Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

What Chinese Academy of Social Sciences does

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is the highest national-level academic research institution in the social sciences and humanities of the People's Republic of China, founded in 1977 and directly administered by the State Council. It serves primarily as the official think tank for the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China, providing policy research, economic forecasts, strategic analysis, and evidence-based recommendations that inform national development planning including Five-Year Plans. Its customers extend beyond central agencies to provincial and municipal governments, and to international academic counterparts for joint research and diplomatic-engagement purposes.

CASS's offerings are produced across roughly 30 specialized institutes covering economics, political science, law, sociology, archaeology, philosophy, literature, linguistics, world history, international strategy, and regional studies, plus affiliated operating units including the China Social Sciences Press (Social Sciences Academic Press), the National Center for Philosophy and Social Sciences Documentation (NCPSSD), the China Academy of History, and (since January 2024) the China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE). Output consists of academic journals, Blue Books / Green Books, periodic reports, archaeological science products (e.g., Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences and Cultural Heritage Protection, the Standard Library of Scientific Archaeological Resources for Chinese Civilization, and the China Animal Resource Specimen Bank with 100,000+ specimens), and the CULS longitudinal labor survey (conducted every five years across eight Chinese cities; the 2023 round collected 9,122 household and 26,145 individual questionnaires). Annual research output exceeds 700 approved projects and 10,000 research outcomes.

The underlying technology combines traditional social-science methodology (quantitative analysis, field surveys, policy research) with applied instrumentation for archaeology such as LiDAR, satellite remote sensing, UAV aerial photography, 3D site reconstruction, spatial simulation, radiocarbon dating, and carbon-nitrogen isotope analysis. CASS's data platform, NCPSSD, holds over 20 million items, serves roughly 80,000 domestic and 1,000+ overseas institutional users in 183 countries, and has recorded over 800 million cumulative visits. The go-to-market is institutional rather than commercial: direct advisory to government clients, distribution through academic publication networks, international cooperation programs with foreign governments and universities, and high-profile events such as the World Conference of Classics (co-organized with Greece) and the Shanghai Archaeology Forum. CASS is funded through state budgetary allocations rather than commercial revenue, and pricing for its research outputs is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Legal name

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

Website

https://casseng.cssn.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CASS is China's premier national-level social science and humanities research institution, founded 1977 and administered by the State Council. It serves as the official think tank for the Chinese government and CPC, producing policy research, Blue Books, journals, archaeological science outputs, and international cooperation programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Social science research
• Policy advisory services
• Think tank consulting
• Academic publishing
• Archaeological research

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Research Contracts and Grants: CASS operates as a state-level think tank receiving government funding for policy research, economic analysis, and strategic studies commissioned by Chinese government agencies and the Communist Party of China.
2. Academic Publications: Revenue from publishing journals, books, reports, and Blue Books through the Social Sciences Academic Press (China), including subscriptions to academic journals and sales of research publications to libraries and institutions worldwide.
3. International Cooperation Programs: Funding and support for international academic exchanges, joint research programs, and diplomatic-related activities conducted with foreign governments and institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is China's highest academic research institution in social sciences and humanities, operating as a state-level think tank under the State Council. It conducts policy research, economic analysis, and strategic studies across multiple disciplines including economics, political science, law, archaeology, and international studies, producing Blue Books, journals, reports, and maintaining the largest Chinese-language social science academic database.

Product overview

The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is China's highest academic research institution in social sciences, not a product company in the traditional sense. CASS's offerings consist of academic research publications and research services, including: Blue Books (economic and social analysis reports), Green Books (rural development reports), journals (law, economics, political science, linguistics), major research programs, and the Key Laboratory of Archaeological Sciences. These publications and research programs are produced through various CASS institutes and affiliated organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CASS Journals
• CASS Books
• CASS Reports
• CASS Research Programs
• NCPSSD Academic Database

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 700 projects and 10,000+ research outcomes produced annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major and moderate.

• Government of UzbekistanmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026CASS President Gao Xiang met with Uzbekistan officials to strengthen academic exchanges, governance experience sharing, young scholar interactions, and joint archaeological projects under the all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership.
• Agency of Cultural Heritage of UzbekistanmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026CASS Institute of Archaeology and the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance cooperation in archaeology and anthropology, building on archaeological collaboration dating back to 2011.
• University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), UzbekistanmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026Joint initiative to establish a book house for Xi Jinping's works at UWED in Tashkent, housing more than 1,500 volumes in Chinese, Uzbek, and other languages including Uzbek editions of key publications.
• Kyrgyz National University (KNU)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 January 2026Joint initiative to establish a book house dedicated to Xi Jinping's works at KNU in Bishkek, offering over 2,000 volumes in Chinese and other languages to promote understanding of Chinese governance and modernization.
• Shanghai Municipal People's GovernmentmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2025CASS co-hosted the Sixth Shanghai Archaeology Forum with the Shanghai Municipal Government and National Cultural Heritage Administration, promoting interdisciplinary archaeological research and civilizational dialogue.
• National Research Council of Thailand (NRCT)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 November 2025CASS and NRCT co-hosted an international symposium commemorating 50 years of China-Thailand diplomatic relations, organized through the CASS-NRCT Center of China Studies.
• Indonesian Democratic Party of StrugglemoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 November 2025CASS President met with former Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and explore deepening cooperation in humanities and social sciences.
• National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) of IndonesiamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025CASS and BRIN signed a memorandum of understanding and agreement to jointly establish a center for China studies, marking the formal establishment of an institutionalized partnership to promote academic cooperation and inter-civilizational mutual learning.
• Tsinghua UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a university partner for academic exchange and collaboration in CASS's institutional network of 31 provincial academies of social sciences and 49+ university partners.
• Peking UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a university partner in CASS's extensive network of academic institutions for research collaboration and scholarly exchanges.
• 31 Provincial Academies of Social SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASS coordinates with 31 provincial academies of social sciences across China including Beijing, Shanghai, Shandong, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Tianjin, and others for regional research coordination.
• 49+ Chinese UniversitiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASS maintains partnership network with over 49 Chinese universities including Renmin University, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, and others for academic collaboration.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS): RAS is the closest international analogue as a state-level national academy covering social sciences and humanities. Both are government-funded, multi-institute academies serving as the premier research institutions for their respective governments with comparable roles in policy advisory and international academic representation.
• Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR): ICSSR is the national-level body promoting and funding social science research in India, established by the Indian government. It mirrors CASS's role as the central coordinating institution for a country's social science research output and policy advisory capacity.
• Korea Development Institute (KDI): KDI is a Korean government-funded policy research institute that produces economic analysis and policy recommendations, serving as South Korea's primary economic think tank. Comparable to CASS in its government-mandated research role and economic forecasting publications.
• Chinese Academy of Governance (CAG / Central Party School): CAG is the CPC's central institution for cadre training and governance research. It overlaps with CASS in policy research output, government advisory, and ideological work, and they frequently collaborate on national governance studies.
• National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine: Comparable as another state-level academy of sciences with multi-disciplinary research institutes and government advisory role, though smaller in scale. Useful as a structural benchmark for how national academies operate outside Western university systems.
• Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC): DRC is the most direct functional peer — a State Council think tank providing macroeconomic policy research and strategic advice to Chinese leadership. Like CASS, it advises on Five-Year Plans and national development strategy, operating in overlapping policy research domains.
• Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS): CAS is CASS's sister institution, operating as China's highest academic research institution in natural sciences and technology. Both are State Council-level academies with parallel institutional structures, sub-institute networks, and graduate training programs covering complementary domains.

Broad incumbents

• RAND Corporation: RAND is a large U.S. policy research institution producing influential analysis for government and international clients. Comparable to CASS in scale of research output, multi-disciplinary structure, and government contract model, though with very different governance and funding independence.
• Brookings Institution: Brookings is a leading U.S. think tank producing policy research across economics, foreign policy, and governance — a functional analog to CASS's policy advisory role but operating as an independent nonprofit rather than a government institution, with much broader international credibility.

Emerging players

• CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure): CNKI is the dominant Chinese academic database and journal platform, and a direct functional competitor to CASS's NCPSSD platform. Both serve as primary Chinese-language academic distribution channels, but CNKI operates commercially and at much larger scale, threatening NCPSSD's market position.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chinese Academy of Social Sciences