On this episode of China Field Notes, host Scott Kennedy talks with Yao Yang, one of China’s most thoughtful and influential economists. Dr. Yao, who spent most of his career at Peking University and recently moved to the Dishuihu Advanced Finance Institute at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, discusses his entry into the economics profession, the sources of China’s growth, why Xiaomi is currently his favorite Chinese company, the challenge of tackling involution, and the state of U.S.-China relations, and his own ongoing research.
Yao Yang is a professor and dean of the Dishuihu Advanced Finance Institute at the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and a visiting professor at Peking University. He previously served as dean of Peking University’s National School of Development and is the founding editor of China Economic Quarterly. He chairs the China Economic Annual Conference, the Foundation of Modern Economics and the supervision committee of CF40, and is a member of the China Economist 50 Forum.
Dr. Yao’s research focuses on political economy, China’s economic transition and development, and political philosophy. He has published widely in leading journals, including China Social Sciences, American Economic Review, American Political Science Review, and Management Science, and is the author or editor of more than a dozen books.
His awards include the Sun Yefang Award in Economic Science (2008 and 2014), the Pu Shan Award in International Economics (2008 and 2010), and the Zhang Peigang Award in Development Economics (2008). He is also a fellow of the International Economic Association. Dr. Yao received his BS and MS from Peking University and his PhD in development economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
