Yi is a DPhil student in Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on how inequality and migration shape early childhood development and how evidence-based policies can improve the well-being of disadvantaged children and families in rapidly urbanising societies.
Her thesis examines the impact of parental migration on the early development of left-behind children in China, evaluating the factors that make interventions effective and how they can be improved and scaled for sustainable impact. Addressing social inequality has been a central motivation throughout her academic and professional journey. Before pursuing her DPhil, she worked as a programme officer and research fellow at an NGO think tank, where she contributed to policy research, intervention design and programme implementation for early childhood development in remote and vulnerable communities.
With years of experience in family-based programmes, policy research and international dialogues on poverty alleviation and child development, Yi is committed to bridging research and practice. She holds an MA in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University and a BA in Management from Renmin University of China. Her DPhil research is co-supervised by Professor Jane Barlow and Professor Rachel Murphy.
DPhil topic
'Behind Before They Start? An Evaluation of the Impact of Parental Migration and a Home Visiting Programme for Young Left-Behind Children'
In China’s rural households, large-scale parental migration to urban areas has resulted in millions of young children growing up without their primary caregivers. Existing research highlights the developmental risks associated with early parent-child separation, including adverse effects on learning, behaviour, and overall well-being. However, most studies have focused on school-aged children, leaving a critical gap in understanding the impacts on early childhood development (ECD), particularly in rural China.
My DPhil research aims to examine the mechanisms through which parental migration influences young children’s development and assess the effectiveness of home-based parenting interventions. It will address three key research questions: (1) What is the global impact of parental migration on ECD and emotional and behavioural disorders (E/BD) in children under five? (2) What are the specific impacts and moderators of parental migration on ECD in rural China? (3) How effective is a home-visiting intervention in improving developmental outcomes for LBC?
This project comprises of a systematic review of global evidence, a longitudinal study analysing the impact of parental migration on LBC in rural China, and an evaluation of a cluster RCT intervention program. Through this multi-method approach, the study seeks to contribute new insights into both the risks associated with parental migration and potential policy solutions to support the well-being of left-behind children in China’s rural communities.
