2nd International Workshop on the Chinese Development Model

IQS School of Management
Universitat Ramon Llull
June 1-2, 2023
Barcelona, Spain

Escaping the Middle-Income Trap.

In 2021, the People’s Republic of China’s GNI per capita (Atlas method) reached $11,890, just 11% shy of the World Bank’s Classification threshold of $13,205 for High-Income countries. 2023 could very well be the year China achieves high-income status, a feat that only 19 of the 74 middle-income countries in 1987 have accomplished until today. The Middle-Income Trap describes the stagnation of the remaining countries whose growth has been mainly driven by natural resources, cheap labor, or export-oriented strategies and are unable to maintain their competitive edge amidst rising wages, decreasing investment, and aging populations. These challenges have also been reflected by countries surpassing the income threshold: from 2010 to 2021, five countries that attained high-income status returned to the middle-income classification pointing to the difficulties of sustaining growth, catching up towards the more advanced economies, and escaping the Middle-Income Trap.

This workshop aims to assemble academic contributions addressing whether China will successfully transition into an economy driven by high productivity and innovation and identifying the challenges to avoid the Middle-Income Trap. The Conference will include distinguished keynote speakers, roundtable forums, and parallel sessions.

Keynote Speakers

Shaohua Chen (Xiamen University, Xiamen, China)

Scott Rozelle (Stanford University, Stanford, USA)

The organizing committee welcomes both empirical and theoretical contributions. Papers can address the following issues about Chinese modernization:

• The Middle-Income Trap and Economic and Human Development
• Human Capital Accumulation and Labor Markets
• The Belt and Road Initiative and Foreign Policy
• Investment Opportunities and Opening up Reforms
• Environment and Health
• Structural Change and Dual Circulation
• Migration and Human Mobility

Important Dates

Abstract submission deadline: March 31st, 2023
Acceptance decision: April 15th, 2023
Registration deadline: May 15th, 2023
Full paper submission deadline: May 15th, 2023

We invite the submission of an abstract in English (500-800 words) from experienced and early-career researchers, including PhD students, to be sent to china.conference@iqs.url.edu

Conference registration fee:

Accommodation and travel arrangements will be left to participants.

A Best Paper Award of 1000 EUR will be granted to the best early-career paper (authors under 36).

Selected papers of high quality will be considered for publication (subject to the usual review process) in the Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies (JCEBS), published by Taylor and Francis since 2001, based in TMCD, University of Oxford. The JCEBS CiteScore (1.8) places it in the top 30% i.e. No. 71 out of 243 “General Economics, Econometrics and Finance” journals in Scopus.

Scientific Committee:
Octasiano Valerio Mendoza, Universitat Ramon Llull
Flavio Comim, Universitat Ramon Llull
Mihály Tamás Borsi, Universitat Ramon Llull
Xiaobing Wang, Peking University
Simiao Chen, Universität Heidelberg
Martina Bofulin, Slovenian Migration Institute