Beijing Cairncross Economic Research Foundation and Lanzhou University first cooperated in the scholarship program in 2019. Under the coordination of the Foundation, invited by School of Economics at Lanzhou University Professor Li Shi, prestigious economist, trustee member of Beijing Cairncross Economic Research Foundation, professor of Beijing Normal University, gave academic lecture in Lanzhou University on the afternoon of April 22. The lecture was entitled "Long-term Changes in China's Income Gap", hosted by Professor Wang Xiaowen, deputy dean of the School of Economics. More than 300 audiences attended the lecture.

Professor Li Shi has nearly 30 years research experience in income distribution. In his presentation, he analysed five aspects: the long-term trend of China's income gap, the recent changes in personal income gap and its influencing factors, the evaluation of China's redistributive income policy, the trend of income gap, and the policy design to alleviate the imbalance of wealth.  Li Shi pointed out that there is no reliable evidence showing that the income gap in China has been narrowed, but various evidences indicate the trend of income gap is fluctuating at a high level.

After the lecture, the school faculty and students responded enthusiastically expressing great expectation to Professor Li Shi’s next visit to Lanzhou University with updated research results.