Peking University Institute of Population and Development

Peking University Institute of Population and Development
Name	Peking University Institute of Population and Development
Established	1990s
Type	Research institute
Location	Beijing, China
Parent	Peking University

Peking University Institute of Population and Development is an academic institute within Peking University conducting research on demography, public health policy, and social development. The institute engages with topics spanning fertility, aging, migration, and family planning while interacting with national and international organizations. It has produced research informing policy debates in China and collaborated with universities and agencies worldwide.

History

The institute traces roots to initiatives at Peking University in the late 20th century that responded to demographic transitions following the Reform and Opening-up policies and the aftermath of the One-child policy (China), aligning with global dialogues such as the International Conference on Population and Development and the World Population Conference. Early activities connected scholars who had participated in research networks alongside colleagues from Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Fudan University, and institutes affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Institutional development occurred amid policy shifts influenced by events like the 1990s aging debates and later by the 2013 and 2015 revisions to fertility policy, which also involved advisory exchanges with the United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organization, Harvard University, and University of Oxford.

Mission and Research Focus

The institute's mission emphasizes evidence-based analysis of demographic change, drawing on comparative frameworks used by centers such as the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Population Council, and RAND Corporation. Research themes include fertility trends studied alongside datasets like the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study and the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, aging researched in relation to models from the Global Burden of Disease Study and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, migration analyzed with reference to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, and family dynamics compared to work from the Brookings Institution and the London School of Economics. Methodological approaches incorporate techniques advanced at Princeton University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and statistical methods promoted by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research.

Academic Programs and Education

Educational activities include graduate seminars that mirror curricula from Peking University HSBC Business School, collaborative courses with the School of Public Health (Peking University), and doctoral supervision connected to departments such as the Department of Sociology, Peking University and the National School of Development (Peking University). The institute organizes workshops featuring visiting scholars from University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Kyoto University, and hosts summer programs modeled on exchanges like those between Fudan University and The University of Tokyo. Students engage with policy internships at institutions such as the Ministry of Civil Affairs (China), National Health Commission (China), and international agencies like UNICEF.

Research Centers and Projects

The institute directs thematic centers and projects comparable to units like the China Center for Economic Research and the Asian Demographic Research Institute. Major projects have included longitudinal analyses linked to the China Family Panel Studies, comparative aging projects akin to the Health and Retirement Study, and migration studies coordinated with the International Organization for Migration. Collaborative grants have been awarded in partnership with foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, research councils like the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and policy fellowships similar to programs from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Publications and Contributions

Scholarly output includes articles in journals comparable to the The Lancet, Demography, Population and Development Review, The China Quarterly, and Social Science & Medicine, as well as policy briefs cited by agencies including the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Edited volumes and monographs draw on comparative frameworks used by authors at Columbia University and University of Chicago Press and have informed debates at forums such as the Boao Forum for Asia and the China Development Forum. The institute's data analyses have contributed to national white papers and reports resembling publications from the National Health and Family Planning Commission (China) and to international assessments like those from the United Nations Population Fund.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The institute maintains partnerships with domestic institutions including Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Fudan University, Zhejiang University, and provincial research bureaus, and with international collaborators such as Harvard University, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University of Toronto, and Australian National University. Cooperative activities include joint conferences with organizations like the Population Association of America, data sharing with initiatives such as the China Health and Nutrition Survey, and policy exchanges with entities like the World Health Organization and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Notable Faculty and Alumni

Faculty and alumni have included demographers and policy scholars who have participated in advisory roles to bodies such as the State Council (China), served as visiting fellows at institutions like the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and held appointments at universities including Peking University and Renmin University of China. Graduates have moved into positions at ministries, international agencies including UNICEF and UNFPA, and research centers such as the China Population and Development Research Center and the Asian Development Bank.

Category:Research institutes in Beijing Category:Peking University