Institute for Contemporary China Studies, Tsinghua University (ICCS for short) is a high-level university think tank. Under the strong support of Tsinghua University, Institute for Contemporary China Studies (ICCS) has been well recognized as one of the most famous high-level university think tanks of China with great influence at home and abroad.

At the beginning of 2000, my suggestion that Tsinghua University and Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly set up “Chinese Academy of Sciences- Center for China Studies of Tsinghua University” (CCS for short) as the public policy research and consulting institution is accepted and carried out. CCS’s teaching work and graduate management rely on School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University (SPPM for short), while CCS’s research work is provided with autonomy. Since its establishment, Center for China Studies (CCS) has been positioned as “a national high-level decision-making think tank, which engages in research of national major development strategies and which provides social science research and consulting suggestions for national macro decision-making”. Reports on Contemporary China, which is CCS’s original famous brand, serves as the “public knowledge product” for decision-making consultation and the historical record of China’s reform and opening-up.

In April, 2011, Hu Jintao clearly pointed out in the 100th Anniversary Conference of Tsinghua University that “institutions for higher education shall thoroughly carry out policy research, actively play the role of Think Tank, and strive to make positive contribution for the party’s and the country’s scientific and democratic policy”. Under the circumstances, I took the initiative to propose the reconstruction of Center for China Studies (CCS) based on the original Center of China Studies with support of the School of Public Policy and Management to meet the demands of the new-century discipline construction and the world-class university establishment of Tsinghua University, to serve national major strategic needs, and to implement the Party Central Committee’s new requirement on Tsinghua University. And my proposal got the support from Tsinghua University’s main persons in charge. In December, 2011, Tsinghua University Administration Committee officially approved and decided to establish the Institute for Contemporary China Studies, Tsinghua University (ICCS) based on Center for China Studies (CCS). The operation of ICCS is under School of Public Policy and Management (SPPM), and I was appointed as the first president of ICCS. It can be said that ICCS was established as the times require.

In April, 2013, General Secretary Xi Jinping made significant instructions on promoting the construction of a new type of think tank with Chinese characteristics. On January 20, 2015, General Office of CPC Central Committee and General Office of the State Council issued Opinions on Strengthening the Construction of a New Type of Think Tank with Chinese Characteristics. On November 2015, ICCS was selected to be among the national first batch of 25 organizations as one experiential unit for the national top think-tanks, thus ICCS ushers a new period of strategic opportunities for think-tank construction. ICCS will further explore the core research fields including national conditions and national policy, and actively expand research fields concerning world and regional situations. Based on the new subject of Contemporary China Studies, ICCS will strive to construct a policy-making think tank and a contemporary China’s research base, which could carry out national development strategies and major public policy research in interdisciplinary, comprehensive and multi-faceted ways.

Over the past nearly two decades, Institute for Contemporary China Studies (ICCS) has been provided with strong support, in-depth concern and full trust by Tsinghua University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University and the society. With what has been provided, our team of ICCS could fully engage in scientific research in first-class academic environment, and this is our growth foundation, our forward momentum and our precious wealth. Hereby, I would like to extend my most sincere respect and gratitude to friends of ICCS. “Evolving with China’s development, opening up, transformation and prosperity” will be the lifelong pursuit of my ICCS colleagues and me. We will continue to constantly explore and move forwards along the road heading for our aim: “Knowledge-for-the-people, Knowledge-for-the-nation.