Lixia Ren

Postdoctoral Associate Affiliation: NYU Abu Dhabi
Education: BA University of International Business and Economics; MA Peking University; PhD University of Notre Dame

Research Areas: Structural transformation; economic growth


Lixia Ren is a development economist focused on exploring the driving forces behind structural change and economic growth in developing countries. Her latest research project, titled “Transportation, Electricity, and the Birth of Firms,” examines the impact of public investments in transportation and electricity infrastructure in Tibet on firm creation, as well as the potential complementarities between these two types of infrastructure.

In her research, she employs both empirical and theoretical approaches to provide robust evidence. She also conducts field surveys to gather first-hand data.