The first CIER/IZA Annual Workshop: Research in Labor Economics was recently successfully held in Yifu Conference Center, Renmin University of China. The seminar was organized by China Institute for Employment Research (CIER) and co-organized by Institute for the Study of Labor Germany (IZA). The two-day meeting aimed to explore the latest research results of labor economics and strengthen academic exchanges, stimulate the research of labor economics, enhance the level of academic research and promote the development of labor economics theory. 

The meeting opened on the morning of September 18. Professor Zeng Xiangquan, the chairman of China Institute for Employment Research and the dean of School of Labor and Human Resources of RUC, and Professor Klaus F. Zimmermann, the chairman of Institute for the Study of Labor and professor of University of Bonn and the honorary professor of RUC, welcomed the arrival of the participants and introduced history and current status of the labor market and labor market policies both in China and Germany. The chairman of department of employment promotion of MOHRSS Faming Yu made a speech on the experience and challenges of China’s employment promotion policy. 

This seminar covered issues on labor market policies, labor markets in transition countries, new developments of labor markets in Europe and China, and the relationship among international migration, education, health and labor market. More than 20 experts in the field of labor economics from China, Germany, the United States, Russia, Australia and many other countries participated the meeting , interpreted their research results of the above issues and fully expressed their views and opinions. 

Scores of graduate students from School of Labor and Human Resources also participated in the seminar. The meeting also attracted many students from other universities in Beijing. 

The aim of the CIER/IZA Annual Workshop is to create a high-end platform for international exchanges on labor economics. The annual seminar is regularly held by the CIER and IZA in Beijing or Bonn in rotation, and the next seminar will be held in Bonn on October 8, and 9 of the next year.
 
The Conference organizer 
China Institute for Employment Research (CIER), established in March 2004, one of front organizations in labor market research mainly relies on teachers of School of Labor and Human Resources of RUC. The research institutes focuses on three fields: employment situation and trends, employment and unemployment theory, and employment policy; cares for China’s employment problem and learns from related research on foreign employment problems. 

Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), established in 1998, is an academic research institute which mainly analyzes the developments and issues of national and international labor market by econometric methods. The research institute bases on the front of labor economics theory and concerns about the recent research on labor economics and labor market issues. As a non-profit organization, the institute seeks to provide scientific advice and comments to labor market policy-makers and business decision-makers through its independent research. The website：http://www.iza.org.