Xinliang

Economist

Ph.D. Candidate in Economics (Expected June 2019)
University of Connecticut
Department of Economics

Research Areas: Macroeconomics, Computational Economics, Pension, International Finance, the Chinese Economy

Email: xin.liang@uconn.edu
Phone: 860-617-5899
Address: Department of Economics, 365 Fairfield Way, U-1063, Storrs, CT 06269-1063


Research Statement

I am a Ph.D.  candidate from the University of Connecticut and have a deep interest in exploring the causes and effects of the high saving rate and current account surplus seen in China and even the developing countries in the past few decades. My current work looks at early retirement and the pension system as potential mechanisms driving the remarkable high national savings in China. I am interested in using both calibrated general equilibrium macroeconomic models and econometric techniques to answer these questions.


Full Research Statement


Job Market Paper

Early Retirement, Pension System and the High Saving Rate in China


This paper uses a life-cycle model to study the role of early retirement and pension system as drivers of China's persistent high savings. In the model, by incorporating the feature of Chinese mixed-pension system and being capable of generating changes in the national saving rate in China, the dominant early retirement effect over the wealth substitution effect can increase individual's savings, which results in high savings in China. The findings suggest that the model can explain approximately 44% of the increase in the saving rate between 1995 and 2015.

Working Paper
Xin Liang

Download

Other Working Papers

Early Retirement, Pension System and Current Account Surplus in China


This paper uses a life-cycle model to study the role of the pension system and early retirement as drivers of China’s persistent high savings and current account surplus. In the model, by incorporating the feature of Chinese mixed-pension system, the dominant early retirement effect rather than the wealth substitution effect can increase the household’s savings, which results in high savings in China. In addition, the decline in labor supply due to the early retirement will make industries to shrink their production scale, which decreases the demand for capital and the domestic investment rate, leading to the current account surplus.


Working Paper
Xin Liang

Demographic feature and capital outflows in developing countries


From the perspective of demographic structure, this paper uses the annual panel data of 102 developing countries from 1995 to 2013 and system GMM to investigate the empirical explanation of their current account surplus. The main findings are that the proportion of the younger population has a significantly positive effect on the current account or international capital flows. However, the old population does not show a significant relationship with the current account. and the fallout such a switch would have upon inequality and welfare.


Working Paper
Xin Liang

Teaching Philosophy

In a single word, my teaching philosophy revolves around incentives. Students need to have the incentive to learn the subject, attend class, do the research and excel on assignments and exams. To this end, I have instituted several policies to ensure that my teaching constitutes a productive approach.

Full Teaching Philosophy


Teaching Interests: Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, Mathematical Economics

Teaching Experience as an Instructor of Record

MBA 533 – Introduction to Economic Concept (Providence College, Providence, Rhode Island)

Fall 2018
Syllabus
Full Teaching Evaluation Available on December 2018

ECON 2301 – Mathematical Economics

Spring 2018
Syllabus
Full Teaching Evaluation Available

ECON 2301 – Mathematical Economics

Fall 2017
Syllabus
Full Teaching Evaluation Available

ECON 2301 – Mathematical Economics

Spring 2017
Syllabus
Full Teaching Evaluation Available

Teaching Experience as a Teaching Assistant

E ECON 1201 – Principles of Microeconomics

Fall 2016
Full Teaching Evaluation Available Upon Request

ECON 1202 – Principles of Macroeconomics

Spring 2016
Full Teaching Evaluation Available Upon Request

ECON 1108 Introduction to Game Theory

Fall 2015

Curriculum vitae

Education

Ph.D. in Economics, University of Connecticut

2013-2019 (Expected)

B.A. in Economics, Renmin University of China

B.S. in Mathematics, Renmin University of China

2008-2012

Field of Interest

Macroeconomics, Pension, Saving, International Finance, the Chinese Economy

Job Market Paper

Early Retirement,Pension System and the High Saving Rate in China

Working Paper

Other Working Papers

Pension System, early retirement and capital outflows in China

Demographic feature and capital outflows in developing countries

Conference Presentations

The Annual conference of the Southern Economic Association, Washington DC.

Nov 2018

ASSA Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

Jan 2019

International Conference on Housing Welfare and Public Policy, Seoul, South Korea.

Sep 2012

Seminar Presentations

Macroeconomics Seminar, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Fall 2018

Awards

Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

2017

Eleanor Bloom Fellowship

2016,2017

Graduate Assistantship in the Department of Economics

2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

contact info

Department of Economics
University of Connecticut
365 Fairfield Way, U-1063
Storrs, CT 06269-1063

REFERENCE info

  • Francis Ahking (Advisor)

  • Kai “Jackie” Zhao

  • Kanda Naknoi

  • +1(860)486-3026

  • +1(860)486-4326

  • +1(203)251-8416

  • Department of Economics

  • Department of Economics

  • Department of Economics

  • 332 Oak Hall

  • 349 Oak Hall

  • 314 Oak Hall

  • Storrs, CT 06269-1063

  • Storrs, CT 06269-1063

  • Storrs, CT 06269-1063