HIAS Bridges NEXT (PD)

Mengying Peng

Research field:Applied economics, development economics, and the economics of education.

●What are your current research interests?

My research interests include human capital development, education policy, educational inequality, and students’ college and major choices. I am also exploring the use of machine learning in my work.

●What do you enjoy most about research?

My research interests include human capital development, education policy, educational inequality, and students’ college and major choices. I am also exploring the use of machine learning in my work.

● What does research mean to you?(In a nutshell)

For me, research is a bridge between my own experiences and broader realities, helping me understand the world more deeply and connect with diverse people.

●What inspired you to become a researcher?

I love doing research – every time I complete an analysis and uncover something interesting, it brings me joy. That passion led me to become a researcher, and I feel lucky to have made it happen.

●What are your future goals as a researcher?

I hope to contribute to reducing educational inequality by making better-quality educational resources more accessible. At the same time, I want my research to support students in making informed choices that empower them to build the lives they aspire to.

Zhongyuan Sun

Research field:Strategic Management, Organization Theory, Cultural Industries

●What are your current research interests?

the relationship between paranoid CEOs and corporate product safety

●What do you enjoy most about research?

To absorb the wisdom of those who came before us and to venture into the unknown.

● What does research mean to you?(In a nutshell)

Research is a captivating lifestyle that grants me the freedom of thought, the joy of intellectual exploration, and the opportunity to make a societal contribution through my work.

●What inspired you to become a researcher?

I have always been captivated by wisdom.

●What are your future goals as a researcher?

I aim to leverage my research to make a positive impact on society.

Tomoki Tsujita

Research field:Organizational economics, Game theory

●What are your current research interests?

Cheap talk, Information design

●What do you enjoy most about research?

I enjoy gradually discovering new ideas and insights.

● What does research mean to you?(In a nutshell)

Discovering new ideas and insights

●What inspired you to become a researcher?

Because I found the game theory class I took as an undergraduate interesting.

●What are your future goals as a researcher?

I would like to explain complex social phenomena in a clear and intuitive way.

Hamza Umer

Research field:Economics

●What are your current research interests?

Lab and Field Experiments, Development Economics, Applied Microeconomics, Islamic Finance, Labor Market

●What do you enjoy most about research?

The opportunity to conduct economic experiments with diverse people and understand unique factors (such as religion) that influence decision-making is the most interesting aspect of my research.

● What does research mean to you?(In a nutshell)

A systematic analysis of behavior in different contexts.

●What inspired you to become a researcher?

I always enjoyed education and selecting research as a career was a natural choice for me. Along the way, my parents provided me the necessary strength to pursue my interests in research. Correspondingly, several professors have further inspired research interests in me and I hope to emulate their footsteps.

●What are your future goals as a researcher?

At the moment there are three key goals. First, I would like to continue exploring unique factors that influence economic decisions. I believe such a research can enrich our understanding about unexplored aspects of decision-making that can ultimately help in micro-level policies. Second, I would like to continue field research (RCTs & Experiments) in the less developed societies and suggest evidence-based policies for enhancing wellbeing. Third, I would like to collaborate with other researchers and explore the application of economic experiments in the related research fields.

Hiroki Shinozaki

Research field:Mechanism Design / Market Design

●What are your current research interests?

Auctions

●What do you enjoy most about research?

It’s fun when an idea takes shape.

● What does research mean to you?(In a nutshell)

For me, research is like a curry party.

●What inspired you to become a researcher?

I have been enlightened.

●What are your future goals as a researcher?

I would like to dedicate myself to research like a rhinoceros.