Hantao Jiao (焦韩涛)

Ph.D. Candidate in Economics

City St George's, University of London (CSC Funded Scholar)

I am an economist specializing in Information Economics, Digital Economy, and Market Design. My research combines theoretical frameworks with quasi-experimental methods to understand how information mechanisms affect trust and efficiency in asymmetric markets.

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Research

How Does Corporate Social Responsibility Affect Market Equilibrium? Evidence from the Used Car Market

Job Market Paper

Draft available upon request

This paper explores the impact of involuntary (legal-driven) CSR on market equilibrium. Utilizing the 2017 Volkswagen exogenous policy shock as a natural experiment, I employ a Difference-in-Differences (DID) approach to analyze dynamic effects on auction prices and transaction volumes.

Key findings: Highlights the mechanism of consumer willingness to pay and quality perception in response to mandatory CSR shocks.

Working Papers

Mechanisms of Information Acquisition in Online Markets: Evidence from WeGoLook Inspection Services on eBay

Work in Progress

Investigates whether third-party inspection services reduce moral hazard (sellers hiding defects) and adverse selection. Uses eBay’s mandatory inspection policy as an exogenous shock to quantify causal effects on prices and fill rates.

Information, Trust, and Market Design: Transparency and Efficiency in the Second-Hand Market

Ph.D. Dissertation Overview

A comprehensive study on how digital transformation, regulation, and platform design influence consumer behavior and social welfare in asymmetric markets.

Teaching Experience

City, University of London

Teaching Assistant (2021 - Present)

Introductory Microeconomics (2024, 2025)
Digital Economy & Internet Markets (2023, 2024)
Applied Microeconomics (2022)

Highlight: Consistently ranked top 3 TAs in the college. Led assessment reform for "Digital Economy" course, reducing grading time by 30%.

Harbin Institute of Technology

Teaching Assistant (2019 - 2021)

Digital Economics (2020)
Public Economics (2019)
Information Economics (2019)

Policy & Industry Experience

China Development Institute (CDI), Shenzhen

Assistant Researcher | Mar 2021 - Sep 2021

Industrial Policy: Used DEA-Malmquist models to evaluate efficiency of 6 core industries in Tianhe District; built a "Boston Matrix" for 28 sub-sectors.
Free Trade Zone Strategy: Analyzed policy frameworks of Singapore, Dubai, and Hong Kong to advise on the Nansha Free Trade Zone development.
SOE Reform: Drafted the "14th Five-Year" strategic plan for a Shenzhen Investment Holding Group.

Shenzhen Qingcheng Capital

Assistant Project Manager | Mar 2019 - Apr 2019

Organized roadshows for biomedical startups and assisted in due diligence and post-investment evaluation.

Education

Ph.D. in Economics
City St George's, University of London (CSC Scholar)
2021 - 2026 (Expected)
M.Econ in Applied Economics
Harbin Institute of Technology
2018 - 2021
B.Eng in Vehicle Engineering
Harbin Institute of Technology
2014 - 2018

Technical Skills

Stata:

R & Python:

LaTeX:

DEA Models DID Analysis Game Theory

Get In Touch

Feel free to contact me for research collaborations or job market opportunities.

hantao.jiao@city.ac.uk
+44 741 936 9649