sammy Yukuan Lee Scholarship, UCLA, 2001 – 2005

Hong Kong Schools Alumni Federation Scholarship, 2001 – 2005

Research Interests

Primary fields: Development Economics, Economics of Education

Secondary fields: Health Economics, Labor Economics, Public Economics, Chinese Economy

Publications

[8] Xiang Zhou, Ho Lun Wong, Xiangdong Wei, and William Stanley Siebert. 2024. Improving the Teacher Feedback Process in Primary Education: Evidence from Randomized Controlled Trials in Schools in Rural China. Education Economics, forthcoming.

[7] Ho Lun Wong and Haftom Bayray Kahsay. 2023. Risk Preference Interactions Between Individual Farmers and Small Farmer Groups: Experimental Evidence from Rural Ethiopia. Review of Development Economics, 27(2), 1157-1176. 

[6] Ho Lun Wong. 2021. Effect of Marriage Registration on Fertility and Intrahousehold Distribution in Thailand. Pacific Economic Review, 26(3), 312–338.

[5] Ho Lun Wong, Xiangdong Wei, Haftom Bayray Kahsay, Zenebe Gebreegziabher, Cornelis Gardebroek, Daniel E. Osgood, and Rahel Diro. 2020. Effects of input vouchers and rainfall insurance on agricultural production and household welfare: Experimental evidence from Northern Ethiopia. World Development, 135, #105074.

[4] Ho Lun Wong, Wang Yu, Renfu Luo, Linxiu Zhang, and Scott Rozelle. 2017. Local Governance and the Quality of Local Infrastructure: Evidence from Village Road Projects in Rural China. Journal of Public Economics, 152, 119–132.

[3] Ho Lun Wong, Yaojing Shi, Renfu Luo, Linxiu Zhang, and Scott Rozelle. 2014. Improving the Health and Education of Elementary Schoolchildren in Rural China: Iron Supplementation versus Nutritional Training for Parents. Journal of Development Studies 50(4), 502–519.

[2] Ho Lun Wong, Renfu Luo, Linxiu Zhang, and Scott Rozelle. 2013. The Impact of Vouchers on Preschool Attendance and Elementary School Readiness: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Rural China. Economics of Education Review 35, 53–65.

[1] Ho Lun Wong, Renfu Luo, Linxiu Zhang, and Scott Rozelle. 2013. Providing Quality Infrastructure in Rural Villages: The Case of Rural Roads in China. Journal of Development Economics 103, 262–274.

Working Papers / Work in Progress

Valeria Galchenko, Ho Lun Wong, Xiang Zhou, and Nick Zubanov. The Effect of Pay Inequality on Worker Effort: An Information Spillover Experiment in China.

Huan Wang, Ho Lun Wong, Xinyue He, Nan Wang, Hongmei Yi, Yaojiang Shi, and Scott Rozelle. The Effects of Providing Reading Resources to Poor Schoolchildren: Experimental Evidence from Rural China.

Jia Wu and Ho Lun Wong. Nurturing Creativity: Experimental Evidence from Rural China.

Grants

Co-Investigator, National Natural Science Foundation of China (RMB500,000), January 2021 – December 2024

Principal Investigator (Project Coordinator), Research for Inclusive Development in Sub-Sahara Africa: Social Protection, WOTRO Science for Global Development, The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (EUR302,500), October 2015 – April 2018

Principal Investigator, Lingnan University Direct Grant (HK$120,000), March 2016 – February 2018

Principal Investigator, Lingnan University Direct Grant (HK$120,000), February 2015 – January 2017

Principal Investigator, Lingnan University Social Sciences Faculty Research Grant (HK$49,980), March 2014–February 2016

Principal Investigator, Lingnan University Travel Grants (HK$6,600), June 2014

Teaching (UG: Undergraduate; PG: Postgraduate)

Wheaton College (Instructor)

ECON326 Intermediate Microeconomics (UG)

ECON365 Development Economics (UG)

ECON375 Econometrics (UG)

ECON392 China's Rise and its Impact (UG)

ECON492 Senior Seminar (UG)

ECON495 Independent Study (UG)

Lingnan University (Instructor)

CCC8012 The Making of Hong Kong (UG, co-teach)

ECO3201 Intermediate Microeconomics (UG)

ECO3209 The Hong Kong Economy (UG)

ECO3218 Development Economics (UG)

ECO4213 China, Hong Kong and the World Economy (UG)

IBF604 Financial Econometrics (PG)

SSC3202 Contemporary China: Economy, Politics and Society (UG, co-teach)

SSC3319 Junior Research Project (UG)

SSC4319 Senior Thesis (UG)

Stanford University (Teaching Assistant)

Econ 101 (Topics) The Demographics and Economics of Aging in the U.S. (UG)

Econ 101 (Topics) The Future of the Internet (UG)

Econ 102B Introduction to Econometrics (UG)

Econ 111 Money and Banking (UG)

Econ 118 Development Economics (UG)

Econ 126 Economics of Health and Medical Care (UG)

Econ 127/Med 262 The Economics of Health Improvement in Developing Countries (UG) 

Econ 141 Public Finance and Fiscal Policy (UG)

Econ 150 Economics and Public Policy (UG)

Econ 155 Environmental Economics and Policy (UG)

Supervisions for Postgraduate Research Students 

Haftom Bayray Kahsay, Ph.D. in Economics, HKPFS. (Co-supervisor)

Currently Assistant Professor in Mekelle University, Ethiopia

Arbitor Yiu-chung Ma, Ph.D. in Economics. (Co-supervisor)

Currently Assistant Professor in Hong Kong  Metropolian University

Uchechi Shirley Anaduaka, Ph.D. in Economics, HKPFS. (Co-supervisor)

Currently Postdoctoral Fellow in Hong Kong Baptist University

Vivian Ikwuoma Nnetu-Okolieuwa, Ph.D. in Economics, HKPFS. (Co-supervisor)

Professional Services

Refereeing for Academic Journals (in alphabetical order)

Asian Education and Development Studies, China Economic Review, Contemporary Economic Policy, Economic Development and Cultural Change, Economics of Education Review, Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Journal of Economic Education, Pacific Economic Review

Refereeing for Research Grants

Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (General Research Fund, Early Career Scheme, and Faculty Development Scheme)

Services in the Community

Board Member, Cedar Fund, Hong Kong. 2016-2019.

https://www.cedarfund.org/en/

CEDAR Fund, an independent Christian relief and development organization, was founded in Hong Kong in 1991 and is a member of the Integral Alliance.

School Manager, Ma On Shan Tsung Tsin Secondary School, Hong Kong. 2016-2019.

https://www.mosttss.edu.hk/

MOSTTSS is a Christian co-educational secondary school founded in Hong Kong in 1958. 

Media

Guest speaker, Scholars on Economics (Television Program), Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), 2018

Presented faculty, University Promotion Video, Lingnan University, 2018

https://youtu.be/j-mF1ac0ZTQ

Presented faculty, Master Program in International and Development Economics (MIDE) Program Promotion Video, Lingnan University, 2018

https://youtu.be/mzm7xpR139E

黃浩倫（2019年3月6日）。人類的未來：英雄樹、博弈論與狄更斯。《星島日報》。

黃浩倫（2018年10月29日）。在貧困社區培養學童的閱讀興趣和能力。《星島日報》。

黃浩倫（2018年5月9日）。全球氣候變化和創新農業保障。《星島日報》。

黃浩倫（2013年12月13日）。貧窮線制定的技術問題。《明報》，A35。

Last updated: May 2025