Zhu Xiaofan
ZHU XIAOFAN
Ph.D Candidate in Economics
I am a job market candidate and I will be available for interviews.
REFERENCES
Professor Fali Huang
Email: flhuang@smu.edu.sg
Tel: +65 68280859
Professor Sunha Myong
Email: sunhamyong@smu.edu.sg
Tel: +65 68281914
WORKING PAPERS
“Educational Decisions in the Shadow of Cronyism: An Empirical Study of College Graduates in
China”, with Chen Xiang (Job Market Paper)
This study investigates how inefficient political institutions, marked by rampant corruption and cronyism,
shape students’ educational choices based on their family’s political connections. We exploit the onset of
China’s anti-corruption campaign and compare the educational choices of college students with at least
one cadre parent versus those without, from more corrupt regions versus less corrupt regions, before and
after the campaign. We find that after the campaign, college students with at least a cadre parent from
regions previously characterised by higher corruption levels are more likely to pursue further education
after graduation. The effects are more pronounced for male students, for students with liberal art track
majors, for students with lower academic performance during college, and for students with cadre parents
with higher positional ranks. Moreover, we examine the underlying mechanisms and find evidence of a
more equitable post-campaign employment environment, where connected students need stronger
educational qualifications and more human capital stock to remain competitive against their unconnected
counterparts.
“How On-campus Residence Influences Academic Success and Non-academic Outcomes", with
Sujata Visaria, Xuanyi Jin, and Chen Xiang.
This study examines the impact of on-campus residence halls on academic and labor market outcomes, as well as subjective wellbeing among students at a first-tier university in Hong Kong. Leveraging administrative data and a random allocation system, we find that students residing in halls exhibit lower yearly Grade Point Averages, receive fewer job offers upon graduation, and report higher satisfaction with their hall experience. Across the complete sample of students analyzed, male students are particularly influenced by hall residency. We further study the underlying mechanisms and identify that underutilization of school learning facilities and fewer full-time internships of hall residents may contribute to the observed academic and labor market performance differences. Our research contributes to understanding the role of college amenities in human capital accumulation and sheds light on genderspecific effects of on-campus residence.
“Religiosity and Family Firms: Evidence from China”