Approved in May 2026 as part of the fourth batch of National Base for Human Rights Education and Training (Cultivation), the Center for Human Rights and Economic Studies at Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE) has as its core mission the research and interpretation of General Secretary Xi Jinping's major statements on respecting and safeguarding human rights, as well as his Thought on the Rule of Law and Economic Thought.
Drawing on the university's unique institutional features and disciplinary strengths, the Center adopts an innovative model of "School-driven Development, Discipline-led Research". Guided by research themes and centered on academic scholars, it integrates the fields of Economics, Management, and Law. The Center is committed to systematically examining the intrinsic links, interaction mechanisms, and practical pathways between human rights protection and economic development. It seeks to advance their in-depth integration and positive interaction in both theory and practice, ensuring that economic growth serves human dignity and holistic development. This approach promotes prosperity rooted in human rights and substantive social justice, while providing intellectual support for national governance.
Anchored in the Law School, the Center operates in coordination with relevant faculties and research institutes. Leveraging the university's multidisciplinary strengths in Law, Economics, and Management, it conducts cutting-edge interdisciplinary theoretical and policy research on human rights and economic issues, and delivers related human rights education programs. The Center has assembled interdisciplinary research teams focused on: Xi Jinping's Thought on the Rule of Law, Xi Jinping's Economic Thought, Public Finance and Taxation, International Trade and Economics, International Finance, International Rule of Law, and International Politics and Human Rights. These teams span the university's three core disciplinary pillars, fully mobilizing the initiative of diverse disciplines, fostering exchanges across faculties and institutes, improving collaborative research efficiency, and highlighting the practical relevance and application of research findings–all of which reflect its distinctive interdisciplinary character.
The Center is headed by the University President Professor Ma Haitao, with the Dean of the Law School Professor Yu Wenhao serving as Executive Director. Under the Director Accountability System, the Director provides overall leadership, while the Executive Director manages day-to-day affairs. The Center has also established a joint conference mechanism comprising heads of relevant university departments, faculties, and research institutes.
For the period ahead, the Center will advance the development of the Base in three key areas:
1. Leveraging Its Think Tank Role: Closely aligned with the Party and the country's overall priorities, the Center will fully exercise its think tank functions to meet the strategic needs of advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization. Focusing on critical issues such as the rights to subsistence and development, protection of economic and social rights, digital human rights, and global human rights governance, it will conduct in-depth research on basic theories and applied strategies. The Center aims to provide theoretical support and policy recommendations for advancing the comprehensive development of China's human rights cause, contribute to developing China's human rights discourse, and support international human rights dialogue.
2. Building a Distinctive Institutional Brand: Rooted in the university's disciplinary strengths, the Center will establish a unique human rights research brand with a clear financial and economic identity. Drawing on its core strengths in Law, Economics, and Management, it will focus on interdisciplinary areas including economic and social rights, the human rights implications of fiscal and economic policies, the "Five Priority Areas of Finance" and human rights protection, and business environment and human rights safeguards. It will develop distinct research agendas under the framework of "Human Rights + Economy".
3. Pursuing High-Impact Research Outcomes: Adhering to a problem-driven approach and prioritizing theoretical innovation, the Center is committed to producing high-level research. Focusing on cutting-edge issues such as the human rights dimensions of macroeconomic governance and rights protection mechanisms for an efficient market and a capable government, it will generate rigorous, influential findings. The Center will actively publish in leading academic journals, undertake national research projects, and engage in international scholarly exchanges to enhance its academic standing and policy impact.
