China’s poverty alleviation is often credited to central planning. But Zhiqi Xu shows how a centrally connected organisation created a grassroots eco-tourism model. Here, she reveals how community-driven solutions can gain ground in a top-down system
PhD Candidate, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Zhiqi is a development policy researcher and behavioural scientist specialising in rural development in the Global South, with a particular focus on China.
With interdisciplinary training in psychology, economics, and development studies, she explores how small farmers and rural communities respond to policy interventions, using behavioural insights to uncover what drives local engagement and adaptation.
Her work bridges policy analysis and field-based research, drawing on mixed methods from household surveys to experiments.
At Erasmus University, Zhiqi teaches behavioural approaches to development and policy evaluation.
She also works with a national NGO in China supporting over 300 farmers’ associations, ensuring research translates into tangible impact.
Understanding Rural Collectives in China from the Perspective of the ‘Public–Private View’ Economic Herald, 2024
The Role of Public Welfare Charity in Rural Development and Revitalization, Annual Report on China’s Philanthropy Development, 2022, sub-report
Yilong Practice: Empowering and Enabling Farmers' Organizations, Grassroots Practices in Exploring Rural Revitalization, 2022
Wangjia Village Experiment: Rural Development Beyond Profit Goals in Downstream Enterprises, Grassroots Practices in Exploring Rural Revitalization, 2022
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