讲座题目：Seeds of imagination: exposure to scientific fictions and career choices

主讲人：梁平汉

时间：2024年11月14日（周四）16:30-18:00

地点：西安交通大学创新港涵英楼8121会议室

报告人简介：梁平汉，中山大学政治与公共事务管理学院教授，博士生导师，曾在牛津大学圣安东尼学院、美国西北大学凯洛格管理学院担任访问学者。主要研究地方政府行为、行为与实验经济学、数字技术的社会影响等。在Economic Journal, Games and Economic Behavior, Journal of Comparative Economics, Journal of Regional Science，《经济研究》《管理世界》《经济学季刊》等期刊发表论文数十篇，主持国家社科重点、国家自科面上、青年等课题。曾获教育部高等学校科学研究优秀成果（人文社科类）奖，霍英东教育基金会高等院校青年教师奖等表彰。曾受邀在“一席”栏目发表公众演讲，并担任教育部经济学“101计划”《微观经济学》知识模块负责人。

Abstract:This paper explores the role of scientific fictions (Sci-Fi) in fostering curiosity and imagination, which are key to technological advancement. We exploit the short-term prosperity of Sci-Fi magazines in China in early 1980s. Our cohort DID design leverages the variation in locality and time of the circulation of Sci-Fi magazines. We show that for the individuals who exposed to Sci-Fi magazines between age 12 and 22, the probability to become technicians and researchers are 23% higher, and their job task is 2.4% more research-oriented. The results are robust against confounding events and education attainment. We provide evidence that the exposure to Sci-Fi magazines increases imagination, encourages tolerance to differences, reduces religiosity, and raises risk preferences. Our findings highlight how individual exposure to new ideas in impressionable ages could have long-term impact on career choice and human capital formation.

西安交通大学经济与金融学院

2024年11月11日