In order to get a comprehensive knowledge about the current situation and the problems that exist in building of think tanks in China, on November 27-December 1, Managing Vice President of Shanghai Academy, Wen Xueguo, and First Vice President, Li Youmei, led an investigation team to Shenzhen and Guangzhou to conduct research on "building new types think tanks with Chinese characteristics". The investigation team visited China Development Institute, Shenzhen University, Tencent Research Institute, Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences, the Institute of Public Policy of South China University of Technology, Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, and Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences.

This investigation focused on such issues as the production and dissemination means of research achievements, external cooperation, training of talents, and the means and channels for contacting with decision making entities. Guo Wanda, Deputy President of China Development Institute, is of the opinion that, the "from bottom to top" problem-solving approach, which starts from the bottom, and consists of the four processes of finding the problem, putting forward the problem, analyzing the problem, and solving the problem, is one approach for think tanks to perform research; Li Jun, Vice President of Shenzhen University, pointed out that think tanks affiliated to higher learning institutions are important knowledge producing entities, and that regarding the building of think tanks, innovations should be made in such aspects as reform of scientific research, building of talents teams, marketing of research achievements, and building of research bases with unique features; Si Xiao, President of Tencent Research Institute, is of the opinion that the primary task of enterprise-affiliated think tanks is to well serve the enterprises' decision making layer; Wang Weili, Deputy President of Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences, is of the opinion that talent training is of vital importance in the building of a think tank, and that the lack of professional talents suitable for a think tank is a problem that is generally faced in the current development of think tanks; Yang Mu, Managing President of the Institute of Public Policy of South China University of Technology, believes that, the key to a think tank is its "intelligence", rather than its tank, and that a think tank should have its own thinking system and cognitive structure, and should provide a loose and comfortable working environment and good development opportunities for its researchers; Liu Xiaomin, Deputy President of Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, gave an in-depth introduction about the academy’s practical explorations about the building of a new type of think tank from four aspects: namely, influence on decision making, academic influence, social influence, and support for development; Yin Tao, Deputy President of Guangzhou Academy of Social Sciences, gave an in-depth introduction about the two operating models of think tanks: "hub+network", and "entity+platform", and he believes that a strong consciousness about the possible difficulty and a strong innovation consciousness should be maintained in building a think tank.

Responsible persons of relevant departments of the entities investigated gave detailed introduction about the specific work that their department was engaged in. Ji Weimin, Deputy President of the CASS Institute of Journalism and Communication, Yang Huijun, Director of the Secretariat of Shanghai Academy, Xiong Hou, Director of the Research Division of Shanghai Academy, postdoctoral researcher Xiang Feng and assistant researcher Chen Wenyan participated in this investigation.

(By Chen Wenyan)