UB conference to address human capital and economic development in China

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Isaac Ehrlich, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Economics and founding editor of the Journal of Human Capital will deliver the keynote address as part of a two-day international conference titled “Human Capital and Economic Development in China,” happening Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 in 509 O’Brian Hall on the University at Buffalo North Campus.

Ehrlich, an expert on human capital and social institutions in the economy, will deliver his remarks at 11 a.m. Oct. 5.

The conference is co-sponsored by the UB Center of Excellence on Human Capital, Technology Transfer, and Economic Growth and Development; the UB Department of Economics; and the UB Confucius Institute.

Presenters will examine interactions between migration and education decisions, gender and income inequalities, the higher education system, and the role of social and family environments in human capital production.

The event is free and open to the public. A schedule of events and more information is available online.

Numerous factors have contributed to China’s economic growth over three decades, including the key drivers of physical capital and the adoption of existing technology, but continued increases will depend on innovation, a factor turning on the quality of its labor force, according to Zhiqiang Liu, a professor in the UB Department of Economics and director of the university’s Confucius Institute.

That’s the human capital component, a term used to determine workers’ economic value through measures that include education, training and skill.

“Scholars from the United States and China who have conducted significant research in the area of human capital will discuss economic and social issues in China that have important policy implication,” says Liu. “This conference is particularly timely in light of the recent growth slowdown in China."