PhD in Economics

Shuwen Li, 2018

Shuwen Li

Shuwen Li completed her undergraduate degree in Economics from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China. Shuwen’s undergraduate advisor introduced her to experimental economics, the field she grew to want to pursue, which led her to attend George Mason University for her PhD in Economics.

Shuwen has worked closely with the Interdisciplinary Center for Economic Science (ICES) at George Mason. Through her involvement with ICES she has conducted experiments investigating how government subsidies work to help rural villages combat climate change. Shuwen has continued her research through her dissertation topic, which involves testing a bargaining model in the lab and determining if people act as predicted by economic theory. She has enjoyed the opportunity to run experiments as well as working with fellow students.

During her time as a student, Shuwen has enjoyed the diversity Mason’s campus has to offer and the influence of arts and humanities on campus. She also loves Mason’s DC location. It has been easy for her to take advantage of opportunities to attend several conferences in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, Boston and Philadelphia.

The faculty on campus have provided Shuwen support and guidance during her time at Mason, and this has helped her to mature both personally and intellectually. She notes that the faculty are committed to ensuring students achieve their professional goals, whether these be in the academy, or the government or private sectors.

After the completion of her program, Shuwen will pursue a career in research, at either a university or an international research institution. She hopes to contribute the unique skill set she has gained during her studies at Mason not only to economics but also to our global society.