Naibao Zhao is an Associate Professor of Economics at the Research Institute of Economics and Management (RIEM), Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), Chengdu China. His broad research field is empirical microeconomics that integrates economic theory with empirical evidence by using rigorous econometric analysis to study policy-relevant questions. In particular, his research covers a wide range of topics, including inequality, education, and human development.

Hideo Akabayashi is a Professor of Economics at Keio University. His research areas are in economics of education and family economics. His publications include an economic theory of child development and empirical investigations concerning the effects of class size and private school vouchers in Japan.