中国社会科学院

Can a think tank have a heartbeat? Here at the 中国社会科学院 (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, CASS), you might just feel one. Established in May 1977, the CASS wasn’t built from bricks and mortar alone. It rose from the very bones of the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Deng Xiaoping envisioned a powerhouse of intellectual thought, a place where the future of China could be contemplated and shaped. This is the CASS. The CASS isn’t just an institution. It is a living, breathing organism of over 3,200 scholars, each a neuron firing with ideas and insights. They delve into nearly 300 sub-disciplines, researching everything from economics and law to history and literature. The CASS isn’t just about preserving the past. It’s about charting the future. The CASS is a ministry-level institution under the State Council, its pulse connected directly to the heart of China’s governance. Imagine the conversations within these walls. Scholars debating economic policy, historians unearthing forgotten narratives. The air vibrates with intellectual energy. Even in the quietest corners of the CASS library, you can almost hear the hum of thought. In 2024, a deputy director of the CASS’ Institute of Economics, Hengpeng Zhu, was detained after criticizing Xi Jinping’s economic policies in a private WeChat group. This incident sent ripples through the CASS, a stark reminder of the delicate balance between academic freedom and political realities in China. The CASS also has a significant role in international diplomacy. In 1979, CASS Vice President Huan Xiang led the first delegation of Chinese social scientists to the United States, a symbolic bridge across a vast ocean of cultural and ideological differences. The CASS continues to host international seminars, inviting officials from developing countries to discuss China’s governance model and socioeconomic development. So, as you stand before the CASS, don’t just see a building. See a crucible of ideas, a place where the past informs the present and the future is constantly being rewritten. The CASS may be a think tank. But its influence, its heartbeat, resonates far beyond these walls.