On July 25, 2025, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Evaluation Studies officially announced the list of think tanks included in the China Think Tank Comprehensive Evaluation Research Project (2025) (AMI Think Tanks), and the RIICE was once again successfully selected.
The Institute is the supporting unit of the Cultivation Base for International Education Research under the Ministry of Education, the Type I Think Tank of Shanghai Universities, the UNESCO Teacher Education Centre, and the Decision-Making Consultation Research Base of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Education and Health Work Committee. Since its official establishment in 2014, under the leadership of Professor Zhang Minxuan and Professor Hu Guoyong, the Institute has been committed to its vision of becoming a key hub for international comparative education, a think tank for educational policy consultation, a base for training high-level talents, and a center for fostering major achievements. It focuses its research on regional and country-specific educational development, international organizations and large-scale assessments, international communication of Chinese education, and international teacher education, gradually forming a positive cycle of international practice - knowledge production - policy advice and public enlightenment.
Group photo of full-time and part-time staff in 2014
Group photo of full-time staff in 2024
In recent years, experts from the Institute have participated in education strategy seminars organized by departments at or above the provincial and ministerial level on multiple occasions, directly involved in the application and construction of the UNESCO International Institute for STEM Education, and been responsible for formulating the opening-up section of Shanghai's implementation plan for the Outline of Building a Powerful Education Country. Among the submitted policy advisory reports, over 30 have received instructions from national leaders or other leading officials, and more than 100 have been adopted at the national and provincial levels, directly promoting the improvement of educational policies in Shanghai and even the whole country.
The Institute hosts the China-UK High-Level People-to-People Exchange Program: China-UK Mathematics Teacher Exchange Program, has been conducting the High-Level Education Officials Training Program for Countries Co-building the Belt and Road Initiative for eight consecutive years, and has implemented the Tanzania Teacher Development Research Project for five consecutive years. It has received educational dignitaries from various countries and international organizations, becoming an important platform for Sino-foreign educational and cultural exchanges.
The Institute has been successively selected into the China Core Think Tanks in the Comprehensive Evaluation Index System of China's Think Tanks, China Think Tank Index (CTTI) Source Think Tanks, and Core List Think Tanks in China's Education Think Tank Evaluation. It has been awarded the Social Service prize in the China Think Tank Characteristic Cases of the China Think Tank Comprehensive Evaluation, and has also won honors such as the National Teaching Achievement Award, Shanghai Teaching Achievement Award, National Outstanding Achievements in Educational Science Research, Shanghai Silver Dove Award for External Publicity Work, and Shanghai Decision-Making Consultation Research Achievement Award.
Looking to the future, in accordance with the requirements of the country's high-level opening-up of education, the Institute will focus on key areas, continue to strengthen important functions such as strategic research, policy suggestions, talent training, public opinion guidance, and public diplomacy, and act as a bridgehead for Sino-foreign educational and cultural exchanges and cooperation. On the one hand, it will introduce the latest achievements from around the world to serve the educational development of Shanghai and the country; on the other hand, it will go global to tell good stories about Chinese education, enhance the international communication power and reputation of Chinese education, and help China build a world education center with important influence.
It is reported that the China Think Tank Comprehensive Evaluation Research Project is organized by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Evaluation Studies, reviewing and prospecting the construction of new-type think tanks with Chinese characteristics from a full-process, all-round, and multi-angle perspective. The selection cycle is four years. This AMI Think Tank selection is the third round of the China Think Tank Comprehensive Evaluation Research Project, officially launched on January 24, 2025, attracting applications from approximately 1,000 think tanks nationwide.
