Rate My Professor Haifeng Qian

Haifeng Qian serves as Director and Professor in the School of Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Iowa. He is also a senior research fellow in the Public Policy Center. Promoted to full professor effective July 1, 2024, Qian joined the University of Iowa in 2014 and previously held the positions of associate professor and associate director in the school. He was appointed director of the School of Planning and Public Affairs in August 2023. Qian holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from George Mason University (2010), an M.S. in Public Policy from Tsinghua University (2005), and a B.S. in engineering from Tsinghua University (2002).

Qian's research specializations include economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation, and public policy analysis. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as Regional Studies, exploring topics like regional entrepreneurship patterns, entrepreneurial ecosystems, knowledge spillovers, and urban economic development. Key publications encompass "Entrepreneurial Ecosystems and Economic Development: A Review of Recent Advances" (2023, Economic Development Quarterly), "Knowledge-Based Regional Economic Development: Innovation, Knowledge Spillovers and R&D Location" (2018, Economic Development Quarterly), "Persistence and Change in Regional Entrepreneurship Patterns" (2025, Regional Studies, co-authored), and "Regional Systems of Entrepreneurship: The Nexus of Human Capital, Knowledge and New Firm Formation" (2011, Journal of Economic Geography). His scholarship has accumulated over 3,100 citations, reflecting substantial impact in the field. Qian has earned the 2023 Best Paper in Urban Entrepreneurship Award from the Urban Affairs Association (sponsored by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, co-authored with Shirley Shiqin Liu), the 2018 Best Conference Paper Award from the same association, and recognition as a 2022 Best Referee for Regional Studies Regional Science. He contributes editorially as Editor of Regional Studies and Editor of Small Business Economics.