Li Zou

CSD International Director,
Director of the Global Assets Project

Global conference connects social work, research and policy

CSD co-organizes international conference at gateway between East and West. Researchers, educators, practitioners, and policymakers came together in late November for the International Conference on Social Work and Social Research: Financial Capability and Asset Building for All. Organized by Azerbaijan University, the Center for Social Development (CSD) at Washington University in St. Louis, Sakayra University […]

Evidence, vision for Children’s Account policy at Singapore event

In a recent seminar, Center for Social Development (CSD) researchers discussed the SEED for Oklahoma Kids experiment, Singapore’s leadership in asset-based social policy and a vision for global Children Development Accounts. Singapore is a global leader in asset-based social policy, providing citizens a cradle-to-grave structure for accumulating wealth. That interest in such policies and their […]

New national children’s account policy taking shape

Li Zou has given many presentations on Child Development Accounts (CDAs) in other countries, but this one was different.

The international director for the Center for Social Development (CSD) was at the World Bank to deliver invited remarks on the bank’s plan to evolve its mission and operations. The bank’s roadmap affirms commitments to poverty reduction and shared prosperity while calling for changes to better meet global challenges.

At the bank’s April 11 Evolution Forum, Zou sketched a strategy for meeting all three of those goals, a strategy for developing a global CDA policy based on research by the Center for Social Development.

Zou talks global CDAs at World Bank Evolution Forum

Li Zou has given many presentations on Child Development Accounts (CDAs) in other countries, but this one was different.

The international director for the Center for Social Development (CSD) was at the World Bank to deliver invited remarks on the bank’s plan to evolve its mission and operations. The bank’s roadmap affirms commitments to poverty reduction and shared prosperity while calling for changes to better meet global challenges.

At the bank’s April 11 Evolution Forum, Zou sketched a strategy for meeting all three of those goals, a strategy for developing a global CDA policy based on research by the Center for Social Development.

Worldwide, over 15 million have Child Development Accounts

New estimates on the number of children around the globe who are building assets in CDAs. Over 15 million children have built assets in Child Development Accounts (CDAs), according to new estimates in a brief by Li Zou and Michael Sherraden with the Center for Social Development in the Brown School at Washington University. Zou […]

Child Development Accounts Reach Over 15 Million Globally

Zou, L., & Sherraden, M. (2022, June). Child Development Accounts reach over 15 million children globally (CSD Policy Brief No. 22-22). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/yfyb-r646

Top social workers in China call for curriculum changes, financial capability

How does a nation train over a million social workers to help build the financial capability and assets of their clients? What should social workers in China know about finance, and what is the best way to teach them? Weighing these matters, researchers and several of China’s top social workers proposed changes at the First […]

Financial Capability and Asset Building in Social and Economic Development: Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals

Ansong, D., Okumu, M., Huang, J., Sherraden, M. S., Johnson, L., & Zou, L. (2020, November). Financial capability and asset building in social and economic development: Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (CSD Perspective No. 20-27). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/vh44-x812

Strategies for fostering full inclusion, building statewide CDA policies, and engaging communities among highlights at conference

What would it take to ensure that every child in every state has an account accumulating assets for education beyond high school? How would those assets shape the children and their families? State officials, researchers, nonprofit leaders, program managers, and funders gathered July 16 to take up those questions.

In Landmark Publication, Sherraden and Colleagues Laud Partnership between Washington University and Universities in China

In 2018, China celebrated its 30th anniversary of the re-establishment of social work in the country. Both that year and in 2019, Center for Social Development (CSD) Director Michael Sherraden provided keynote addresses for conferences at Peking University (PKU) in Beijing. Emphasizing the importance of longstanding partnerships between Washington University and China, Sherraden said they […]

Special issue highlights Child Development Accounts globally

Child Development Accounts take center stage in a newly released special issue of the Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development. The sweeping, seven-article issue shows the global context of the emerging asset-building policy. “Many countries are exploring new policy innovations that encourage asset building,” said Michael Sherraden, who co-edited the issue and co-authored […]

CSD advises Azerbaijan officials on Child Development Account policy

The Azerbaijan Minister of Labor and Social Protection Sahil Babayev and Social Policy and Services Department Head Himalay Mamishov met with Center for Social Development Director Michael Sherraden, International Director Li Zou and Research Associate Aytakin Huseynli.

CSD experts spread financial capability concepts in China

The article is the first in Chinese to describe U.S. social workers’ growing view about the importance of policy changes and institutional arrangements for financial inclusion and capability, and to emphasize the unique role of social workers in achieving this goal.

【视野】普惠金融与金融能力:美国社会工作的大挑战 [From financial inclusion to financial capability: A grand challenge of social work in the United States]

Huang, J., Sherraden, M. S., & Zou, L. (2018, October). 【视野】普惠金融与金融能力:美国社会工作的大挑战 [From financial inclusion to financial capability: A grand challenge of social work in the United States]. China Social Work Magazine. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/z15GHMa00dxgokSiX2TU9A

Update: Financial Capability Month

Financial Capability and Asset Building for All is one of the 12 Grand Challenges for Social Work and a growing practice in the social work profession. The Center for Social Development is committed to working with its partners to increase the financial capability of individuals, families, and communities across the globe!

Grinstein-Weiss discusses new CDA program with Israeli media

Michal Grinstein-Weiss, associate director of the Center for Social Development, spent part of December with Israel’s leading media providing insight on the country’s new law creating Child Development Accounts, the Savings for Every Child law.

Asset-Based Policy in China: Applied Projects and Policy Progress

Zou, L., Guo, B., Deng, S., Huang, J., Jin, M., & Sherraden, M. (2015, September). Asset-based policy in China: Applied projects and policy progress (CSD Policy Brief No. 15-49). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Asset-Based Policy in Hong Kong: Child Development Fund

Zou, L., Lai, S., & Sherraden, M. (2015, September). Asset-based policy in Hong Kong: Child Development Fund (CSD Policy Brief No. 15-50). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Experts converge on Beijing to discuss lifelong asset building

The Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis partnered with Peking University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University to host a conference on strategies and innovations for asset building. This conference, held at Peking University in mid-November, reviewed research on asset building initiatives, a growing interest throughout Asia.

Asset-Based Policy in China: Applied Project and Policy Progress

Zou, L., Sherraden, M., Guo B., Huang, J., Deng, S., & Jin, M. (2011, July). Asset-based policy in China: Applied project and policy progress (CSD Policy Brief No. 11-24). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7M32V8J

Asset-Based Policy in South Korea

Kim, Y., Zou, L., Joo, Y. S., & Sherraden, M. (2011, July). Asset-based policy in South Korea (CSD Policy Brief No. 11-22). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

Asset-Based Policy in Hong Kong: Child Development Fund

Sherraden, M., & Zou, L. (2010, October). Asset-based policy in Hong Kong: Child Development Fund (CSD Policy Brief No. 10-38). St. Louis: Washington University, Center for Social Development.

CSD represented in Nepal at YouthSave event

Representatives from the Center for Social Development at Washington University recently traveled halfway around the world to meet with colleagues from the YouthSave Consortium, and had the unique opportunity to talk with Nepalese youth and learn more about their savings experience.

In China, a new tool for financial social work

Social work students in mainland China have a new tool for learning how to help families navigate financial challenges and build financial security. A landmark textbook from the Financial Capability and Asset Building initiative at the Center for Social Development has been translated into Chinese.

Child Development Accounts

Huang, J., & Zou, L. (2023). Child Development Accounts. In S. Deng, J. Huang, S. Fang, & X. Zhou (Eds.), 资产建设视角的反贫困社会工作:发展、对话与启示 [Asset-building perspective in anti-poverty social work: Development, dialogue, and insights] (Chap. 8). East China University of Science and Technology Press.