Mengyuan Cai
Ph.D. in Economics

Mengyuan
(Abby)
Cai

蔡梦园

Department of Economics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Economics of Digitization, Chinese Economy, and Development Economics.

Economics of Digitization and AI Chinese Economy Development Economics Digital Transformation
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Honors
Lindau Nobel Meeting (2025) Invited Speaker at Opening Ceremony
Best TA Award ×2 NTU, 2023 & 2025
PhD TA Scholarship NTU, 2021–2025
National Scholarship of China Undergraduate, 2019
Outstanding Graduate Anhui Province
Session Chair ESWC 2025 · Seoul
Research Focus

Research Fields

01

Economics of Digitization

Examining which firms adopt digital technology and the consequences of digital adoption. Outcomes of interests include firm sales, profits, costs, productivity, and innovation.

02

Development Economics

Investigating how digital infrastructure drive economic growth using quasi-experimental methods. Studying how infrastructure investment reduce spatial inequality, drive innovation, and affect household welfare in developing economies.

03

Chinese Economy

Analyzing China's digital transformation, industrial policies, and the rural-urban divide through large-scale micro-level datasets.

Academic Output

Publications & Working Papers

PhD thesis titled "Identifying the Growth Effect of Digital Technology: Evidence from Micro-Level Data."

Published
Working Papers
1
Identifying the Growth Effect of Internet Penetration
Mengyuan Cai & Guiying Laura Wu
Regional Science and Urban Economics, 2026
SSCI Q1 · ABS 3
2
Water Pollution and Administrative Division Adjustments
Jing Li, Di Liu & Mengyuan Cai (Corresponding Author)
PLOS ONE, 2022
SSCI Q2
3
Room for Maneuver and Alternatives: A Reinterpretation of the German Crisis of 1931
Kuo-chun Yeh, Tai-kuang Ho & Mengyuan Cai
Journal of Economics & Management, 2019
Published
1
The Real Effect of Endogenous Digital Technology Adoption
Mengyuan Cai & Guiying Laura Wu
Aim for Economic Journal
ABS 4* · SSCI Q1
2
Can E-Commerce Reduce Spatial Inequality? Evidence from Taobao Villages
Mengyuan Cai & Tian Shu
Aim for Journal of Development Economics
ABS 4* · SSCI Q1
3
Bytes Beyond Boundaries: Effects of Digitization on Innovation
Mengyuan Cai
Submitted to China Economic Review
ABS 3 · SSCI Q1
4
Can Digital Platforms Boost Economic Growth? Evidence from the Taobao Villages
Mengyuan Cai & Tian Shu
Invited to Singapore Economic Review
SSCI Q3
5
Does the Economic Slowdown Cause Public Anxiety?
Jing Li, Ran Xie & Mengyuan Cai (Corresponding Author)
Submitted to Journal of Asian Economics
SSCI Q2 · ABS 2
6
Drivers and Barriers: Does Carbon Emissions Trading System Improve Green Innovation?
Mingke Wang & Mengyuan Cai (Corresponding Author)
Submitted to Journal of Asian Economics
SSCI Q2 · ABS 2
Academic Background

Education

Ph.D. in Economics
Nanyang Technological University · Singapore
2021.08 – 2026.03
Research Interests: Economics of Digitization, Chinese Economy, Development Economics
Thesis: "Identifying the Growth Effect of Digital Technology: Evidence from Micro-Level Data"
Supervisor: Associate Professor Guiying Laura Wu
Teaching Assistant Scholarship
M.Sc. in Applied Economics
Nanyang Technological University · Singapore
2020.08 – 2021.06
Half Tuition Scholarship
Exchange in Quantitative Finance
National Tsing Hua University · China
2018.09 – 2019.01
GPA: 4.0 / 4.0
B.Sc. in Economics
Hefei University of Technology · China
2016.09 – 2020.06
National Scholarship of China (2019) · Outstanding Graduate of Anhui Province
Work Experiences

Research & Teaching

Nov 2025 – Jul 2026
Research Assistant
School of Social Sciences, NTU
Evaluating China's industrial policies on firm-level digital adoption; comparing AI impacts on U.S. and China stock markets.
Jul 2026 – Nov 2026
Research Assistant
Asian Development Bank
Conducting research on AI in Asia's growth and development; produced ADB Working Papers on digital transformation and AI productivity.
Aug 2021 – Aug 2025
Research Assistant
School of Social Sciences, NTU
Research on economics of digitization: growth effects of internet infrastructure, endogenous treatment effects of firm digitization, and innovation.
Aug 2025 – Nov 2025
Communication Coach
Language and Communication Center, NTU
Providing personalized feedback on writing, speaking, and presentation skills.
Received feedback score of 96/100 (average 90.2).
Jan 2022 – Jan 2025
Teaching Assistant / Tutor
School of Social Sciences, NTU
Delivered tutorials for Principles of Economics (HE5091 & HE9091). Recognized twice with Best TA Awards (2023 and 2025).
Aug 2017 – Nov 2019
Peer Lecturer
Hefei University of Technology
Delivered lectures and tutorials of Advanced Mathematics at Hefei University of Technology.
Recognition

Awards & Honors

Invited Young Scientist & Speaker at the Opening Ceremony
8th Lindau Nobel Meeting of Economic Sciences · 2025 · Lindau, Germany
Best TA Award (×2)
Nanyang Technological University · 2023 & 2025
PhD Teaching Assistant Scholarship
Nanyang Technological University · 2021–2025
MSc Half Tuition Scholarship
Nanyang Technological University · 2020–2021
National Scholarship of China
Undergraduate · 2019 · Hefei University of Technology
Outstanding Graduate of Anhui Province
Hefei University of Technology · 2020
Scholarly Engagement

Conferences & Presentations

2025
Asian Think Tank Network Forum
Asian Development Bank Institute · Tokyo, Japan
2025
World Congress of the Econometric Society (ESWC 2025)
Seoul, South Korea
Session Chair
2025
8th Lindau Nobel Meeting in Economic Sciences
Lindau, Germany · Opening Speaker
Opening Speaker
2025
Asian Economic Development Conference 2025
Peking University · Beijing
2025
Conference on the Climate-Macro-Finance Interface
Bayes Business School · London
2025
International Doctoral Symposium 2025
Hong Kong Baptist University · Hong Kong
2024
Singapore Economic Review Conference
NTU, Singapore
Session Chair
2024
Asian Economic Development Conference
Seoul National University · Seoul
2023
Asian Meeting of the Econometric Society
NTU, Singapore
2022
Economics Brownbag Seminars
NTU, Singapore
Get in Touch

Connect &
Collaborate

I welcome inquiries about research collaboration, academic positions, and seminar invitations.

✉️
Email
Mengyuan002@e.ntu.edu.sg
📞
Phone
(+65) 8982-0224
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Address
48 Nanyang Ave, Singapore 639798