Weikai Chen

I am a Lecturer in the School of Economics at Renmin University of China. I received my Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2020.

My research in Marxian political economy has two connected strands. The first uses modern analytical methods to advance the theoretical foundations of Marxian economics. The second applies political economy to the study of contemporary capitalism and China.

Research · Teaching · Curriculum vitae (PDF)

Textbook

Allocation, Distribution, and Policy book cover

TEXTBOOK · 2025

Allocation, Distribution, and Policy

Notes, Problems, and Solutions in Microeconomics
Samuel Bowles & Weikai Chen · Open Book Publishers

Open-access book ↗ · Chinese translation (PDF)

Teaching & reading group

I teach undergraduate and graduate courses in political economy and Marxian economics. Course materials, notes on mathematical methods, and an introduction to Julia are available on the teaching page.

I also coordinate the Marxian Economics Reading Group (MERG). The Autumn 2026 reading sequence covers multisector models, equilibrium, stability, and structural change.

MERG reading group Session 1 · The von Neumann growth model and its generalization 2–4:30 p.m. (Beijing time)

Contact

School of Economics, Renmin University of China
Office 1052, Mingde Main Building
59 Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100872, China

weikaichen@ruc.edu.cn
Office hours: Thursday, 2–4 p.m. (Beijing time).