An Introduction to the Institute
of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
The Institute of Economics of the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) grew out of the Institute
of Social Survey of the Chinese Education and Culture Foundation
established in 1929. In 1934, the Institute of Social Survey merged
with the Institute of Social Sciences of the Academia Sinica ,
and the name of the Institute of Social Sciences remained unchanged.
It was renamed the Institute of Social Studies of the Academia
Sinica in 1945. After New China was founded in 1949, it was renamed
the Institute of Social Studies of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS). In 1953, it was renamed again the Institute of Economics
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The current name — Institute
of Economics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)
has been used since 1977. So far, the Institute of Economics has
become a comprehensive economic research institution which combines
theoretical economics, applied economics and economic history
(including economic history and history of economic thought) with
basic theoretical research as its main task.
I. Research Direction and Tasks
The Institute of Economics studies both theoretical economics
and applied economics. On the one hand, it should study major
theoretical and practical problems concerning readjustment of
ownership, reform of the enterprise system, income distribution
among urban and rural residents, macro control and implementation
of policies in light of the realities of economic transition and
social development. On the other hand, it gives play to its advantages
of talented people and studies contemporary and modern Chinese
economic history as well as Chinese and foreign history of economic
thought. In particular, it closely follows the new trends of development
of the world’s economic thought, draws on and absorbs extensively
new methods and theories of modern Western economics and continues
to score new achievements in comprehensive research on special
subjects.
II. Composition of Personnel and Major Scientific Research
Activities
At present, the Institute of Economics consists of 145 employees,
including 31 senior researchers, 42 associate researchers, 37
intermediate researchers and 35 other members.
The Institute of Economics has 8 research departments. Their major
research fields are as follows:
1. The Department of Macroeconomics. It studies
macroeconomics and the theory of economic growth, development
economics, institutional economics and international economics
closely related to macroeconomic issues.
2. The Department of Contemporary Western Economic Theory.
It pursues completely the latest developments of modern Western
economic theory and the history of Western economic theory conducted
by contemporary scholars, sums up systematically the development
thread of Western economic thought and holds comprehensively the
trends of development of Western economic thought.
3. The Department of Political Economy/The Department
of Capital. It studies the basic theory of political
economy, discusses major theoretical and practical problems arising
in the transition of China’s economic structure and economic development
and provides the basic theoretical support for the development
of applied economics and major national principles and policies.
4. The Department of Capital Theory. It studies
China’s capital market and the relevant theoretical and empirical
problems of capital formation and flow.
5. The Department of Microeconomics. It studies
Chinese enterprises and the system, policy and theory related
to the problems of Chinese enterprises.
6. The Department of Chinese Modern Economic History.
It studies the history of economic development of the People’s
Republic of China, the economic history of Hong Kong, Macao and
Taiwan after the founding of the People’s Republic of China and
the economic history of revolutionary base areas and liberated
areas from 1927 to 1949 prior to the founding of the People’s
Republic of China.
7. The Department of Chinese Economic History.
It studies Chinese modern economic history and Chinese ancient
economic history.
8. The Department of the History of Chinese Economic Thought
/(The Department of Development Economics). It studies the history
of Chinese economic thought and the history of foreign economic
thought (with the emphasis on research on development economics).
At present, the Institute of Economics is engaged mainly in the
improvement of the three basic disciplines of macroeconomics,
political economy and Chinese economic
history and in research on dozens of key subjects assigned
by the state, the CASS and the Institute.
At present, the Institute of Economics administers 5 research
centers at the level of the academy and 7 societies and foundations.
They are as follows:
1. Research Centers. They include the Modern Economic
History Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS);
the Underdeveloped Economic Center of the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences (CASS); UN Global Compact
Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS);
the Japanese Market Economic Center of the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences (CASS); and the Non-Public
Economic Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).
2. Societies and Foundations. They include Chinese “Capital”
Research Society; Chinese Society for the Study
of Socialist Economic Law and System; Chinese
Research Society of Comparative Economics; Chinese
Society of the History of Economic Thought; Chinese
Society of Economic History; Sun Yefang Economic
Science Foundation; and Guoguang Excellent Young
Entrepreneur Innovation Research and Reward Fund.
III. Domestic and Foreign Academic Communications
The Institute of Economics has established broad cooperative relations
with international economic research institutions, relevant organizations
and societies, successfully held many important international
academic activities and conferences and exerted a positive influence.
It has conducted research on some special projects and subjects
in cooperation with the Economic Restructuring Office of the State
Council, the State Economic and Trade Commission, the State Development
Planning Commission and China Securities Regulatory Commission
and other government departments.
IV. Postgraduate Training
The Department of Economics of the Graduate School of the Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is located in the Institute
of Economics. It has 24 doctoral supervisors and offers four specialities:
political economy, history of economic thought, economic history
and Western economics. It has conferred doctorates on 112 students
and master’s degrees on 132 students.
V. Library and Network Center
The library of the Institute of Economics has over 600,000 books,
including 440,000 books in Chinese language (6,500 kinds of ancient
books and annals of local history, over 19,000 letters and over
140,000 books) and 110,000 books in foreign languages. It has
5,000 kinds of newspapers and periodicals in Chinese and foreign
languages. It stores books mainly in the speciality of economics
and at the same time collects books, periodicals and materials
in such specialities as philosophy, political science, law and
history. It has established a computer network system and uses
the library integrated management system to engage in various
aspects of work. The book cataloguing uses standardized record,
and there are about 110,000 data relative to title catalogues
in Chinese and foreign languages. At present, inquiries about
these data can be made through the network of the Chinese Academy
of Social Sciences (CASS). Since 1995, the library has become
a center for research on economics in the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences (CASS).
The main tasks and functions of the network center are to establish
the outlets of the computer local area network and microwave urban
area network within the three institutes – the Institute of Economics,
the Institute of Industrial Economics and the Institute of Finance
and Trade Economics and to take charge of construction, maintenance,
operation, management and safety monitoring of the network equipment
and supporting functional software related to the local area network
under the unified planning and leadership of the network center
of the CASS.
VI. Periodicals
The Institute of Economics publishes three periodicals. They are
as follows:
“Economic Research” (monthly). Chief Editor:
Liu Shucheng. Founded in 1955, it is distributed openly at home
and abroad. It features academic research, the times, innovation
and future orientation, reflects China’s realities, faces the
frontier of research on economic theory in the world. It is devoted
to publish high-level theoretical articles about various principle
economic problems arising in the process of reform and opening
up, economic development and institutional transition in order
to promote the modernization of China’s economy and economics.
“Economic Perspectives” (monthly). Chief Editor:
Wang Zhenzhong. Founded in 1960, it is distributed openly at home
and abroad. It actively reflects the developments of domestic
and foreign economic theory and economic thought attracting readers
with academic, policy-related, forward-looking, practical, information-oriented
and comprehensive features. It has become a periodical which is
greatly welcomed by personnel in departments responsible for theoretical
research, teaching and practical economic work .
“Chinese Economic History Research” (quarterly).
Chief Editor: Liu Lanxi. Founded in 1986, it is distributed openly
at home and abroad. It upholds the following principle of publishing
: seeking truth from facts and letting a hundred schools of thought
contend, accepting or rejecting articles according to the principle
of new theory, new method, new material and new problem. It is
an influential periodical in the field of economic history.
Director of the Institute: Liu Shucheng
Deputy Directors of the Institute: Wu Taichang, Wang Zhenzhong
and Zhu Ling
Address: No. 2, Yuetanbeixiaojie, Fuwai, Xicheng
District, Beijing
Postcode: 100836
Tel: (010) 68030264 (010) 68034303
E-Mail: jjskyc@economic.cass.net.cn
