The Center was founded in 2005, as a non-profit research organisation within the School of Economics, Peking University. It is the first such academic institution established specifically to undertake systematic and in-depth interdisciplinary research on human development in China.

• Our Mission

  The mission of the Center is to promote human development research and, ultimately, to help to achieve the goal of "People-Centered" development in China, focusing on the most vulnerable members of society.

• Our Activities

  Thanks to generous financial support from external sources, CHEDS is currently engaged in five key areas: research, networking, training, pilot experimental projects and policy consultation.

  1. Research

     Research is at the very core of the Center's work. CHEDS distinguishes itself from other research institutions by actively pursuing an interdisciplinary approach and by encouraging collaborations between empirical and theoretical researchers. We are currently involved in the following projects:

     • Human Development in China:a case-study of Wujiang County
     • Financing the environmental infrastructure of small towns
     • Educational equity in China
  2. Networking

     CHEDS aims to establish a wide-ranging, interdisciplinary networking platform for those who are involved in human development work in China, including both academic researchers and policy makers from home and abroad. Specific activities include:

     • A series of eight themed workshops in five years, focusing on the eight main dimensions of human development
  3. Training Programs

     Once initiated, our training programs will provide classroom teaching, discussion forums and workshops on the wide subject area of human development. The intended participants are researchers, university teachers and government officials and the aim of the programs will be to provide both academics and policy-makers with a thorough grounding in human development thinking. Programs that are currently under consideration include:

     • Academic program for researchers from Western China
     • Program for government officials from various different levels
  4. Pilot Experimental Projects

     The Center is actively involved in various pilot projects, through which it hopes to popularize human development ideas within China. These projects apply the related theories and methods of human development to effect real improvements in the living conditions of the people in the pilot areas. Our pilot projects are at present carried out in areas that represent both developed and under-developed parts of China. They include:

     • Rural health service research project
     • Survival and development of Women Migrants in Wujiang County
  5. Policy Consultation

     An important part of the Center's work is its cooperation with the government on areas of policy. By integrating recent research findings on major social and economic issues, CHEDS is able to act as a source of coherent, concerted policy advice for various government departments. Areas in which CHEDS has influenced the government include:

     • The advocation of a paradigmatic shift in official thinking about the means and ends of development
     • Specific policy advice on development related issues such as...
     • The coordination of a greater degree of dialogue between researchers and policy-makers.
• Our Team

  CHEDS is fortunate to have a strong, dedicated team that is fully committed to the advancement of human development in China. Our work is inspired by the support we enjoy from some of the leading figures in the world of Economics and Human Development, many of whom are on our Academic Committee: Amartya Sen, Sudhir Anand, Yan Guo, Shi Li, Wei Liu, Minquan Liu, Mai Lu and Wing Woo, among others. As well as having its own team of in-house researchers, many of the Center's associate members are prominent academics, and we have established extensive links with similar centers worldwide.