On the afternoon of June 14, Associate Professor Zhang Zeyu from the School of Economics and Management at Huazhong Agricultural University, along with his master's student Liu Hengyi, delivered a joint presentation at the seminar.

Liu Hengyi began with a presentation titled “Urban Air Quality and the Willingness of Migrant Population to Stay in Cities: An Analysis Based on China's Migrant Population Dynamic Monitoring Survey.” He explored the impact of air pollution on the willingness of urban migrants to stay in cities, considering the increasing environmental issues and the public's growing concern for quality of life. By integrating data from the National Migrant Population Dynamic Monitoring Survey conducted by the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the China Urban Statistical Yearbook, and air quality indicators, he employed the probit method for empirical analysis. The study revealed that areas with severe air pollution tend to have lower migrant retention rates, with significant heterogeneity observed. Additionally, he examined the mechanisms through which air pollution reduces the willingness of migrants to stay.

Next, Professor Zhang Zeyu presented on the topic “How the Number of Minor Children Affects the Household Saving Rate.” Against the backdrop of China's aging population, low birth rates, and the enigma of China's high savings rate, he used data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2020 to quantitatively investigate the relationship between the number of minor children and household savings rates. His findings indicated that an increase in the number of minor children leads to a decrease in household savings rates. This effect is more pronounced in households with low savings rates, middle to low incomes, non-agricultural household registration, first-born girls, and those without higher education. He further identified causal mechanisms through old-age insurance and fertility motivations, offering new insights into how the number of children impacts household savings rates.

In the subsequent discussion and interaction session, participants engaged in a lively debate on issues related to endogeneity and heterogeneity in the conclusions. They acknowledged the substantial workload of the research while also pointing out areas for improvement and deficiencies in the study.