Skyline Scholars Series

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 | 1:00-2:30 pm Pacific Time
Goldman Room E409, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way

Post–Cold War Consensus and Strategic Dilemmas: The United States, China, and the Future of the World Order

The world is at a crossroads. What is happening in world politics today—and the changes that are about to unfold—can be roughly compared to major events such as the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991, or the end of World War II in 1945 and the formation of a world order centered on U.S.–Soviet competition. Although many unconventional policies since President Donald Trump’s second term have accelerated the arrival of this moment and increased uncertainty in world politics and the global economy, the roots of these developments are long-standing. They are the result of a series of major and gradual structural changes.

The purpose of this lecture is to provide a new theoretical perspective and cognitive framework for the academic community to understand the structural transformations of the world order from the post–Cold War era to the present, and thereby to initiate a dialogue with the global academic community. At the same time, it is hoped that political decision-makers will also find in this framework a useful tool to reflect on their own choices—encouraging more prudent and responsible decisions for their countries and for humanity in the long run.
 

About the Speaker
 

Gangsheng Bao is a Professor of Political Science at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He is also currently appointed as a Skyline Scholar at the Stanford Center on China’s Economy and Institutions, Stanford University.

Professor Bao earned his Ph.D. from Peking University in 2012. His research interests include political theory, comparative politics, and political history, with a particular focus on theories of political modernization and democratization. He has published numerous journal articles and authored several books. His major works include: The Fate of Civilization States: From Political Crisis to Modernization (2024), Political Evolution: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century (2023), Crises and Solutions: Reflections on Political Thought in Early China (2023), Politics of Democratic Breakdown (English version, 2022; Chinese version, 2014), The Logic of Democracy (2018), and The Common Sense of Modern Politics (2015).

Professor Bao’s book Politics of Democratic Breakdown was awarded the "Best Social Science Book of the Year" in 2014 by The Beijing News and was listed among the “Nineteen Recommended Chinese Books of the Year” in 2014 by The New York Times (International Chinese Network). In 2023, Political Evolution: From Ancient Times to the 21st Century was honored as one of the “Ten Best Chinese Original Books in Humanities and Social Sciences of the Year” by Tencent and as one of the “Ten Best Books of the Year” by The China Business Network. Similarly, The Fate of Civilization States: From Political Crisis to Modernization was selected as one of the “Ten Best Books of the Year” in 2024 by the Nanfang Daily. Additionally, his work The Logic of Democracy earned him the title of "Best Author of the Year" in 2018 from The Economic Observer.

Questions? Contact Xinmin Zhao at xinminzhao@stanford.edu
 

Due to high interest for this event, we have met our space capacity and registration is now closed.

Skyline Scholars Series

Wednesday, May 28, 2025 | 1:00-2:30 pm Pacific Time
Goldman Room E409, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way

China's Economic Development From a Perspective of Modernization

China’s economic success can be attributed to its leadership’s pragmatic approach and its respect for grassroots initiatives. The near double-digit average GDP growth during the first three decades after 1978 was achieved through bottom-up industrialization, without fundamentally altering the “ancient regime.” With industrialization largely completed—as evidenced by massive excess capacities—the country faced an urgent need to shift its growth engine from investment to innovation, a transition that demands a very different set of institutions. Delays or failures in making this shift—namely, in modernizing its institutions—may lead to the so-called “middle-income trap” and diminish hopes of becoming a leader in the global race for cutting-edge technologies. This talk explores China’s developmental trajectory through the lens of modernization theory, highlighting both the achievements and the institutional challenges that lie ahead.

About the Speaker
 

Dr. Xiaonian Xu is Professor Emeritus at CEIBS, where he held the position of Professor of Economics and Finance from 2004 to 2018.  In recognition of his contributions, he was named an Honorary Professor in Economics from September 2018 to August 2023. He is also Skyline Scholar at the Stanford Center on China's Economy and Institutions from 2024-25 at Stanford University.

Between 1999 and 2004, Dr. Xu served as Managing Director and Head of Research at China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC). Before joining CICC, he was a Senior Economist at Merrill Lynch Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong from 1997 to 1998, and worked as a World Bank consultant in Washington DC in 1996. Dr. Xu was appointed Assistant Professor of Amherst College, Massachusetts, where he taught Economics and Financial Markets from 1991 to 1995. Earlier in his career, he was a research fellow at the State Development Research Centre of China from 1981 to 1985.

Dr. Xu earned his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Davis, in 1991, and an MA in Industrial Economics from the People's University of China in 1981. In 1996, he was awarded the distinguished Sun Yefang Economics Prize, the highest honor in the field in China, for his research on China’s capital markets. His research interests include Macroeconomics, Financial Institutions and Financial Markets, Transitional Economies, China’s Economic Reform, Corporate Strategy and Digital Transformation. His publications include: Freedom and Market Economy (《自由与市场经济》), There has Never been A Savior (《从来就没有救世主》), The Pendulum Swinging Back (《回荡的钟摆》), The Nature of the Business and the Internet (《商业的本质和互联网》), and The Nature of the Business and the Internet, 2nd Edition (《商业的本质和互联网》第二版).

A dedicated educator, he has been recognized with the CEIBS Teaching Excellence Award in 2005 and 2006, as well as the esteemed CEIBS Medal for Teaching Excellence in 2010.

Questions? Contact Xinmin Zhao at xinminzhao@stanford.edu

SCCEI Seminar Series (Spring 2025)

Friday, May 2, 2025 | 1:45 pm -3:05 pm Pacific Time
Goldman Room E409, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way

Flick, Click, and Sick: Mental Health Risks of Short-Video Platforms

This study examines the causal impact of short-video platforms like Douyin on mental health in China since 2016. Using city-level data on platform adoption and 4G expansion, combined with individual panel data from the China Family Panel Studies, we identify causal effects by focusing on pre-2016 mobile internet users in high-4 G-penetration cities. Our findings reveal significant mental health deterioration among affected individuals, with stronger depressive symptoms emerging over time. Effects are most pronounced among vulnerable populations: rural residents, youth, the elderly, and those without college degrees, with rural left-behind youths and the elderly showing the most severe outcomes. We identify four key impact channels: (1) heightened social comparison and inequality perception, with affected users reporting lower perceived income and greater awareness of societal inequality; (2) altered time use, including reduced work hours, sleep, and exercise; (3) declining non-cognitive abilities and physical health, evidenced by lower self-reported health status and increased doctor visits; and (4) weakened interpersonal relationships, demonstrated by decreased time and attention affected adults devote to parents and/or children. These findings highlight the unintended consequences of digital innovation on mental health, particularly for vulnerable demographics, and offer important insights for policymakers balancing technological advancement with public health considerations.

Please register for the event to receive email updates and add it to your calendar. Light refreshments will be provided.

About the Speaker 
 

Ting Chen is an associate professor in the Department of Accountancy, Economics and Finance (AEF) at Hong Kong Baptist University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Social Science from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2015. Her research specializes in political economy, economic history, and long-term development economics, with a focus on assessing the effectiveness and economic impact of China’s historical and current policies. Her works have been published in Economic Journal and Quarterly Journal of Economics. She serves as the associate director of the Centre for Business Analytics and the Digital Economy (CBADE)  in the School of Business. She is the associate editor of Pacific Economic Review and Regional Science and Urban Economics.

Questions? Contact Xinmin Zhao at xinminzhao@stanford.edu
 

SCCEI Seminar Series (Spring 2025)

Friday, May 16, 2025 | 12:00 pm -1:20 pm Pacific Time
Goldman Room E409, Encina Hall, 616 Jane Stanford Way

Renegotiating Patriarchy: Property, Lineage, and Gender Inequality in Contemporary China

Gender wealth gaps persist across societies, often attributed to individual factors such as education, work experience, and lifetime earnings. However, structural inequalities rooted in traditional patriarchal kinship systems—characterized by patrilocal marriages and patrilineal inheritance—systematically exclude women from inheriting family wealth. To examine how women and their families navigate these institutional barriers in wealth and inheritance, I conduct original surveys and field research in China, where rapid economic and demographic transformations coexist with enduring patriarchal norms. Specifically, I demonstrate that in the Chinese context, where surname inheritance is closely tied to wealth inheritance, declining fertility rates, coupled with economic and cultural shifts, have spurred growing public support for assigning maternal surnames to children. I further show that this renegotiation of patrilineal practices surrounding surnames and lineage enables Chinese women to maintain a closer bond and secure greater support from their natal families. These findings shed light on the mechanisms through which social change unfolds within patriarchal systems and reveal key conditions for women’s empowerment in the private domain.

Please register for the event to receive email updates and add it to your calendar. Lunch will be provided.

About the Speaker 
 

Fangqi Wen is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the Ohio State University. Before joining OSU, she was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political and Social Change at the Australian National University and a Postdoctoral Prize Research Fellow in Sociology at ​Nuffield College at the University of Oxford. She received her PhD in Sociology from New York University.

Fangqi’s research centers on the relationships among social institutions, demography, and gender inequality. Specifically, she examines the sources of inequality and how women and their families renegotiate patriarchal social norms. Additionally, she studies social stratification and mobility in historical settings and investigates the misperceptions of inequality and social mobility in the contemporary world. Her work has appeared in academic journals such as Demography, Social Science Research, Population and Development Review, and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and has been featured in media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and South China Morning Post.

Questions? Contact Xinmin Zhao at xinminzhao@stanford.edu