Li’s research focus is at the crossroads of economic history, political economy and development economics. His teaching interests at Duke Kunshan include China’s transitioning economy and an introduction to applied statistical methods.

He has had a paper published in Australian Economic History Review. His doctoral dissertation, “Collective Action in State and Society: 19th and 20th Century China,” has been awarded the NSF Doctoral Dissertation Grant # 2214884. He won the Best Paper Award at the Annual International Symposium on Quantitative History in 2021.

Peiyuan has a B.A. in economics from the University of International Business and Economics, an M.A. in economics from Peking University and a Ph.D. from University of Colorado Boulder.