Dr. Ma Xiangdong from BAI has been conducting his research on the project “OFDI’s Effects on Industrial Upgrading: America’s Lessons and China’s Development” under the supervision of Professor Graciela Chichilnisky in the Department of Economics at Columbia University as a Visiting Scholar for half a year since January 2017.

Columbia University was founded in 1754. It is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. 99 Columbians—including alumni, faculty, adjunct faculty, researchers and administrators—have won a Nobel Prize at some point in their careers, including 15 Laureates in Economics. The number of its Laureates is only less than that of Harvard University in the world.

During the visit, Dr. Ma participated in various academic activities. First, he audited 4 courses on international economics and development economics. Second, he attended 22 seminars including 10 international economics workshops and 7 international trade colloquiums. Finally, he attended 10 international conferences on global economic governance.

Dr. Ma has benefited greatly from the academic environment and discussions with the faculty in the Department of Economics and School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. He made fruitful research achievements by completing 4 papers on China’s foreign trade and investment. Among them, three have been published in three different Chinese journals and one has been accepted byJournal of Industrial Economics and Trade. Meanwhile, he has finished 2 research reports on the projects funded by the national Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Beijing Academy of Social Sciences. His visiting has cemented and strengthened the academic ties between Dr. Ma and many professors at Columbia University and also other universities such as Princeton University, Yale University, University of Chicago ,etc.