RESEARCH

Working Papers:

A long-run consequence of the relaxed education for labor market performances (with Ryuichi Tanaka).  Working Paper

This paper finds a relaxation-oriented educational approach leads to worsened labor market outcomes in Japan. 

Land reform and illegal adoption of children (with Yanjun Li, Masaki Nakabayashi).  Working Paper   Revise and Resubmit

The paper investigates how China's land reform during 1978–1984 derived demand for children beyond the one-child policy's birth quota, leading to increased illegal adoption of abandoned or abducted children, particularly boys.

Highway havens for hidden horrors (with Yanjun Li, Xinyan Liu, and Yajie Sun).  Working Paper  ​​ Accept at JEBO

​​Child trafficking is a long-lasting social issue in China. We find that abducted children increase as an indirect and unintended consequence of improved urban infrastructure, such as the construction of expressways that facilitate the expedient transfer of victims between cities.

Corruption disclosure and its impact on labor-related actions  (with Yanjun Li, Hamza Umer).  Working Paper   Revise and Resubmit

The paper aims to explore the profound impact of corruption-related injustices on organized labor actions. Our findings indicate a significant increase in labor unrest incidents following each additional reported convicted officials. 

Education as a Panacea for Crime Prevention? The Heterogeneous Impact of Educational Policy on Crime in China (with Yanjun Li, Xinyan Liu, and Ryuichi Tanaka).  Working Paper

We examine the impact of educational attainment on participation in criminal activities, employing the implementation of compulsory schooling laws (CSL) to address the endogeneity in schooling decisions.

Girls Helping Girls? Exploring the Impact of Female Teachers on the Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Development of Female Students (with Chen-Hsuan Liao).  Working Paper

We find that female teachers enhance students' academic achievements and non-cognitive skills. The mechanisms include teachers interacting more with students of the same gender and female students feeling more comfortable and inspired by same-gender teachers.

Sophie and the locust curse: Effects of locust plague on human capital accumulations (with Guojun He, Pakhung Lam, and Yanjun Li). 

This paper investigates whether and how a locust swarm invasion created a devastating and enduring impact on the human capital accumulation of offspring.

Publications:

Quantity-quality trade-off in Northeast China, 1780-1880 (with Pakhung Lam and Yanjun Li).  Journal of Population Economics, 2023   Link      Working Paper

Media Coverage: GLO news    PoIiticaI理论志 (in Chinese)GLO News

Political tournament and growth-enhancing policies (with Yanjun Li).  Journal of Regional Science, 2022  Link   

Media Coverage: 南开城市与区域经济 (in Chinese)

The legacy of the Great Wall (with Anastasia Arabadzhyan and Yanjun Li).  Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2022   Link      Working Paper   

Media Coverage: 香樟经济学术圈 (in Chinese)

Chinese aid and local political attitudes (with Yanjun Li and Yunuo Wang).  Economic Modelling, 2022  Link

More suffering, more involvement? The causal effects of seismic disasters on social capital (with Yanjun Li). World Development, 138, 2021  Link 

Good bye Chiang Kai-shek? The long-lasting effects of education under the authoritarian regime in Taiwan (with Yanjun Li). Economics of Education Review, 78, 2020  Link

A Sibling-pair analysis for causal effect of education on health (with Yanjun Li). The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, 18.4, 2018   Link