Curriculum Vitae
Hometown
Qinhuangdao 秦皇岛,
A small coastal city in Hebei Province, near Beijing, where I was born in Nov 1995 and spent my childhood.
My family was an ordinary Chinese family, and like many others, our income grew alongside China’s rapid economic expansion in the 2000s.
Before the age of 12, my parents enrolled me in numerous extracurricular classes, which accounted for half of our family's total income. I took lessons in Go, table tennis, bamboo flute, calligraphy, painting, and swimming—perhaps more, but I can't recall them all.
Among these, only Go truly interested me. Unfortunately, my Go classes didn’t last long before my parents decided to send me to a table tennis club instead. While I can't say I gained nothing from these activities, I have rarely revisited any of them apart from Go.
After turning 12, I entered middle school, where academic competition intensified. My extracurricular classes were replaced by after-school tutoring sessions.
At one point, I had a crush on a girl in my class, but after being lectured by my teachers and parents, I came to recognize my "mistake." Determined to “correct” myself, I devoted all my time to my study.
At 18, in 2014, the small-town swot left his hometown to see the world outside.
(see where it is)
Education
2014 - 2018, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing
In 2014, I took the college entrance exam and was admitted to a university in Beijing.
Initially, I studied Social Work, which at the time was a blend of sociology and psychology at my university. This experience shaped my perspective on social sciences.
A year later, I transferred to economics. My interest in the field was sparked by Professor Chen Binkai, the vice dean of the Department of Economics, and my Macroeconomics professor.
As a transfer student, studying economics was challenging, but I managed to maintain a good GPA.
2018 - 2024, Peking University, Beijing
In July 2017, I passed the entrance exam for the National School of Development (NSD)—also known as the China Center for Economic Research (CCER)—earning a guaranteed admission to its PhD program in economics.
In 2018 when I began my PhD studies, I met Professor Zhou Qiren, a pivotal figure who changed the course of my PhD and my life—without him, I might have followed the path of becoming an economics professor with numerous publications. As part of Zhou’s team, I engaged in field visits to entrepreneurs in Foshan, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and even overseas, gaining firsthand insights into economic development. I found I really enjoyed the experience of doing field research. (用周老师的话，“做实地调研”)
In July 2019, I participated in a field research program in East Africa, led by Professor Min Wang. It was my first time traveling abroad, an experience that broadened my perspective on global economic issues.
In January 2020, Professor Xiaobo Zhang became my PhD supervisor, guiding my research on industrialization in developing countries.
2023, Columbia University, New York
The year 2022 brought dramatic changes to China, prompting me to seek new experiences beyond my home country.
In January 2023, I moved to New York City as a visiting student at Columbia University—my first time living abroad. Both the city and the university fascinated me, and I deeply wanted to stay.
Unfortunately, my efforts to remain were unsuccessful, and I returned to China in January 2024 to complete the final semester of my PhD journey.
Working Experience
My background was like a blank slate—I had never worked a single day before September 2024, not even as an intern. Some peers saw me as too naïve.
In January 2024, just before returning to China, I received an invitation to interview for the World Bank’s Young Professional Program. I flew to D.C. for the interview, never expecting to receive an offer.
By late March, the surprise news arrived. Before that, I had zero job offers and was deeply anxious. I had been ready to abandon academia and pivot to the private sector worldwide.
On September 9, 2024, I began my career at the World Bank. I was assigned to an FCI global unit focused on private sector development policies. (Apologies for the abbreviations—it's the Bank's style.)
Publication
None. Unfortunately getting papers published is not one of my comparative advantages.
Languages
Mandarin (Native)
English (Working language)
Spanish (I have been taking an Espanol class since Jan 2025)
I hope that next time you open this website, French can be added.