Kang Xianruo

Student from the Admitted Class of 2018, Economic Science, School of Management and Economics (SME), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen)

The Master of Arts Program in Economics, Columbia University

Prospective PhD candidate in Economics, Harvard University in August 2024  

Recalling the days at The CUHK-Shenzhen, Kang Xianruo said: “Every professor I met here is knowledgeable, amicable, and warm-hearted. They unreservedly guided, helped, and cared for me on my journey of pursuing dreams.”

在高桌晚宴上

Kang is especially grateful to Professor Dou Liyu, her academic mentor. At the beginning of each semester, Professor Dou would provide suggestions on how to plan her course selection from the perspective of long-term academic development. Thanks to Professor Dou, Kang had her first profound engagement in academic research in economics during her undergraduate years. 

“Opportunities arise from communication. After Professor Dou learned about my interest in academic research, he gave me this valuable opportunity to serve as a research assistant. As a sophomore without too much expertise back then, I undertook mostly the basic work such as literature compilation.”

Looking back on her immature “research” experience, Kang felt that the most important part is that she has developed her perseverance and the ability to pursue active self-learning. “Such ability is discipline-indiscriminative and helpful in any research endeavor.”

During her four years of undergraduate study, she applied these abilities in multiple courses. For example, in the intermediate econometrics taught by Professor Ye Haichun, she used the advanced econometric knowledge and software that she learned to complete her papers; and in the game theory taught by Professor Song Yangbo, she conducted research with her classmates together.

In her final-semester papers, Kang, together with her classmates, studied the “policy of the mandatory cooling-off period on divorce” still within its publicity period, using the theoretical modeling from the game theory to predict its impact on couples who want a divorce. In her view, divorce is a game between husband and wife, whose decisions are closely related to the actions of the other party. The 30-day mandatory cooling-off period on divorce has added new uncertainties to the game.

Being able to use what she has learned to explain social topics that she is interested in is a major motivation for Kang to conduct research in economics and one of the reasons why she decided to embark on an academic path.

Along the way, Kang tried several totally different internships. She worked for firms, banks, and charitable foundations, but finally, she ended up on the path of academic research.

“These practices have made me realize that I love research. In the past, I got a lot of resources and help from others. For me, what is more valuable is that I can return the favor to society through what I do. It will give me greater pleasure if I can use the economic means to advise people on reducing social inequality and help them live a better life.”

After graduating from The CUHK-Shenzhen, Kang went to Columbia University in the United States to pursue the Master of Arts Program in Economics. In December 2023, she graduated with outstanding results, ranking first in her major. She will study the PhD Program in Economics at Harvard University this August to realize her long-held dream.