Announcement of the 2025 Chinese Economists Society (CES) Academic Rising Star Paper Competition
The inaugural Chinese Economist Society Academic Rising Star Paper Competition will be held on July 3, 2025, at the Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) in Beijing. As one of the main events of the 2025 CES Deans’ Forum, this competition is jointly organized by the School of Economics at CUFE, the Chinese Economist Society (CES), and the Young Economist Society (YES). The competition aims to identify and cultivate the next generation of economic researchers, encouraging them to address real-world economic issues with innovative thinking and rigorous scientific methods. Participants will have the opportunity to showcase their research findings and engage in exchanges with outstanding scholars from around the globe. We sincerely invite undergraduate and high school students worldwide to participate in the inaugural Academic Rising Star Paper Competition!
I. Keynote Speakers (Listed in alphabetical order by last name):
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Loren Brandt:
Norlanda Chair Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto, Research Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in Germany, and Editorial Board Member of Explorations in Economic History.
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William Cong:
Rudd Family Professor of Management and Tenured Professor of Finance at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University; Professor at the Cornell China Economic Research Center, Social Science Research Center, and Emerging Markets Institute; Research Associate in Asset Pricing at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Research Scientist at the Initiative for Cryptocurrencies and Contracts (IC3); Distinguished Professor at Tsinghua PBCSF and Peking University Guanghua School of Management; and Associate Editor or Editorial Board Member for several leading journals, including Finance Department Editor at Management Science.
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Guoen Liu:
Boya Distinguished Professor and Deputy Director of the Faculty of Economics and Management at Peking University; Director of the Academic Committee and National High-level Talent at the National School of Development, Peking University; Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development, Peking University; and Director of the China Center for Health Economics Research, Peking University.
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Nancy Qian:
Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Fanhai International School of Finance, Fudan University; James J. O’Connor Professor of Managerial Economics and Decision Sciences at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; and Fellow of the Econometric Society.
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Vincenzo Quadrini:
James McN. Stancill Chair Professor of Finance and Business Economics at the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California; and Co-editor of American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics.
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Wing Thye Woo:
Distinguished Professor, Department of Economics, University of California, Davis.
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Xiaobo Zhang:
Chair Professor at the Guanghua School of Management, Peking University; Director of the Center for Enterprise Big Data at Peking University; and Editor-in-Chief of China Economic Review.
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II. Invited Guests (Listed in alphabetical order by last name):
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Zongwu Cai
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Charles Oswald Distinguished Professor of Econometrics, University of Kansas, USA.
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Gene Chang
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Professor, Department of Economics, University of Toledo, USA.
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Aimin Chen
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Senior Research Fellow, Center for China and Globalization (CCG); Former Distinguished Professor and Tenured Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana State University, USA; Emeritus Professor and Former Vice President, Sichuan University; Former President, Xi’an International Studies University.
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Kaiji Chen
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Distinguished Professor of Economics, Fanhai International School of Finance, Fudan University; Professor of Economics, Emory University, USA.
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Zhuo Chen
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Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Georgia, USA.
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Tony Fang
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Professor and Stephen Jarislowsky Chair in Cultural and Economic Transformation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada; Visiting Professor, University of Toronto.
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Jack W Hou
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Professor, Department of Economics, California State University, Long Beach, USA.
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Carl Lin
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Associate Professor of Economics and Associate Dean of College of Arts and Sciences, Bucknell University
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Qihong Liu
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Professor, Department of Economics, University of Oklahoma, USA.
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Susan Feng Lu
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Professor of Economics and Health Policy, University of Toronto, Canada; Allan Hudson Chair Professor.
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Jinlan Ni
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Associate Professor, Milgard School of Business, University of Washington Tacoma, USA.
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Li Qi
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Professor, Department of Economics and Business Management, Agnes Scott College, USA.
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Yu Qin
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Professor, Department of Real Estate, Business School, National University of Singapore.
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Lizheng Shi
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Chair of Neal A. and Mary Vanselow Health Management and Policy, Director of Center for Health Systems Analytics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, USA.
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Shunfeng Song
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Professor, Department of Economics, University of Nevada, Reno, USA.
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Dee Bruce Sun
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Professor, College of Business, California State University, Long Beach, USA.
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Holly Wang
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Professor, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, USA.
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Yanling Wang
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Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and Professor of International Affairs, Carleton University, Canada.
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III. Eligibility and Topics
Undergraduate and high school students who demonstrate an interest and potential in economic research are eligible to participate. We welcome paper submissions in the fields of economics and management. All submissions must be in English.
IV. Competition Schedule
1. Before 24:00, June 14, 2025: Participants must submit their papers to the official competition committee email address to complete the submission process.
2. June 14 – June 21, 2025: The Review Committee will evaluate all submissions and select papers for the on-site presentation round.
3. June 22, 2025: The list of papers selected for on-site presentations will be announced.
4. Late June 2025: Participants shall prepare materials for the on-site presentation, including slides and other necessary documents.
5. Before 24:00, July 1, 2025: Presentation slides must be submitted to the designated competition email address.
6. July 3, 2025: On-site presentations will be held and winning papers will be selected.
V. Paper Evaluation
1. Anonymous Review Policy
To ensure fairness and objectivity, all submitted papers will undergo a strict anonymous review process. Throughout the entire review process, the reviewers will have no access to the authors’ personal information. Reviewers can only assess the content of the papers and will not be informed of the authors’ identities, affiliations, or any other personal information.
2. Composition of the Review Committee
(1) Chairs of the Review Committee
Dongmei Guo
Dean and Doctoral Supervisor, School of Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics; Recipient of the Ministry of Education Youth Talent Program; Longma Distinguished Professor; Listed among Beijing’s “Four Batches” Talents in Propaganda and Culture; Principal Investigator of a Major National Social Science Fund Project.
Susan Feng Lu
Professor of Economics and Health Policy, University of Toronto, Canada; Allan Hudson Chair Professor; Associate Editor of Management Science.
(2) Review Committee
Members of the Review Committee will be selected from former presidents of the Chinese Economist Society (CES) or leading experts in the field of economics, all of whom possess extensive experience in academic peer review.
3. Review Procedures
(1) The Review Committee will conduct an initial anonymous review of all submitted papers.
(2) Selection for On-site Finals
Based on the scores given by expert reviewers in the initial round, the organizers will select outstanding papers, and invite their authors to participate in the on-site presentation finals.
(3) Finals Review Committee
The Finals Review Committee will consist of former presidents of the Chinese Economist Society (CES), ensuring authority and professionalism in the final evaluation.
(4) Final Review Procedures
i. In principle, authors who advance to the finals are required to present and defend their papers in person, and to participate in a Q&A session with the committee. On-site presentations are highly encouraged. Those who are unable to attend in person due to exceptional circumstances may apply for an online defense.
ii. The Finals Review Committee will select the winning papers based on expert comments and discussion during the final round. The awards will be set as follows: two First Prizes, three Second Prizes, and several Third Prizes. Winners will receive certificates of honor as encouragement.
4. Conflict of Interest Policy
All reviewers must proactively recuse themselves from reviewing any paper with which they have a conflict of interest (to be determined by the Chair of the Review Committee). Conflicts of interest include, but are not limited to, familial relationships, supervisor-student relationships, direct research collaboration, or affiliation with the same institution as the author(s).
If a conflict of interest is found to have not been disclosed during the review process, the organizers reserve the right to nullify the reviewer’s evaluation and reassign the review to another expert. All potential conflicts of interest must be truthfully declared. The organizers will supervise the entire review process to ensure academic integrity and independence.
VI. Paper Submission Requirements
1. Each participant may submit one paper in English. The manuscript should follow the format guidelines of the American Economic Review (AER), adhere to academic standards, and must not have been published or accepted by any academic journal. The total length of the paper should not exceed 10,000 words.
2. Participants are required to submit an Excel file as an attachment (including the paper title, author’s name, JEL codes, keywords, and an abstract), along with a complete PDF version of the paper. All files should be sent to the competition committee’s official email address: cespaper2025@163.com. The submission deadline is June 14, 2025 (based on the time the email is received).
3. The email subject should follow the format:
“Category–University/School–Author Name–Paper Title”
For example: “Undergraduate–XXX University–XXX–XXX” or “High School–XXX High School–XXX–XXX”。
4. The first author of the paper must meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Currently enrolled as an undergraduate or high school student;
(2) Responsible for the majority of the research and manuscript writing;
(3) The paper has not been published, accepted elsewhere, or under consideration for publication;
(4) There are no copyright disputes, the work has not received awards in other competitions, and no rights have been assigned to third parties.
VII. Additional Information
1. Announcement of Results: The list of selected papers and official conference notifications will be published in June 2025 on the official website and WeChat account of the Chinese Economist Society (CES), as well as the website and WeChat account of the School of Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics.
2. Contact Information:
For inquiries about the conference, please contact:
(1) Academic matters:
Professor Naijing Huang, Email: huang.naijing@cufe.edu.cn
(2) General and logistical matters:
Ms. Xinru Wang, Email: xinru.wang@cufe.edu.cn
Young scholars are the driving force behind the advancement of economics, with undergraduate and high school students standing at the forefront of the field’s future. This paper competition is committed to discovering new talent in economics and providing a platform for young scholars to demonstrate their academic excellence and innovative thinking. We sincerely invite undergraduate and high school students from around the world to analyze economic phenomena from unique perspectives, respond to contemporary challenges with rigorous research, and cultivate innovative thinking and a sense of social responsibility through academic exploration. We look forward to your active participation—let your ideas set sail and leave your mark on the vast world of economic research. Let us witness the brilliance of the new generation of economists at the inaugural Academic Rising Star Paper Competition!
School of Economics, Central University of Finance and Economics
Chinese Economist Society (CES)
Young Economist Society (YES)
