Center for Think Tank Studies of Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (CTTS SASS), a leading Chinese think tank and research institution, has officially released its 2018 Chinese Think Tanks Report: Influence Ranking and Policy Suggestions. IESR Center for Policy Research has been ranked as one of the 10 most influential social think tanks in the country!
IESR Center For Policy Research (CPR)
Center for Policy Research (CPR) is committed to solid empirical research using rigorous econometric approaches, and offers unbiased, authoritative insights about a broad range of economic and social issues including labor and employment, left-behind and migrant children, housing policy, industrial policy, migration, and rural vitalization strategy.
Driven by the motto of “thinking globally and acting locally”, CPR builds partnerships with a number of internationally renowned think tanks, provides microdata-based policy interpretations, organizes regular policy seminars, and cooperates with relevant policy institutions in Guangdong Province.
In 2017, IESR think tank has been recognized as one of the 16 core think tanks in the ranking "National A Level Think Tanks in Chinese Universities".
So far, our researchers have published 22 review articles and 9 interview articles on various media platforms such as Caijing, The Paper, and The Wall Street Journal. Our official self-media platform “Huangpu Avenue West · Standpoint” serves as a shared platform for publishing professional insights on socioeconomic issues.
Main Areas of Work
Labor and employment
IESR Survey Data Center (SDC) conducts China Household Employment Survey (CHES) that covers around 40,000 households across 29 provinces in China, and thus allows us to understand the overall employment situation of families throughout the country. Based on the survey data, CPR regularly publishes reports that track dynamic changes in China's labor market, and examine the impact of various labor market policies and economic transformations on it.
Left-behind children and migrant children
Entrusted by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, IESR has been evaluating social protection practices since 2017 regarding left-behind and other children living under difficult circumstances in Hunan and Yunnan provinces. It has also launched “The Longitudinal Study of Children’s Development in Mianzhu” which aims to understand how the experiences of left-behind children affect their cognitive/ non-cognitive development in the long run. In like manner, CPR explores the impact of compulsory education policy on migrant children who are subjected to the point-based system for attending primary school.
Housing policy
CPR’s researchers study and interpret the latest policies in Chinese real estate market, and explore the reforms of the housing provident fund system. The center applies real estate transaction data to construct a homogeneous housing index which enables us to examine house price fluctuations, as well as the impact of those fluctuations on the social economy and individual behavior. CPR also studies national policies that encourage rural migrants buying houses in urban areas.
Industrial policy
Guangdong Manufacturing Enterprise Survey (GDMS), entrusted by the Bureau of Quality and Technical Supervision in Guangdong Province, was jointly launched by IESR and JNU College of Economics. This survey aims to construct the index system for Guangdong manufacturing industry’s total factor productivity (TFP), analyze the impact of quality on driving TFP growth, and eventually provide data-based policy recommendations for transforming and upgrading manufacturing industry in the whole Guangdong province.
Migration in China
Migration, caused by the regional disparity in economic development, has long been a hot topic of concern in Chinese society. Researchers at CPR have been examining practical problems related to migration and urban economic development, and also looking into the population policies across different regions in China, for instance, the impact mechanism of hukou (i.e. household registration system). On top of that, it has been cooperating with China Population and Development Research Center in carrying out projects like “Population and Economic Development” and “Population and Middle Income Trap”.
Rural development
Together with Survey Data Center, CPR has been conducting large-scale micro-investigations in rural China (Thousand-Village Survey in Guangdong) which is used to support academic and policy-oriented research regarding targeted poverty alleviation, rural governance, ecological environment, education, land acquisition, development of rural finance, and other aspects.
You can learn more about IESR Center for Policy Research at its official website (currently available only in Chinese).
