Introduction

The Energy and Climate Policy Research Center is a college-level research institute established in 2023. It is mainly oriented to four research directions: performance evaluation of existing energy and environmental policies; petroleum asset pricing and forecasting; mechanisms of carbon trading and carbon emission reduction; and, digital economy and energy and environment management.

Aiming at meeting the national strategic needs and implementing the government decisions, the research center has gathered strong research forces from home and abroad who are committed to energy and climate policy research. The members of the center have undertaken over 10 projects in related field, including youth projects, key projects, and general projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, as well as major and general projects supported by the National Social Science Foundation. The researchers have won dozens of national and provincial-level honors for prominent young talents and leading personnel in sci-tech innovation, as well as supports from the provincial foundations for outstanding young researchers.

Structural Organization

The members of the center can be divided into two parts: the basic research teams and specially-appointed experts. The basic research teams include faculty members and graduate students from the HNU Business School and HNU School of Economics and Trade. The specially-appointed experts are renowned Chinese and foreign scholars hired by the center who are specialized in relevant fields of energy and climate policy.

Major members of the center:

Director: Zhang Yuejun

Distinguished professor of the national high-level talent program of the Ministry of Education and vice dean of HNU Business School

Deputy Director: Liu Zhao

Vice dean of HNU Business School

Secretary: Liu Jingyue

Associate professor of HNU Business School

Plans and Expected Results for the Coming 3 to 5 Years:

1. Professional Knowledge and Model Methods

In the coming 3-5 years, the Energy and Climate Policy Research Center will be committed to achieving important outcomes in such directions as: performance evaluation of energy and environmental policies, oil asset pricing and forecasting, carbon trading and carbon emission reduction mechanism, and digital economy and energy and environment management. Specifically, it will establish a comprehensive energy and environmental policy evaluation index system, carry out research on the evaluation of the effect of key policies, and establish a policy evaluation database platform to realize long-term monitoring and dynamic adjustment of the effects of the policies. In addition, the research center will conduct in-depth research on the trends of the global oil market, propose targeted oil asset pricing models, and carry out innovative prediction studies on oil demand. In terms of carbon trading and carbon emission reduction mechanism, it will put forward an improved plan for establishing the carbon trading system, and accelerate the realization of China's carbon emission reduction target based on the international experience of carbon emission reduction mechanism. At the same time, it will strive to advance the application of digital technology in energy and environmental management, promote crossover research in the fields of digital economy and energy and environmental management, and propose new models of digital management, so as to improve resource utilization efficiency and environmental protection level. The research outcomes will help improve the academic influence at home and abroad and social service capacity of the center, and make important contributions to scientific decision-making on energy and climate policies and implementation of the sustainable development goals in China.

2. Research Projects

The center will strive to lead one major project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation or the National Social Science Foundation; or, one key project of philosophy and social science research subject supported by the Ministry of Education; or, one major national science and technology project; or, one national key R&D project. It will make efforts to get the approval for establishing a national natural science innovation researcher group; or a national basic science center; or a key laboratory or a humanities and social sciences base of the Ministry of Education; or an innovation research center of the Ministry of Science and Technology; or a sci-tech innovation group of the Ministry of Science and Technology. It plans to preside over research on one or two subjects of the key projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation or the National Social Science Foundation, or the national key R&D projects; and, five general or youth projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation or the National Social Science Foundation.

3. Publications

The center will strive to publish 15 to 20 papers in leading domestic and international academic journals in the field of energy and environmental policy management. Among them, two papers will be published on the A1-class journals designated by the school; three papers on the A2-class English journals designated by the school; and, five papers on Management World, Journal of Management Science and Engineering (Chinese version), Economic Research Journal, Jiushi Journal, or People's Daily (Theory Column). All the publications mentioned above should be published with the status of the first or corresponding authors. In addition, the center plans to publish two influential monographs, translated books, or dictionaries by the China Science Publishing & Media Ltd., with the status of the first author, which will be cited by at least five professors from the universities involved in the "985 Project" (excluding Hunan University).

4. Honors

The center will strive to win one national scientific research award, or one second prize or above of the Outstanding Achievement Award for Research (Humanities and Social Sciences) in Institutes of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, with a ranking of first place. It will strive to gain two of the following wards: second prize or above of the Outstanding Achievement Award for Research (Science and Technology) in Institutes of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education, or Hunan Provincial Science and Technology Award, or Hunan Provincial Award for Outstanding Social Sciences Achievements; or, third prize or youth prize of the Outstanding Achievement Award for Research (Humanities and Social Sciences) in Institutes of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education; or, second prize of the Hunan Provincial Teaching Achievement Award, with the status of first author.

5. Policy Advisory Reports

The center will compile 6 to 9 policy advisory reports as the first author, based on scientific researches and the trends of China's "dual-carbon" goal strategic demands and energy and climate policies. These reports are anticipated to be commented by the leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state (or be accepted by the Party and government offices in the official documents), or accepted by the national philosophy and social science planning authority in its internal publications. The reports aim to provide advices for the government decision making in improving the energy and climate policies and boost the implementation of the "dual carbon" goal.

6. Talent Cultivation

The center will enroll a national high-level young scholar and five full-time teachers, and cultivate five full-time post-doctors, and 10 doctoral and 10-15 master students. The teachers will strive to guide the students, as their first instructors, to win one gold medal (first prize) in the China International Colleges Students "Internet+" Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, or the China College Students' Entrepreneurship Competition, or the "Challenge Cup" serial competitions.