Profile

I am an Assistant Professor at Taipei School of Economics and Political Science at National Tsing Hua University. I am also a Bong and Sul Visiting Research Fellow at the Yonsei Institute of Population and Human Capital.

My current research revolves around three themes: the formation of state capacity and operation of public finance in developing countries, human capital accumulation under adverse shocks, and the economic and political integration of migrants. I have several ongoing projects that examine how conflicts affect fiscal and personnel capacity, how external shocks such as natural disasters influence education and health outcomes, and how policy instruments can improve access to public goods for migrants.

Prior to my current position, I was a postdoctoral fellow at HKUST (July 2024 - June 2025). I received my Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University in May 2024. 

Research Interests

• Development Economics
• Political Economy
• Public Economics
• Labor Economics

Awards and Honors

• Wueller Teaching Award Winner (for Undergraduate Core Subject), Columbia University, 2020
• Dean’s Fellowship, Columbia University, 2018-2023
• Doctoral Study Abroad Program, Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, 2018-2024

Selected Working Papers

• Organized Crime, Local Politicians, and State Capacity
• Conflicts’ Long Shadow: The Decline of Local State Capacity in Burkina Faso (Joint with Ablam Estel Apeti, and Rose Camille Vincent)
• Childbirth Effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (Joint with Elizabeth Kayoon Hur)
• The Impacts of Negative Income Tax on Labor Market and Health Outcomes: Evidence from a Large Scale Field Experiment (Joint with Hyuncheol Bryant Kim, Minki Kim, Jungmin Lee, Sangyoon Park, and Hankyoung Sung)

Teaching

Conflict and Peace 
Semester: Fall 2025 | 11410TSED701200 | 3 Credits 

Conflicts encompass a broad range of violent events that disrupt the economic and social stability of individuals and states, including crime, political violence, civil wars, and inter-state wars. Peace refers to the absence or resolution of conflict and the institutional and economic progress that helps prevent it. The existence of capable states that can prevent and mitigate conflict is crucial for peace. With the global rise in conflicts, it is essential to understand their origins and explore pathways to peace.

This course covers topics in the political economy of development related to conflict and peace. The course will be organized around four key questions: What causes conflict? What are its consequences for individuals and states? How do individuals respond to conflicts? How can a state develop the capacities that allow it to maintain peace? This course ultimately aims to train students to critically engage with front-running scholarly work and to develop original research that addresses crucial gaps in the literature.