Character interview| Zhang Ming: Forty is not confused, and then go

Zhang Ming has a lot of labels on him. Such as post-75 economists, director of the International Investment Research Office of the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, deputy director of the International Finance Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, researchers, doctoral supervisors, book critics, basketball fans, "Game of Thrones" enthusiasts... Now, there is one more chief economist of Ping An Securities.

This new label added this year is actually a new challenge to himself when he is forty years old and has worked for the Academy of Social Sciences for ten years.

Ten years of research road, from confusion to accurate positioning

Borges once said that any fate is reflected only in the moment when people realize who they really are. For Zhang Ming, at least in the academic field, such a moment should have occurred in the year he went to Harvard as a visiting scholar.

From joining the Academy of Social Sciences in 2007 to 2011, Zhang Ming has been in confusion and entanglement. On the one hand, he wants to keep up with the frontiers of international financial research and do in-depth theoretical research; on the other hand, he is interested in market changes and policy discussions, and wants to engage in policy research. However, a person's ability and time are limited, and he feels very painful when he sees that he is getting closer and wider from the top scholars in both directions.

Finally, in 2011, an opportunity to be a visiting scholar at Harvard University opened up a new situation for him: "Harvard's academic atmosphere is very good, everyone is interest-driven to do research; the scholar ecology is also very diverse, each has his own field of specialization." 」 A year there, I understood that to do research I should choose my favorite path."

In this cambridge town full of humanistic feelings, the blue and deep Charles River, Zhang Ming has clearly defined his future academic direction - combining the theoretical framework and current political research to do his own research with his own characteristics.

MVP Scholars' teammates

Find the right positioning for yourself in order to maintain your interest and enthusiasm for your career. So how do you become a successful economist in addition to your passion?

He Fan, a professor at Peking University's HSBC Business School and former deputy director of the World Economics and Political Institute, once gave such a standard: every year, we strive to issue about 10 influential work papers and policy reports, and about 50 financial commentaries with clear views. It can be seen that the academic road is difficult and harsh. Zhang Ming is one of the few young talents in the institute who has reached this standard.

"This is a lonely path that requires self-driving ability," Zhang Ming, a doctoral supervisor, advises young people to choose carefully. Although there is no need to sit in shifts to engage in research, time freedom, but also to harvest satisfaction, but most of the time to sit alone at the desk to sort out and toss data, even at home is difficult to accompany the family, and almost all year round, have to think all the time, in order to keep up with the emerging data, phenomena, and peers.

In addition to this cultivation-like will and the support of family members, in Zhang Ming's view, good tutors and work partners are also necessary assists on the academic path. When pursuing master's and doctoral degrees, Professor He Zhang of Beijing Normal University and Yu Yongding, a researcher at the Academy of Social Sciences, guided and encouraged, and there were mutual exchanges, sharpening and encouragement among members of the World Economics and Political Institute, "The division of labor in modern economics is becoming more and more detailed, it is difficult to rely on individuals to fight alone, and good academic partners can drive me to go on."

In the eyes of the institute's partners, Zhang Ming is a "Ling Fox Chong" type figure. He once said that his writing is like a lonely nine swords, straight to the point, seeing tricks and dismantling moves, and the framework is clear; Xiao Lisheng, deputy director of the International Finance Research Office, commented that he is "professional and focused, fast and accurate in research, quick and accurate in thinking, and flexible and ethereal in personality." And it is he who pays the bill, and the wine is best served by him.

It is precisely with the indispensable "teammates" of interest and enthusiasm, self-discipline, mentoring and family support that Zhang Ming can win countless "mvps" along the way like his favorite NBA star Kobe Bryant.

The collision of reality and theory, the dilemma of post-75 economists

Cheng Shi, chief economist of ICBC International, once wrote in the preface to a book by Zhang Ming that because China's economy is too different and too incompatible with the classic theories of the economic world, their post-75 economists, who are almost the same age as reform and opening up, all have common confusion caused by the collision of theory and reality. Zhang Ming, whom he calls "the leading post-75 economist", may be the one who best combines reality and theory.

After graduating with a master's degree in 2002, Ming Zhang worked for KPMG and asset managers group, with experience in financial institutions. At the age of 40, he graduated with a doctorate for ten years and worked in the Academy of Social Sciences for ten years, in order to find a new challenge, he chose to join Ping An Securities and become the new chief economist.

"Doing a bit of research and then looking back at the financial markets is actually complementary," Zhang ming said. Although this job is part-time, the Ping An Securities Research Institute where he works not only serves external customers and implements the important strategy of "investment bank + commercial bank", but also serves the insurance, banking or other professional subsidiaries of Ping An, a fully licensed comprehensive financial group, which helps him to look at the whole picture of China's financial market and contribute to his research in Ping An and the Academy of Social Sciences.

"The macro research of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences starts from the national level, and after a long time, I will not fully understand the micro world, and joining Ping An can help me have a deeper understanding of the operation of micro financial institutions, enterprises and markets, and consolidate the micro foundation of the past macro research."

As a seller involved in the financial markets, he came out of the ivory tower and sweated at first in the face of the less "moderate" questions of fund managers. "After adapting, I feel very good", Zhang Ming said with a smile, "the discussion in the market is more sharp, but it can expose the blind spots in the previous research and help yourself improve."

Forty without confusion. The Chinese economist, who is subtracting from his work and life, does his best to get it done once he chooses a job. Just like his research and the way to ask, take root, and spend a lifetime to ask and explore.

In the next ten years, I wonder what new confusions he will have, and what kind of answers will he come up with?