2026-04-18
8:30 AM - 7:30 PM
Hosts:
International Business School Suzhou, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Division of Social Sciences, Duke Kunshan University
18 April, 2026
Suzhou, China
About the workshop
This workshop focuses on recent advances in economic theory and related social sciences. The workshop will examine how individuals, firms, and policymakers make decisions amid rapid technological, economic, and social change. In particular, it will highlight theoretical and empirical research that sheds light on decision-making under uncertainty, strategic interaction, and institutional constraints. The workshop brings together scholars working in economic theory, political economy, international trade, and economic growth to explore how emerging technologies, evolving global economic structures, and changing political environments reshape incentives and behaviour.
Venue
No. 8 Chongwen Road
BS Building, International Business School Suzhou (IBSS)
Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)
Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), Suzhou
Jiangsu Province, China
Schedule
Date: 18 April 2026
| Time | Event | Location |
| 08:30-09:00 | Conference registration | BS574 |
| 09:10-09:30 | Welcome and opening remarks: TBA |
BS574
|
| 09:30-10:30 | Keynote speech M. Ali Khan, Johns Hopkins University: “Functions of Two Variables in Mathematical Economics: An Exploratory Overview” |
BS574 |
| 10:30-10:45 | Tea break | BS560 |
| Parallel sessions | ||
| 10:45-12:15 | International Trade (Chair: Paolo Epifani) ● Tengyu Zhao, Fudan University: “The Power to Price: Financial Intermediaries and Chinese Sovereign Bond Issuance in London, 1880–1913” ● Qianyi Huang, University of Nottingham Ningbo China: “A Dynamic Terms-of-Trade Argument for Protection” ● Xuan Luo, University of Nottingham Ningbo China: “Seeing is Believing: International Outsourcing and Face-to-face Interactions” |
BS560 |
| Economic Growth and Structural Change (Chair: Liuchun Deng) ● Xilin Wang, Fudan University: “Paving the Road to Prosperity: Productive Government Spending, Takeoff and Robust Endogenous Growth” ● Long Qian, Wenzhou-Kean University: “Human capital, technology adoption, and growth miracles” ● Xin Jin, Duke Kunshan University: “Structural Transformation in China” |
BS574 | |
| 12.15-13:30 | Lunch | IA, Floor G |
| Parallel sessions | ||
| 13:30-15:30 | Economic Theory (Chair: Yongchao Zhang) ● Dayang Li, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University: “Attention Formation: Triggers and Blockers” ● Vi Cao, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University: “Pay-for-performance and Crowding out of Reputational Concerns” ● Robert Anderson, University of California, Berkeley/Duanmu Haosui, Harbin Institute of Technology: “Second Welfare Theorem with Externalities” ● Yongchao Zhang, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics: "On Competitive Equilibria and Cores in Housing Market with One Broker" |
BS560 |
| Social Sciences (Chair: Esol Cho) ● Jaehee Choi, Duke Kunshan University: “Inequality after Large Devaluations and the Rise of Finance” ● Ilja Viktorov, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University: “Russian Political Economy Reconsidered: Deglobalisation and Structural Transformation after February 2022” ● Ming Gu, Duke Kunshan University: “Borrowing for Glory: How Career Incentives Drive the Growth of Quasi-Municipal Debt in China” ● Esol Cho, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University: “The Politics of Giving Back: How Reciprocity and Self-Interest Shape the South Korean Public’s Aid Priorities” |
BS574 | |
| 15:30-16:00 | Tea break | BS560 |
| 16:00-17:00 | Keynote speech Yeneng Sun, National University of Singapore: Monotone Perfection |
BS574 |
| 17:30-19:30 | Dinner | Bai Sheng Tian Di Grant Restaurant |
Transportation to XJTLU*
From Suzhou railway Stations to XJTLU:
| Railway station | Public transport |
| Suzhou Industrial Park (Yuanqu) Railway Station | Take Subway Line 8 to Songtao Street Station, then walk approximately 15 minutes to the campus. |
| Suzhou Railway Station | Take Subway Line 2 to Songtao Street Station, then walk approximately 15 minutes to the campus. |
| Suzhou North (Suzhoubei) Railway Station | Take Subway Line 2 to Songtao Street Station, then walk approximately 15 minutes to the campus. |
From airports to Suzhou/XJTLU:
By bus:
| Airport | Duration | Reference price | Boarding location |
| Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport (WUX) | 1–1.5 Hours | 59 CNY | Airport Exit (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/I9qJGC0Dr4sbZGFQfgDb1Q) |
| Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) | 1.5–2 Hours | 90 CNY | Terminal 2 (https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/bsB9Vyl_VmDV9XAGSldpwg) |
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) | 2.5–3 Hours | 99 CNY | Terminal 2 (https://www.shanghaiairport.com/ctky/index.html) |
By taxi:
| Airport | Duration | Reference price |
| Wuxi Sunan Shuofang International Airport (WUX) | 1–1.5 Hours | 100–200 CNY |
| Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) | 1–1.5 Hours | 150–300 CNY |
| Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) | 2–2.5 Hours | 300–600 CNY |
*Note: All information provided is for reference only and may be subject to change.
XJTLU campus map
Conference committee
Organisers:
Haifeng Fu, International Business School Suzhou, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Esol Cho, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
Paolo Epifani, Division of Social Sciences, Duke Kunshan University
Liuchun Deng, Division of Social Sciences, Duke Kunshan University
Contact:
Xuechun Liu, International Business School Suzhou, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
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