Xianjuan (Zoey) Chen
Department of Economics
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, B.C. Canada V5A 1S6
Phone (Canada): +1 (778) 898-0661
Phone (China): +86 13908137707
Email: xca32@sfu.ca
Web: http://www.sfu.ca/~xca32/home.html
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Economics, Simon Fraser University
(Expected: 2016 summer)
• Dissertation: Essays in the Effects of China’s One-Child Policy on Economic
Development
• Supervisor: Dr. Kenneth Kasa
M.A. Economics, University of British Columbia
(2010)
• Thesis: An Analysis of Panel Economic Growth Regressions
B.A. Economics, University of British Columbia
(2009)
• Thesis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Economic Growth
RESEARCH INTERESTS
• Economic Growth Theory
• International Macroeconomics
AWARDS
• Graduate Scholarship, Simon Fraser University
• Graduate Fellowship, Simon Fraser University
• International Partial Tuition Scholarship, University of British Columbia
(2013)
(2010)
(2009)
WORKING PAPERS
Born Like China, Growing Like China, 2015, (under review at China Economic Review)
This paper studies the effects of China’s one-child policy on saving and foreign reserve accumulation.
Fertility control increases the saving rate both by altering saving decisions at the household level,
and by altering the demographic composition of the population at the aggregate level. I show
that demographically induced changes in saving explain the build-up of a large foreign surplus in
China. As in Song, Storesletten and Zilibotti (2011), the model features contractual and financial
market imperfections. Government-owned firms are less productive but have full access to the credit
market. Entrepreneurial firms are more productive but face a credit constraint. As labor switches
from less productive to more productive firms, demand for domestic bank borrowing decreases. As
saving increases while demand for loans decreases, domestic savings are invested abroad, generating
a foreign surplus. The model predicts that China’s foreign reserve accumulation will soon begin to
slow down in response to recent relaxation of the one-child policy.
• Population Control, Technology and Economic Growth
Motivated by the Galor-Weil (2000) model, this paper examines the long-term effects of
China’s one-child policy on economic growth. The new element here is within family integenerational transfers. Following a population control policy, transfers from children decrease
as the number of children decreases. In response, parents increase investment in their children’s education in order to compensate for the reduction in transfers. Technological progress
is driven by two forces: population size and the level of education. Following population control, the number of children decreases while their average education level increases. Thus, the
overall effect on technological progress is ambiguous. Data suggest that education increased
following the one-child policy. However, further quantitative analysis is needed in order to
isolate the causal effect.
• A Quantitative Study of China’s One-Child Policy and Economic Growth
In the paper “Population Control and Economic Growth”, Chen (2015) developes a theoretical framework for studying the impact of China’s one-child policy on its long-run economic
growth. This paper provides a quantitative exploration of the model. The quantitative performance of the model is evaluated in three steps. First, I parameterize the functions that
were given in general form in the original model. Second, reasonable parameter values are
chosen in order to assess the quantitative impacts of the policy. Finally, I choose initial
conditions and dynamically simulate the model.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Sessional Instructor:
Simon Fraser University
• Course Title: Principles of Microeconomics
• Instructor for a first year economics course with 70 students
• Solely developed and directed the course
• Planned and delivered a two hours lecture twice a week
• Supervised one teaching assistant
2015
Teaching Assistant:
Simon Fraser University
2010-2014
• Course Titles: International Finance, International Trade, Principles of Macroeconomics
• Organized the tutorials discussions
• Explained concepts and terminologies
• Held office hours to counsel students experiencing difficulties in the courses
University of British Columbia
2009-2010
• Course Title: International Trade
OTHERS
• Computing Skills: Matlab, Stata, LaTeX
• Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
REFERENCES
Professor Kenneth Kasa
Phone: (778) 782-5406
Email: kkasa@sfu.ca
Professor Dave Cox
Phone: (778)782-5826
Email: dcox@sfu.ca
Professor Alex Karaivanov
Phone: (778)782-6694
Email: akaraiva@sfu.ca