Xiaocong Xu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of International Economics and Trade at the School of Business, Nanjing University, where he also serves as Assistant Dean. He earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Clark University in 2019, following an M.A. in Economics at Clark (2016), an M.S. in Statistics (2014), and a B.S. in Mathematics (2011) from South China University of Technology. His research focuses on international trade, urban economics, and spatial economics. His work has been published in leading journals including Social Sciences in China (《中国社会科学》), The Journal of World Economy (《世界经济》), Regional Science and Urban Economics, China & World Economy, Applied Economics, and The World Economy, and has received the 20th An Zijie International Trade Research Award. He is the principal investigator of a Youth Science Fund project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and has contributed to several major research projects funded by the National Social Science Fund of China. At Nanjing University, he teaches Intermediate and Advanced Econometrics.