On Janaury 15, 2014, the “2014 Chinese Think Tank Influence Report” was released. In its professional influence rankings, Peking University’s National School of Development was ranked no.4 in the ‘Economic Development’ category, one position higher than in 2013. In ‘Political Development’, the NSD came 4th, the same as 2014. In the ‘Comprehensive Reforms” category, the NSD was ranked 5th. 26 organizations were ranked as the nation’s most influential think-tanks, in rankings such as comprehensive think-tank, systematic influence and professional influence. The National School of Development and Peking University was ranked 2nd in the comprehensive ranking and 1st in the university ranking.
This is the first China think-tank ranking list using objective indices to rank organizations following General Secretary Xi Jinping’s comments on “New Economic Development Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics”.
The “2014 Chinese Think Tank Influence Report” is China’s first think-tank report that uses an objective index to construct a fair review system. It conducts research by exploring the think tank’s content and features, designs a think tank evaluation system, collects and collates think tank data, and finally taking into consideration expert opinion and index scores, analyzes the think tank situation, and uses these to put forward policy advice and think tank advice.
The report uses four influence factors as indices: professional influence; political influence; social influence and international influence. These indices are then integrated into a final think tank score. For example, the ‘international influence’ index is based on the think tank’s frequency of cooperation with international organizations and foreign think tanks as well as the number of times key researchers from the think tank speaks at international conferences.
According to the report, the top ten influential Chinese think tanks include: The Development Research Center of the State Council, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, the National School of Development of Peking University, the Central Party School of the Communist Party of China, the Academy of Macroeconomic Research, NDRC; the Chinese Academy for Environmental Planning; the China Center for International Economic Exchanges; Horizon Research Consultancy Group and the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.
The National School of Development at Peking University (“NSD”) was established in 2008 with China’s development as its core topic. Based upon China’s practices and international experience, through multi-disciplinary comprehensive research, it aims to build top level academic knowledge, propose strategies related to issues for China’s sustainable growth on a world stage, produce strategy, systems, policies and fundamental theoretical issues, train and develop well-rounded senior executives and build China’s leading world-class university think-tank. Meanwhile, it continues to promote Chinese social science research and education system’s internationalization, standardization, localization and promote innovative research methods and personnel training.
The forerunner to the National School of Development at Peking University was the China Center for Economic Research (CCER), founded in 1994 by six oversea returnee PHDs included Justin Lin Yifu, Hai Wen and Gang Yi. Over the years, the CCER has provided China with economics education, research and international seminars and in particular has made innovative contributions in national policy consultancy. In 1998, Prof. Justin Lin et. al founded BiMBA, a pioneer in China’s international MBA education.
The National School of Development at Peking University’s top level academic platform, great learning atmosphere, and growing influence has attracted more and more academic leaders to gather there and helped it become one of China’s top centers of knowledge.
