THE INSTITUTE - A BRIEF HISTORY

China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD) was jointly initiated by the former State Commission for Restructuring the Economic System and the Hainan Provincial Government on November 1, 1991, with equity investments from dozens of large enterprises including Shanghai Bao-steel Corporation, China First Auto Works, Shanghai Petrochemical Co., etc. With its network-based, internationalized and independent operations, the institute mainly conducts research on reform policy and transitional economies while providing training, consulting and conferencing services.

CIRD follows the guideline of "basing its research activities in Hainan, facing the whole country and building up a worldwide network", with the purpose of serving the needs of policy making in China's economic reform. By conducting forward-looking research on issues of wide concern emerging in the course of China's economic transition, CIRD provides policy/legislative proposals to departments and authorities of the central government.

In the past eleven years, CIRD has completed over twenty research projects, organized over 100 international symposiums/forums, published over 100 books (monographs and paper collections in Chinese or English), submitted 70-odd policy/legislative proposals and published more than 1,000 research reports, all on China's market-oriented reform. Its research efforts have won multiple awards at the national level.

CIRD pays close attention to applying its research findings into training activities. Since 1997, CIRD has been certified by the State Economic and Trade Commission as one of the first training institutions nationwide to provide certificate training on business administration. CIRD has so far held more than 60 training programs, with over 4,000 trainees from government departments and business community. The joint MBA and DBA programs launched by CIRD and Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands have gained great popularity among business executives.

CIRD's business consulting arm provides consultancy on ESOP, MBO, ESO, asset restructuring, strategic planning and management. It has so far developed restructuring packages for a large number of large or medium-sized enterprises.

CIRD follows the operational model of "small organization with extensive networking". Its academic committee and various expert advisory groups have proved to be a guarantee for high-level research and training as well as valuable resources for sustainable development.

CIRD has gained extensive international recognition through its cooperation with over 20 international and foreign organizations. It has carried out three phases of UNDP-assisted country projects in the past eleven years and is now exploring new areas of cooperation. Since 1993, CIRD has implemented the Sino-German technical cooperation project on policy research for two consecutive phases and the third phase is going to be launched in 2004. CIRD has also started to cooperate with the International Republican Institute of the United States in 1998 and jointly publish the Chinese version of Transition Newsletter with the World Bank from July 1999. At the end of year 2000, the WTO Secretariat authorized CIRD to establish the first WTO Reference Center in China. In 2002, CIRD was invited to become a member organization in the East Asia Network of Economic Development and Cooperation. In May 2002, under the recommendation of the US Committee for Economic Development, Australian Committee for Economic Development and Swedish Business and Policy Research Center, CIRD became a counterpart organization in the International Network of Private Business Organizations. In addition, as requested by the Secretariat of Bo'ao Forum for Asia, CIRD has provided intellectual support for the Forum, including the design of theme and topics for the annual conference.

With its unremitting efforts, CIRD has blazed a new trail in developing a non-governmental research institute with corporate management. It has built up a competent team of professionals and developed a solid corporate culture featuring dedication, cooperation and pragmatism.