On June 24 - 26, the Institute for Economic and Social Research (IESR) at Jinan University and the Global Labor Organization (GLO) organized the Fourth IESR-GLO Joint Conference that gathered experts and scholars from institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Yale University, European Commission, University of Wisconsin – Madison, University of Pittsburgh, University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
This year’s conference was held online with the theme on Social Safety Net and Welfare Programs, following the 2020 joint conference on economics of Covid-19, 2019 joint workshop on Belt and Road labor markets and the 2018 joint workshop.
At the outset, IESR Dean Shuaizhang Feng and Klaus F. Zimmermann from GLO delivered opening remarks, welcoming guests and participants to the annual event. They briefly introduced IESR and GLO respectively, emphasizing the long-term partnership the two sides fostered and the positive outcomes from the previous conferences. They also pointed out that the annual conference provided an important platform for experts and researchers from all over the world to exchange scientific knowledge, stimulate global research cooperation, and provide guide and insights to tackle challenges of global relevance.
Day 1 - IESR – GLO Conference
Day 2 – Policy Forum
Day 3 - IESR – GLO Conference
The conference featured two keynote addresses by Robert Moffitt (Johns Hopkins University) and Timothy Smeeding (University of Wisconsin - Madison) and 12 speakers presenting their latest research.
Brief recap of the IESR-GLO conference on Social Safety Net and Welfare Programs
Keynote speeches:
1. Robert Moffitt (Johns Hopkins University)
2. Timothy Smeeding (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
Policy Forum
Alexander Spermann (FOM/Cologne, University of Freiburg & GLO)
Björn Gustafsson (University of Gothenburg & GLO)
Inhoe Ku (Seoul National University)
Masayoshi Hayashi (University of Tokyo)
Day 3
Enrica Croda (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice)
Xianhua (Emma) Zai (Ohio State University)
Ning Zhang (University of Pittsburgh)
Jules Linden (National University Ireland Galway & Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research)
Conference organizers
Institute for Economic and Social Research (IESR) was founded at Jinan University in December 2015. Since then, IESR has played a leading role in economics education, research, public service, and international cooperation. Operating under the leadership of internationally renowned scholars, including Professor Shuaizhang Feng as Dean and Professor James Heckman as Chair of the Advisory Board, IESR currently has 42 full-time faculty members, many of whom are graduates of renowned institutions such as Yale University, University of Chicago, LSE, UC Berkeley, and UCLA. Research at IESR covers all major economic fields, and undergraduate and graduate students receive rigorous training in economics. The Institute runs a Survey Data Center for data collection and management, as well as a Policy Research Center for policy analysis and evaluation.
The mission of the Institute is to advance policy-oriented economic and social research by addressing pressing social and economic issues in China. Our work is driven by the following objectives:
· Developing China-based research programs in applied economics and other fields
· Collecting original survey data related to China’s economic and social development
· Building a leading Chinese think tank to inform and influence national policymaking
· Guiding IESR students to become future leaders in economic and social research
· Facilitating academic exchanges between scholars in China and abroad
Global Labor Organization (GLO) is an international, independent, non-partisan and non-governmental organization that has no institutional position. It deals with the challenges and benefits of globalization and international collaborations since March 2017. The GLO functions as a global network and virtual platform for researchers, policy makers, practitioners and the general public interested in scientific research and its policy and societal implications on global labor markets, demographic challenges and human resources. These topics are defined broadly to embrace the global diversity of markets, institutions, and policy challenges, covering advanced economies as well as transition and less developed countries.
· The GLO is a leading and global research and policy network on labor, demographics and human resources.
· The GLO is supported by individuals as well as organizations with a thematic interest and a strong ambition to contribute to an effective global network and to benefit from it.
· The GLO Network currently consists of over 1,600 individuals and 35 organizations covering over 120 countries.
