Wanying Yan
Wanying Yan is a doctoral researcher in microeconomics at the University of Helsinki.
Her doctoral thesis examines how people interpret sustainability challenges and how these interpretations influence choices, habits, and long‑term learning trajectories. Her research applies behavioural economics theories to education, sustainability transitions, and skill development, with a particular interest in how individual motivations, perceptions, expectations, and learning environments shape behavioural change. Methodologically, she works with semi‑structured interviews, survey design, and experimental approaches to investigate the mechanisms underlying self‑directed learning and skill acquisition across different contexts.
Within Work Package 3, she conducts in‑depth semi‑structured interviews to identify potential factors related to DEI‑linked skills and workplace dynamics. These qualitative insights support the development of research instruments aimed at capturing DEI‑related competencies and organisational environments in a systematic and evidence‑based way.”