Zhen Sun
zhensun@tsinghua.edu.cn |
|
+86 (10) 6279-9709 |
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
Associate Professor (untenured), Institute of Economics, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University
FIELDS OF CONCENTRATION
Primary: Economics of Innovation, Digital & Platform Economy
Secondary: Development Economics, Applied Econometrics
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley, 2011 – 2016
M.S. in Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Berkeley, 2010 – 2011
M.A. in Statistics, University of California, Berkeley, 2009 – 2012
M.S. in Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 2007 – 2009
B.E. in Civil Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2003 –2007
PUBLICATIONS
SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS
1 Zhen Sun, Lei Cheng, “Strategic use of the second-tier patent system f
or short life-cycle technologies — Evidence from parallel filings in China”.
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 229 (2025) 106838.
2Zhen Sun, Jiayu Guo, and Xibao Li, “The Halo and Spillover Effects of the China Patent Award
”. Studies in Science of Science 12 (2024). (in Chinese)
3 Taoxiong Liu, Huolan Cheng, Jianping Liu, and Zhen Sun. “
Online Market Resilience to Economic Shocks: Evidence Based on Price Dispersion
from the COVID-19 Outbreak in China”. Review of Industrial Organization (2024): 1-17.
4 Peizhen Wu, Zhen Sun. “Culture and political regimes: How have they influenced
the effectiveness of COVID-19 response policy?”. Heliyon 10, no. 14 (2024).
5 Peizhen Wu, Zhen Sun. “Privatization of SOEs and its innovation performance:
A reexamination”. International Studies of Economics (2024): 1-21.
6 Zhen Sun, Xinzhen Xu, and Yong Wang, “Welfare analysis of platform mergers:
market positioning and account interoperability.” Management World. 2024. (in Chinese)
7 Zhifeng Yin, Zhen Sun, “Predicting the value of Chinese patents using patent
characteristics: evidence based on a Chinese patent auction.” Industrial and Corporate Change 32 (2023) 1286-1304.
8 Yong Wang, Kaiyuan Jin, Weiyi Zhang, and Zhen Sun, “The effect of social
relationships and digital credit on sharing economy.” Journal of Quantitative &
Technological Economics 1 (2023) 172-191. (in Chinese)
9 Junbyoung Oh, Zhen Sun, Kineung Choo, “Financial Market Reactions
to Patent Litigation: An Event Study of Litigation in Korea.” Korean Economic
Review 39 (2023) 175-203.
10 Xin Ouyang, Zhen Sun, and Xinzhen Xu, “Patent system in the digital era –
Opportunities and new challenges.” Journal of Digital Economy 1 (2022) 166-179.
11 Zhifeng Yin, Jian Guo, Zhen Sun, Mindan Zhou, “How do patent trolls
affect the technological innovation of Chinese enterprises? Evidence from
enterprise patent survey data in China.” Journal of Engineering and Technology Management 65 (2022) 101695.
12 Zhen Sun and Brian Wright, “Citations backward and forward: insights
into the patent examiner’s role.” Research Policy 51 (2022) 104517.
13 Zhen Sun, Zhen Lei, Brian D. Wright, Mark Cohen, and Taoxiong Liu, “
Government targets, end-of-year patenting rush and innovative performance in China.”
Nature Biotechnology 39 (2021) 1068–1075.
14 Zhen Sun, Jianping Liu, and Taoxiong Liu, “Cross-Platform Competition and
Market Segmentation in China’s Online Market——Evidence Based on Platform
Prices and Price Dispersion.” China Industrial Economics 6 (2021) 118-136. (in Chinese)
15 Zhen Sun and Lei Cheng, “Air pollution and procyclical mortality: Evidence from China.”
China Economic Review 68 (2021) 101625.
16 Lei Cheng and Zhen Sun, “The white elephant in IP management market frictions,
market connections and escalation of commitment.” China Economic Review 67 (2021) 101597.17 Zheng et al., “Consideration of culture is vital if we are to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals.” One Earth 4 (2021) 307-319.
18 Zhifeng Yin, Qiqiong Yan, and Zhen Sun, “The Effect of Technology Stock and
Technology Relatedness on Patent Litigation Outcomes.” Economic Science 6 (2020): 98-110. (in Chinese)
19 Lei Cheng and Zhen Sun, “Do politically connected independent directors matter?
Evidence from mandatory resignation events in China.” China Economic Review 58 (2019) 101188.
20 Zhen Sun, “Paradox of Chinese individual patent maintenance - Evidence of
frictions in the patent market.” Science Research Management 40 (2019): 179-187. (in Chinese)
21 Zhen Sun, Zhen Lei, and Zhifeng Yin, “Innovation policy in China: nationally
promulgated but locally implemented.” Applied Economics Letters 25 (2018) 1481-1486.
22 Zhen Sun and Yang Xie, “Error analysis and comparison of two algorithms measuring
compensated income.” Computational Economics 42 (2013) 433-452.
TEACHING
1 Instructor for Econometrics II (30700932, Spring 2019-2021),
Intermediate Microeconomics (30700693, Fall 2019-2024),
Development Economics (30700123, Fall 2017, 2018, Spring 2020, 2022, 2023, 2025),
Applied Econometrics (80701083, graduate-level, Spring 2018-2025),
Co-Instructor for Econometrics (30700643, Fall 2017),
Academic English Training (40700504, Summer 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
at School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University.
2 Co-Instructor for Economics of Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation (SE 1452)
at Department of Statistics, Renmin University of China. Summer 2014.
3 Graduate Student Instructor for Economic Statistics and Econometrics
(ECON 140, Summer 2013, 2015), Environmental Economics and Policy (EEP/ECON C102,
Fall 2013), Microeconomic Theory with Applications to Natural Resources (EEP100,
Fall 2010, 2015), Environmental Economics (EEP C101/ECON125, Spring 2016),
Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property (EEP143, Spring 2015)
at the University of California, Berkeley.
GRANTS AND AWARDS
1“The Development, Circulation, and Utilization of Data Elements:
A Micro-theoretical Framework Spanning Its Lifecycle,” General Program
of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 72473078],
400,000 RMB, 2025/01 – 2028/12
2“Innovation, Patent and Chinese Economy,” Startup Foundation of
Tsinghua University [Grant No. 20185080060], 200,000 RMB, 2018.01.01 – 2020.12.31
3“The Innovation Performance of State-owned vs. Private Enterprises,”
Institute of China Modern State-owned Enterprises of Tsinghua University
[Grant No. 19iSOEZD002], 200,000 RMB, 2019 .01.01 – 2020.12.31
Referee ServiceResearch Policy; China Economic Review; Economic Systems; Social Sciences in China;
Management World; China Industrial Economics; Economic Modelling
