The Economy and Finance panel focuses on potential collaborations between China and the U.S. in reciprocal export policy and offshore investments. Discussions will mainly explore the perspectives of government measures to promote economic integration and free trade between China and the U.S., especially in the post-pandemic era. With the evolution of international situations, the panel will also concentrate on the economic and financial challenges the two countries may face on the road to inclusiveness.
Dr. Zhaojin Zeng holds an M.Phil. in social science from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas, Austin. Prior to joining Duke Kunshan, he served as a visiting assistant professor of East Asian History at the University of Pittsburgh. He is an expert in Chinese economic and business history, global history of capitalism, technology, and industry, quantitative data analysis, and digital humanities. Zeng has received funding for his research from institutions like Harvard University, Harvard Business School, and the D. Kim Foundation for Science and Technology. His research has been published in renowned academic journals such as World Development, Pacific Affairs, and Entreprises et Histoire. Dr. Zeng is the founder of the Chinese Factory Project, a digital humanities initiative focusing on China’s industrial development. His book project, “Engineering Modern China,” explores the creation of the Chinese factory economy from the late Qing to post-Mao era. He is currently working on two new book projects: one on Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations in the 1980s and another on a global history of China’s economic and social transitions in the reform era.
Dr. Bai Gao holds a Bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies, a Master’s degree from Peking University, and Ph.D. from Princeton University in 1994. His research interests include economic sociology, comparative political economy, and international political economy. He has authored notable publications on Japanese industrial policy and the economic paradox of Japan. Dr. Gao has received awards and sponsorships for his research, including the Marion Levy Comparative Research Award. He has served as a visiting scholar at prestigious institutions such as the University of Tokyo and the Max Planck Institute. His research focus has shifted from Japan to China, exploring globalization and its impact on China’s economy. Currently, he is a distinguished professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. He has edited a series of economic sociology books introducing the institutional school of thought.
Dr. Pippa Morgan is a researcher focusing on the political economy of South-South economic engagement, particularly China’s foreign economic relations, foreign aid, foreign direct investment, and infrastructure contracts. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Politics from Durham University, an M.Sc. in Asian Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, and a Ph.D. from Fudan University. She utilizes quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the historical influences on contemporary political economy and international relations, as well as the impact of political and sociological factors on economic development. Morgan has published papers in prestigious academic journals such as International Studies Quarterly, Third World Quarterly, the Journal of Chinese Political Science, and Asian Perspective. Since 2015, she has been a member of the editorial team for the Chinese Political Science Review. At Duke Kunshan, her teaching interests include global governance, the political economy of institutions, and China’s relationship with the Global South. Prior to joining Duke Kunshan, she served as a Global Perspectives on Society Fellow at New York University Shanghai.
