Summer School in Applied Economics – Methods and Data

The School of Economics is pleased to announce a new summer school programme in Applied Economics for 2026. The programme is designed for students who want to strengthen their empirical skills and gain hands-on experience working with different types of data and methodologies.

15 June to 3 July 2026

The first two weeks combine lectures and practical sessions on core and more advanced topics in applied economics. Participants will be introduced to typical datasets and databases used in economic research and learn how to work with them effectively using their preferred statistical software (STATA or R). Topics include:

• Causal inference - experimental vs. non-experimental approaches
• Household decision making and household survey data
• Programming and data analysis in R
• Spatial data and econometrics (GeoDa)
• Surveys and survey experiments
• Finance and Regional Economic Databases in China
• What makes a good research question

In the third week, students apply what they have learned by working on a group research project in their area of interest. Student are assigned to a faculty supervisor who provides guidance throughout the week.

Click here for the detailed schedule. Please note that the programme is subject to change.

This programme is ideal for students in Economics, Finance, and other related disciplines who aim to:

• Enhance their methodological and practical skills in working with data
• Pursue further study or career development in Economics or Finance
• Become better researchers
• Engage in in-depth discussions about their ideas with experts in the field

• Basic knowledge of microeconomics, econometrics, and data-analysis is expected. Intermediate courses in microeconomics and econometrics are recommended.
• The typical participant has finished their third year of study in Economics or International Trade at UNNC. Students from other majors as well as final-year students are suitable and most welcome.
• Students from other universities are welcome to apply and experience the unique, international teaching style of UNNC (for students on 3-year programmes, we recommend having completed at least 2 years)
• A high level of English proficiency is expected, as the course is taught entirely in English and students are required to present their work on multiple occasions.

• Dr Jan Jozwik, UNNC (PhD from the University of Oxford)
• Dr Xuyan Lou, UNNC, (PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong)
• Dr Marcus Roel, UNNC, (PhD from the London School of Economics)
• Dr Long Wen, UNNC, (PhD from the University of Nottingham)
• Dr Chunfei Weng, UNNC, (PhD from the University of Nottingham)
• Dr Shuo Yang, UNNC (PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas)
• Dr Xiaoyu Zhang, UNNC, (PhD from the Chinese University of Hong Kong)

Please click here to fill in the registration information.

Application and payment deadline: 22 May 2026

Tuition fee: 13,000 RMB

Early bird price: 12,000 RMB (for students who finish payment before 29 April 2026)