Qixin Cai

University of Pennsylvania

Qixin Cai

Qixin Cai is a Ph.D. candidate at Renmin University of China. He received professional training from the Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Institute at the University of Chicago (2023-2024), participated in the “Summer Institute on Ageing: The Value of Longitudinal Data to Study Ageing” at Venice International University (2024), and completed professional courses in Public Management at the University of Lausanne (2023) and Demographic Analysis from Statistics Korea (KOSTAT) & United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (2024). He has also received pre-doctoral training from Nankai University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and Nanjing University. Qixin holds an M.P.A. in Social Welfare from the University of Macau, where he gained valuable experience in administrative, teaching, and research roles.

His research focuses on the intricate dynamics of population aging and health in LMICs. He is dedicated to using interdisciplinary approaches to generate insights that inform policymakers, especially concerning aging populations.

As a recognized IPL Expert in Health and Wellbeing, Social Policy, and Social Protection, Qixin is affiliated with the UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab. He serves as the principal investigator for two ongoing research projects. The first project, “Intergenerational Reciprocity, Old-age Poverty Risks, and Subjective Well-being from the Perspective of Family Structure: Findings from Three Longitudinal Cohort Studies in Middle-Income Countries (MICs),” is funded by the China Scholarship Council (2022-2025). The second project, “The Impact of Parental Migration on the Health of School-Aged Left-Behind Children,” is supported by the Research Funds of Renmin University of China (2022-2024).

Additionally, Qixin has participated in prestigious research collaborations as a Research Affiliate with the Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Network at the University of Chicago, the Network for Innovative Methods in Longitudinal Aging Studies (NIMLAS) at the University of Michigan, and the Network for Data-Intensive Research on Aging (NDIRA) at the University of Minnesota.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Countries	Brazil; China;
Topics	Pensions; Technology and LTC;
Methods	Policy analysis;
Role	Research;
Interest Groups	Economics of Long-Term Care; Technology and Long-Term Care;
Website	https://www.aging.upenn.edu/bio/qixin-cai-caiqixin
Research interests	Research Areas: My research focuses on the intersection of demography, sociology, social policy, and social welfare, aiming to explore core issues related to population dynamics and societal well-being. Research Expertise: I specialize in the study of population aging, with a particular focus on utilizing longitudinal data to analyze the economic and health implications of aging. Additionally, my research delves into issues of income, poverty, and welfare, aiming to identify patterns and propose interventions to improve the quality of life for older adults. Geographic Focus: My work primarily concentrates on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), examining the challenges and opportunities posed by aging within diverse socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Teaching Areas: The courses I teach cover various aspects of aging, including: “Aging China”, which explores population aging trends and policy frameworks in China; “Social Policy and Social Care for an Aging Society”, focusing on the development and implementation of care systems; and “Sociology of Aging”, which examines the social dimensions of aging across life stages and cultures.
Key publications	Journal Articles Pang, P. C.-I., Cai, Q., Jiang, W., & Chan, K. S. (2021). Engagement of Government Social Media on Facebook during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Macao. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7). Working Papers Cai, Q., & Zhu, X., Chan, K. S., Jiang, W. L., Leou, C.*, Chao, W. (2024). Parental migration and health outcomes of Chinese school-aged left-behind children: Perspective from family structure heterogeneity (under review). Cai, Q. (2025). Proposing a conceptual model for governing big data for a nationwide-coordinated social security system in aging China. Manuscript for Government Information Quarterly. Cai, Q. (2025). Temporal windows matter? Examining the long-term mental health impact of childhood father absence experience. Manuscript for Journal of Affective Disorders. Cai, Q. (2025). Intergenerational reciprocity and well-being of older adults from the perspective of family structure heterogeneity: Findings from India. Manuscript for Journal of Happiness Studies. Cai, Q. (2025). New Family Structure, Traditional Essence? Intergenerational Reciprocity, Old-age Poverty Risks, and Subjective Well-being: Longitudinal Evidence from China. Manuscript for The Gerontologist. Cai, Q. (2025). Pie or trap? Social security system reform, welfare dependence, and individual responsibility: Evidence from China (in Chinese). Manuscript for China Industrial Economy. Conference Papers & Presentations Cai, Q. (2024, November). Intergenerational reciprocity and well-being of older adults from the perspective of family structure heterogeneity: Preliminary findings from India. Institute of Advanced Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences (IAS) 4th Annual Conference, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China. Cai, Q. (2024, September). Intergenerational reciprocity and economic well-being of older adults from the perspective of family structure heterogeneity: Preliminary findings from India. 3rd Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Cai, Q. (2024, May). Does family structure matter? Intergenerational reciprocity, old-age poverty risks, and their implications for subjective well-being: Evidence from an Indian national representative survey. Annual SIGMA Research Symposium 2024 & 20th International Conference on Pensions, Insurance and Savings, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China. Cai, Q. (2024, May). Temporal windows and trauma of time: Examining the long-term mental health impact of childhood father absence experience. Population Association of Singapore 2024 Annual Meeting, National University of Singapore, Singapore. Cai, Q., & Zanwar, P. P. (2024, April). Intergenerational reciprocity and old-age poverty risks—from the perspective of intergenerational family solidarity: Evidence from three middle-income countries (Poster presentation). Population Association of America (PAA) 2024 Annual Meeting, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Cai, Q. (2023, September).Intergenerational Reciprocity, Old-age Poverty Risks, and Subjective Well-being from the Perspective of Intergenerational Family Solidarity: Evidence from three middle-income countries (MICs). 2nd Collaborative for Innovation in Data & Measurement in Aging (CIDMA) Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Cai, Q. (2023, April). Rethinking public value theory in the Chinese context and its application: Research trends and future agenda. International Research Society in Public Management (IRSPM) 2023 Conference, Budapest, Hungary. Cai, Q. (2022, November). Parental migration and health outcomes of school-aged left-behind children: Evidence from China. Annual Conference of Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) 2022 Fall Research Conference, Washington DC, USA. Cai, Q. (2022, November). Proposing a conceptual model for governing big data for nationwide-coordinated social security system in China. ARNOVA’s 51st Annual Conference, Raleigh, NC, USA. Cai, Q. (2019, November). A study of old-age pension of Macao SAR government under the perspective of NPM. East Asia Forum on Social Welfare and the 11th Annual Conference of Chinese Academic Association of Social Welfare, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.

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Part of the International Long-Term Care Policy Network (ILPN)

Qixin Cai

Qixin Cai

FURTHER INFORMATION

Journal Articles

Working Papers

Conference Papers & Presentations

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