The Beijing Normal University - China Institute for Income Distribution Research Center, the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the International Poverty Reduction Center in China (IPRCC) mutually organized the 2016 “Multidimensional Poverty Research Summer School” in Beijing Normal University from August the 1^st to the 13^th. Around 80 attendants participated in this program, coming from government development policy establishingdepartments, statistics institutions, research institutes, universities and international institutions of over 26 countries such as the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Cameroon, India and Malaysia.This program is mainly focused on multidimensional poverty measurement and sustainable development goalsof the United Nations. Being fully taught in English, lecturers of this summer school program included Prof. Sabina Alkire of Oxford;Prof. Foster James from the George Washington University; Prof. Li Shi, director of the BNU - China Institute for Income Distribution Research Center;ZuoChangsheng, Director General of the IPRCC and the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development – Information Center Deputy Director Wang Xiaolin, etc. Some of their topics included “What is Multidimensional Poverty”, “How to Construct Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)” and “The Effectiveness and Efficiency of China’s Poverty Reduction Policies”.

Beginning by Amartya Sen’s capability approach, Prof. Sabina Alkire, director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) introduced what is MPI as well as the theoretical significance and policy implications of MPI; through comparing the MPI of countries with different development degrees, Prof. Alkire proposed that the multidimensional poverty populationdistribution and income situation of various countries have no significant connection. Afterwards, Prof. Alkire and her team members introduced their research of MPI decomposition and dimensional subentry, indicating that the decomposition conclusion has significant importance to the policy research of individual countries as well as the world.

To enhance attendants’ understanding of what they have learned, also to foster their ability of using new knowledge to solve practical issues; this summer school program has divided all attendants into different groups according to nationality, gender, research direction, job category and age range to ensure that each group includes government officials, statistics/research institution researchersand university scholars. Through group discussions, presentations, demonstrations as well as Q&A sections;a good learning environment was provided to all. Through this summer school program, the attendants were not only able to learn more knowledge about multidimensional poverty, but also established friendship with attendants from all over the world. This program received full support from the Beijing Normal University Graduate Student Office’s “Graduate Student Academic Platform Communication Key Construction Project”.

Prof. Li Shi


Prof. Sabina Alkire


Group Discussion


Group Presentation


Q&A Section


Health Exercise


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