Ke Wang

Measuring Economic, Infrastructure, and Psychological Recovery after the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Flood and Cyclone Gabrielle

Email: ke.wang@vuw.ac.nz

Supervisors: Professor Ilan Noy and Dr Luke Chu

Profile

Hi, I’m Ke Wang, a PhD student in Economics at Victoria University of Wellington. My research focuses on disaster recovery- specifically how communities bounce back economically, physically, and psychologically after extreme weather events like the 2023 Auckland flood and Cyclone Gabrielle. I combine spatial data, remote sensing and linked administrative microdata to understand the patterns and drivers of recovery across different regions. Before starting my PhD, I completed a master’s in economics in Malaysia and a bachelor’s in finance in China. I also worked as a teaching assistant in economics and participated in several research projects related to green development, environmental policy, and industrial change. I'm particularly interested in connecting big data with real-world policy questions to improve disaster resilience.

Qualifications

PhD in Economics (in progress), Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

Master of Economics, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia (2019-2021)

Bachelor of Finance, Southwest Minzu University, China (2014-2018)

Research Interests

Disaster Economics and Resilience Measurement; Post-Disaster Infrastructure and Economic Recovery; Psychological Recovery and Community Well-being; Spatial Analysis and Microdata Research.

Publications

Transformation and Upgrading of Industrial Structure and Dynamic Evolution of Energy Consumption, Journal of Entrepreneurship in Science & Technology, Issue (04), 2023, pp.34-39.