On July 30, 2015, the Second Annual Summer School on New Structural Economics successfully concluded in the Zhifuxuan Classroom at the National School of Development of Peking University.
Participants included PhD students, government officials, scholars, and consultants from think tanks coming from over 50 institutions from China and abroad.
Lecturers at the summer school included Professor Justin Yifu Lin of the National School of Development and visiting experts from Seoul National University, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. The lectures covered the core principles of New Structural Economics, ranging from aid addiction to dynamic structural analysis, followed by Q&A sessions with the students.
In addition to listening to lectures, the summer school students were also split into six groups based on the topics of their research proposals: 1. New Structural Economics and Country Studies, 2. Industrial Upgrading and Technological Catch-Up, 3. International Economics and Globalization, 4. Political Economics, 5. Employment and Industrial Development, 6. Agriculture and Economic Growth. Each group had the opportunity to participate in a small-group office hour session with the professor who lectured on their topic. Each student also presented a research proposal of their own on the topic and received feedback from a panel of three professors. Excellent proposals were chosen for funding by the Center for New Structural Economics for further research.
The summer school also included a trip to Hebei Province on July 28th, which allowed students to interact with industrial entrepreneurs of Hejian City and learn from their advanced recycling industry. The participants toured numerous factories, including those of the Cangzhou Great Drill Bits Company, the Hebei ML Glassware Company, and Hebei Jianglun Automobile Electromechanical Company. The trip gave the students the opportunity to meld their theoretical understanding of New Structural Economics with on-the-ground knowledge about the reality of creating successful industries. At the conclusion of the trip, the local officials and NSE summer school experts came together and held the Hejian New Structural Economics Investigative Discussion.
On the afternoon of July 30, 2015, Professor Justin Lin gave the concluding remarks for the summer school and personally presented an honorary certificate to each participant. The summer school provided students with an opportunity to interact with globally renowned economic experts and to observe firsthand some of China’s key manufacturing industries. After six-day lectures, office hours, and the field visit, the participants of the summer school walked away with a greater understanding of the principles behind New Structural Economics as well as its application to help developing countries pursue economic prosperity.
