Distinguished Lecture Series | Nobel Laureate James J. Heckman Interprets the Microdynamics and Measurement of Early Childhood Learning
Days ago, James J. Heckman, the Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences and Professor at the University of Chicago, was invited to attend the “Distinguished Lecture Series,” organized by the School of Management and Economics (SME), The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (CUHK-Shenzhen) and the Shenzhen Finance Institute (SFI), to share his academic thoughts on “Microdynamics and Measurement of Early Childhood Learning.” Professor Heckman gave a detailed introduction to the latest research results from “China REACH,” a home-visiting program implemented by his team in Gansu, China, revealing the profound impacts of early education intervention on children’s skill development.
The “China REACH” program conducts a randomized controlled trial that aims to provide scientific parenting guidance to parents and guardians through home visits to promote the development of children’s skills on multiple fronts including cognition, non-cognition, language, art, and sports.
Professor Heckman concluded that early intervention can not only improve individual lifelong welfare but also break the cycle of poverty through “intergenerational transmission.” For example, children participating in the “China REACH” program show stronger social adaptability in their adulthood (so do their children). He suggested that policymakers give priority to investing in low-cost home-visiting programs and pay special attention to “left-behind children” in rural areas since their skill development is more susceptible to the quality of interaction between family members.
Professor Heckman also revealed that the team would explore the application of AI and robotics technology in home visits, and in the future, intelligent tools may be used to optimize the intervention effects. Such innovative orientation is expected to further improve the efficiency and coverage of early education intervention.
In the Q&A session, Professor Heckman had an in-depth exchange with the audience on issues such as “the possibility of replacing home visitors with technologies” and “education disparities between urban and rural areas” amidst a highly enthusiastic atmosphere.
