Meet Jiasu Yan (MIELR 2025), whose passion for connecting law, economics and technology brought him to USC’s unique joint degree, the Master of Science in Innovation Economics, Law and Regulation. In this Q&A, he shares how his research background shaped his academic journey, what drew him to the MIELR program, and how he’s leveraging his studies to bridge theory with real-world impact.
What sparked your interest in learning about law and economics?
During my undergraduate research in quantitative economics, I realized that purely mathematical models couldn’t fully explain why markets behaved the way they did. For instance, when applying game theory to analyze competition in the tech industry, I saw how much depended on the legal frameworks that governed firms’ behavior. That moment sparked a realization: economics can explain the “how,” but law often explains the “why.” Bringing the two together gave me a fuller picture of how rules and incentives interact in practice.
What made you pursue the MIELR degree in particular, and why at USC?
I chose the MIELR program because it doesn’t force a choice between law, economics, or technology — it asks students to work at their intersections. That fit perfectly with my research agenda, which spans from detecting tacit collusion in airlines to evaluating AI’s role in advertising governance. USC stood out not only for its courses and faculty expertise but also for its ecosystem — Los Angeles offers proximity to global tech companies, legal networks and entrepreneurial communities. It was a place where I could test academic ideas against real-world practice.
How has it been transitioning into your program, and how has USC assisted you?
The transition into MIELR was both exciting and daunting. Coming from an economics-heavy background, I initially found the legal analysis side of reading cases and parsing statutes quite different from statistical modeling. But USC’s faculty and student networks helped bridge that gap. For example, conversations with professors in antitrust law clarified how economic concepts like market concentration translate into legal arguments. The Career Pathways office and peer support networks also gave me practical guidance for navigating an interdisciplinary degree. What felt like a challenge at first became an opportunity to broaden the way I think.
What is the most memorable experience from your USC studies?
One of my most memorable moments came while analyzing airline data for my thesis on the Delta–Northwest merger. After hours of working with fare datasets, I finally saw a pattern of price synchronization emerge. It was more than a data point, it was a tangible illustration of how theory, regulation and human behavior collide in markets. That experience reminded me why I came to USC: to take complex, abstract interactions and make them visible in ways that inform both scholarship and policy.
How will your degree from USC give you an advantage for your future career? What do you want to do next with your degree?
The degree has sharpened my ability to combine quantitative tools like econometric modeling and machine learning with legal reasoning. For example, I can now evaluate how an antitrust statute might apply to algorithmic pricing or assess compliance frameworks for AI-driven platforms. That dual fluency positions me to work at the intersection of consulting, policy and technology governance. My next step is to continue bridging those worlds, whether through advising on market competition, contributing to platform compliance systems, or pursuing further research that informs regulatory practice.
What advice do you have for students who may be interested in following a similar path to yours?
If you’re drawn to both law and economics, don’t be afraid to embrace the tension between them: it’s where the most interesting insights lie. Build a strong foundation in quantitative methods, but also train yourself to ask the normative “should we” questions that law demands. And seek out interdisciplinary opportunities early, whether that’s a research project, an internship or even a conversation with someone in a different field. Most of all, stay curious about how rules, markets and technology shape one another. That curiosity will guide you more than any fixed roadmap.
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