The 2025 Editors-in-Chief Face-to-Face Conference on Economics was successfully held at
Beijing Jiaotong University from June 10 to June 19, 2025. The conference was organized by the School of Economics and Management of Beijing Jiaotong University and Elsevier. It was conducted in the form of Teams online conference and was simultaneously live streamed by Elsevier. The conference invited the editors of the six top journals in the field of economics, as well as academics and scholars in China, to gather online to discuss journal publication issues and the latest research in various sub-fields of economics. The conference was divided into two modules, the plenary meeting and the thematic lecture series.
With its high-level positioning, cutting-edge themes, rich content, multi-dimensional interaction and innovative forms of activities, the conference attracted more than 16,000 participants. Registered scholars came from University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, National University of Singapore, University of Chicago, University of California, Monash University, University of Warwick, University of Melbourne, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China and so on. The conference received widespread attention and follow-up from many academic groups and media. The six invited editors of the six top economics journals were Brian Knight, co-editor of American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, Professor in Brown University; Sascha O. Becker, editor of Economic Journal and Yang Xiaokai Chair Professor of Business and Economics in University of Warwick and Monash University; Katrine V. Løken, joint managing editor of Review of Economic Studies, Professor in Norwegian School of Economics; Raymond Fisman, co-chair editor of Review of Economics and Statistics, Professor in Boston University; Hanming Fang, editor of Journal of Health Economics, Professor in University of Pennsylvania; Ricardo Perez-Truglia, co-editor of Journal of Public Economics, Professor in University of California, Los Angeles.
The conference began with the first module of the thematic lecture series held from June 10 to June 18, 2025. It consisted of 6 thematic lectures, each of which invited one editor to present his or her up-to-date research, and two well-known scholars in the same field were invited to make in-depth comments. Six editors of top economic journals gave lectures on “Forced Displacement in History”, “High-Speed Rail and China's Electric Vehicle Adoption Miracle”, “Tax Morale”, “The Fatal Consequences of Brain Drain”, “The Policy Preferences of Deputy Ministers”, “Policing for Profit? Evidence from Post-Ferguson Reforms in Missouri”. The invited discussants, in order of commentary time, were James Kung, Professor, University of Melbourne; Chicheng Ma, Associate Professor, University of Hong Kong; Yu Qin, Professor, National University of Singapore; Yatang Lin, Assistant Professor, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Zhixin Dai, Professor, Renmin University of China; Xuan Wang, Assistant Professor, Peking University; Jin Zhou, Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong; Heng Chen, Associate Professor, University of Hong Kong; Ruixue Jia, Professor, University of California, San Diego; Bo Li, Associate Professor, Peking University; Shaoda Wang, Assistant Professor, University of Chicago; Bei Qin, Associate Research Fellow, Institute of Economics, Academia Sinica, Taipei.
The discussants' incisive remarks further enhanced the participants' comprehension of the cutting-edge research presented by the invited editors, covering diverse aspects including the design of research, the construction of models, the methodologies for data acquisition and processing, the practicality of conclusions, and the policy-oriented implications. Additionally, during the interactive Q&A session, the participants enthusiastically joined the discussions, sparking novel perspectives and insights. The second module of the plenary meeting was held on June 19, 2025. It was moderated by Professor Yacan Wang from Beijing Jiaotong University.
The six editors engaged with senior experts and young scholars, discussing the issues of journal positioning, submission, and publication. The editors talked about their experiences in manuscript reviewing, and offered targeted advice on critical considerations for authors, trending topics of interest, and crucial steps to follow up during the submission and revision process of returned manuscripts. Furthermore, the editors highlighted recent submissions from Chinese scholars, sparking keen interest among the participants. Enthusiastic responses were evident, as many questions from participants poured in through various platforms like Teams and WeChat scholar groups. The editors responded thoroughly to each question, clearing up the doubts and misconceptions encountered by participants, especially younger researchers, during the process of writing and submitting manuscripts.
The 2025 Editors-in-Chief Face-to-Face Conference on Economics, hosted by the School of Economics and Management at Beijing Jiaotong University, has been hailed as a resounding success. This prestigious event, now in its fifth iteration, continues to uphold the university's "Zhi Xing" motto, fostering an environment of academic excellence and international scholarly exchange. With the collaboration of Elsevier, a leading academic publisher, the conference featured six editors from six top economics journals, offering a unique opportunity for Chinese scholars and researchers to hold direct and constructive dialogues with the leading scholars in the field of Economics.
Looking ahead, the conference organizers are committed to building on this year's success, aiming at further expanding the international reach and impact of the event. With a focus on inclusivity and innovation, the conference aspires to continue serving as a catalyst for academic growth, fostering a vibrant and outstanding community of economists and researchers. We believe the research in Economics would be prosper more worldwide, and we will make every effort to support young researchers and scholars in their pursuit of academic excellence.
