On November 7, the 12th Shanghai Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Quantitative Economics, co-hosted by the Shanghai Quantitative Economics Society and Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE) and organized by the School of Economics of SUFE, was successfully convened in Shanghai. The conference brought together experts and scholars from Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, SUFE, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai University, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, Shanghai Ocean University, as well as Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Shandong University of Finance and Economics, China Jiliang University and other universities and research institutions, to discuss frontier theories and practical applications of quantitative economics.
01 Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony was presided over by Chen Yuanyuan, Vice Dean of the School of Economics, SUFE.
Zhou Yahong, Dean of the School of Economics, SUFE, delivered the opening remarks. He highlighted the School’s efforts in supporting disciplinary development and underscored the vital role of quantitative economics in serving national strategies and local development. Professor Zhou extended a warm welcome to all guests and wished the symposium a great success.
Researcher Zhu Pingfang, President of the Shanghai Quantitative Economics Society, expressed gratitude to the School of Economics for its meticulous organization. He noted that the Shanghai Quantitative Economics Symposium serves as an academic platform for disciplinary exchange and advancement, as well as a stage for young faculty and students to present their research. He looked forward to greater participation from outstanding young researchers in the future.
02 Keynote Speeches
Professor Song Hong from Fudan University presented a talk titled How External Trade Shocks Affect China’s Labor Market: Perspectives on Quantity, Structure and Skills. Drawing on high-frequency data from recruitment platforms, his study systematically evaluates the multidimensional impacts of US tariff hikes on labor demand across Chinese cities.
Associate Professor Guo Shiqi from Shanghai Jiao Tong University delivered the presentation Relocation and Family Change: Evidence from China's Poverty Alleviation Program. Using four waves of household survey data and the difference-in-differences method, the research identifies a significant effect of poverty-alleviation relocation on divorce probability and explores its underlying mechanisms, providing new evidence for how large-scale population mobility shapes family structures.
Associate Professor Jin Zequn from SUFE spoke on Quantile Treatment Effects under Local Interference. Focusing on the identification and estimation of quantile treatment effects in the presence of network interference, the study proposes two estimators under the local interference assumption and develops the corresponding statistical inference theory.
Associate Researcher Ji Yuanyuan from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences gave a report entitled Digital Transformation and Technology Distance: A Supply-Chain Spillover Perspective. Constructing a digital transformation index based on listed-firm data, the paper demonstrates that digital transformation narrows firms’ gaps with the technological frontier via supply-chain technology spillovers, revealing the importance of digitalization for innovation diffusion and industrial-chain efficiency.
03 Roundtable Forums
More than ten distinguished scholars from Fudan University, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, East China University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai University, SUFE and other institutions joined two separate roundtable discussions.
At the roundtable themed How Quantitative Economics Supports Shanghai’s Economic and Social Development during the 15th Five-Year Plan Period, participants discussed disciplinary positioning and optimization, integrating artificial intelligence into teaching systems, training and recruiting interdisciplinary talents, and pathways for applying cutting-edge econometric methods to Shanghai’s high-quality development.
The second roundtable, Building an Independent Knowledge System for Chinese Quantitative Economics, explored topics including nurturing students’ innovative capacity amid AI advancement, pathways for constructing an independent knowledge system, and deepening the integration of quantitative economics with empirical economic research rooted in China’s institutional context.
04 Parallel Sessions
Five parallel sub-forums were set up, covering frontier directions such as the Young Scholars Forum, Digital Economy and Industrial Efficiency, Artificial Intelligence and Big Data, Industrial Applications and Empirical Research. More than thirty high-quality academic presentations were delivered. Young scholars shared innovative findings on digital government construction, capital market volatility, climate risk, supply-chain resilience, policy simulation and optimization, social insurance contributions, foreign direct investment, new-quality productive forces and other topics, demonstrating the power of quantitative economics in explaining complex economic phenomena and supporting policymaking.
05 Closing Ceremony
At the closing ceremony, Professor Xu Dafeng from East China University of Political Science and Law and Professor Zhang Zhengyu from SUFE announced the winners of outstanding papers for young faculty and graduate student groups respectively, followed by a group photo of awardees.
The 13th Shanghai Symposium on Theoretical and Applied Quantitative Economics will be hosted by Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance. Professor Tao Aiyuan from the university expressed anticipation for reconvening with faculty and student representatives next year.
This symposium has provided a high-level exchange platform for quantitative economics researchers in Shanghai and across China, effectively promoting in-depth integration of theoretical innovation and practical application within the academic community.
