On September 10, 2018, IESR faculty extended its warmest welcome to all of our students after the summer break as the fall semester kicks off this week. 

Currently, the institute has 20 freshmen, 17 undergraduate and 9 postgraduate students. Our Dean Professor Shuaizhang Feng, Associate Dean and Professor Yizhen Gu, Assistant Professors Yi Chen, Wei Lin, Hongjia Zhu and others also were present at the ceremony.

IESR students at the opening ceremony

Associate Dean and Professor Yizhen Gu

Right after Yizhen Gu officially opened the ceremony, Shuaizhang Feng stepped in to give a welcoming speech. Professor expressed the delight over seeing all of those new faces at IESR, and assured that the communication between students and IESR faculty members will be surely one of success due to the vigorousness and relatively young age of the institute. Shuaizhang Feng also reminded the fourth-year undergraduate students that the final year is not only a period of great importance but also of significant beauty in this on-going journey of achieving their deepest dreams, hence, professor wished them success in their future endeavors.

Dean Professor Shuaizhang Feng

Later on, undergraduate and postgraduate student representatives, Zhiwen Huang and Junjie Liang respectively, each gave a speech to everyone attending the opening ceremony that afternoon. 

Zhiwen Huang, who was enrolled this summer in the graduate preparatory course in the Shenzhen Finance Institute (Chinese University of Hong Kong), told everyone how grateful she feels towards IESR for the high-quality academic training it has provided, thus enabling her to complete the summer course in Shenzhen without much trouble. She especially drew attention to the exceptional course program offered here at the institute that ranges from such basic courses as economic theory and mathematics to very specialized courses in economics of various fields, including macro-economics, micro-economics and econometrics – all of which, in Zhiwen Huang’s view, have laid a solid knowledge foundation both in economics and mathematics. 

Zhiwen Huang also took a moment to thank IESR professors for giving so much to the students by showing constant and utmost care in the continuous process of learning. 

Undergraduate student representative Zhiwen Huang

Later on, Junjie Liang shared his postgraduate studying experience. To his mind of thinking, the difference in learning methods of undergraduate and postgraduate studies becomes apparent within the very beginning of Master’s program: while undergraduate studies typically puts its focus on knowledge-learning, postgraduate studies gradually changes its direction into the research of specific issues, where daily reading, presentation and discussion of various academic articles as well as weekly workshops become an integral part of the studies. Junjie Liang also highlighted those various courses in econometrics that are available to students here at IESR, which provide students with a strong knowledge and training when working with empirical research methods. 

Apart from all of this, IESR is like a big family, said Junjie Liang – it is a place where students can freely interact with professors, and everyone gathers up for holiday celebrations. 

Postgraduate student representative Junjie Liang

Vice Director of Survey Data Center Xiao Zhang also said a few words. She briefly introduced the center and its on-going projects, including Rural-Urban Migration in China (RUMiC), The China Household Employment Survey (CHES), Guangdong Manufacturing Enterprise Survey (GDFMS), The Longitudinal Study of Children’s Development in Mianzhu (LSDC), and others. Xiao Zhang encouraged students to participate in SDC activities as it could serve as a great out-of-class learning experience. 

Xiao Zhang, Vice Director of Survey Data Center 

As the opening ceremony was approaching the end, our Dean Shuaizhang Feng took the moment to award Hongjia Zhu and Yi Chen with Honor Certificates for being the top-ranked professors among our students here at the institute.

Hongjia Zhu and Yi Chen receiving Honor Certificates

The opening ceremony ended up well, filling everyone with positive energy, motivation and enthusiasm for the new year!

IESR faculty and students