On November 18-19, the Center for Applied Social and Economic Research (CASER) at NYU Shanghai hosted a workshop on Inequalities and Child Development in partnership with University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Study of Contemporary China (CSCC).

The workshop brought together 50 scholars from renowned universities around the world to share their findings on various aspects of child development outcomes in Chinese societies and how they are shaped by policies, parenting decisions, family environment, local communities, and educational institutions.

“To celebrate CASER’s 2nd anniversary, this workshop fits well with our mission and vision to promote methodological, rigorous, multi-disciplinary research on the most pressing issues related to China’s social and economic development,” said Prof. Wu Xiaogang, CASER Director and Yufeng Global Professor of Social Science.

Funded by the US National Sciences Foundation, the event opened the door for future collaborations between CASER and CSCC. Afterwards, some selected research papers will be compiled and published in a special issue of the Chinese Sociological Review (CSR), of which the editorial office is based in CASER.

“I am looking forward to reviewing the submissions that adopt a global and comparative perspective and multi-disciplinary approaches,” said Dr. Emily Hannum, Associate Dean for Social Sciences, and Stanley I. Sheerr Term Professor in the Social Sciences, Professor of Sociology and Education. She will join Jere Behrman, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Economics at UPenn, as the guest editors of the special issue.

Wu Xiaogang (first on the left) gave welcoming remarks to kick off the workshop

The workshop was well attended by researchers from different disciplines and regions. Workshop co-organizer and Assistant Professor of Sociology Miao Jia participated in a discussion session on the long-term effects of early childhood education and school bullying among adolescents. “I enjoyed the insightful presentations and the lively discussions,” she said. “I gained a greater understanding of how human development is shaped by family, societal, and environmental conditions.”

CASER is currently launching a panel study of early childhood education and development, entitled “Shanghai Early Education and Development Survey” (SEEDS). The Center will continue to collaborate with the UPenn group to run a series of research workshops, and the next one on migration and child development is scheduled on February 10, 2023.