From 11-12 March, James J. Heckman, Nobel laureate in economics in 2000, a pioneer in econometrics and microeconomics, visited Xiamen University while attending a conference on microeconometrics which was held in Xiamen University on 12 March.

    During his visit, Professor Heckman gave a Nanqiang lecture on “Creating and Measuring Capabilities” to students and teachers of Xiamen University on 11 March. Instead of talking about the difficult academic theory, Prof. Heckman focused on how to develop individual capabilities and relation between personal development and the stable, healthy society.

    On 12 March, as one of the keynote speakers at the conference, James J. Heckman gave a speech on “Returns to Education: The Causal Effects of Education on Earnings, Health and Smoking”, in which he used model to prove his view on the effects of education on earning, health and smoking.