Nankai Institute of Economics (NKIE) is world famous research-oriented institution and has a quite long history.  It was established on 1927. Its origin can trace back to the commission of social and economic studies of NanKai University. This commission was established on the behalf of the suggestion of Professor Lian He. He acquired his ph.D in economics from Yale University. With the supporting of the President of Nankai University, Bo Ling Zhang, Nankai Institute of Economics was founded officially on September 10, 1927. Professor Lian He was the first director of NKIE.

Under the leadership of Professor Lian He, NKIE had already achieved a lot. The price index of NKIE is still renowned both at home and abroad. Since China opening-up, NKIE has become one of the most well-known economic institutions and training bases of economics talents in China. A number of renowned economists have been appointed as directors, including Professor Teng Weizao, Professor Gu Shutang, Professor Qian Rongkun, Professor Xiong Xingmei, Professor Chen Zongsheng, Professor Zhou Liqun and Professor Liu Xin.

The disciplines of NKIE embrace both theoretical economics and applied economics, which are the first-level national key disciplines of China. It is consist of political economics, Western economics, history of economic thoughts, economic history, industrial economics and regional economics, three of which are national key disciplines of China.

The institute has attracted many outstanding talents who have been determined to devote themselves to economics teaching and research. There are currently 28 full-time research fellows, including 15 professors (researchers), 7 associate professors (associate researchers) and 7 lecturers (assistant researchers). All of them have Ph.d Degree in Economics. Most of them have experiences of overseas study and cooperative research with the top scholars around the world. NKIE also undertakes many national key research projects as well as provincial and international research projects. It has published hundreds of monographs and over a thousand papers, many of which have won awards at national and provincial level of China.

NKIE was the first institution to have master program of economics among China’s universities and colleges. It is also the first institution can grant master and doctor degrees to students since China`s opening-up. It also has a postdoctoral research program in economics .Now NKIE recruits 30 Ph.D. students, 30 masters and 5 postdoctoral researchers every year. The institute has trained masters and doctors who are currently at the forefront of economic theory research and China’s economic development. No matter what positions are these students, they are all adhering to the tradition ethos of NKIE which is pragmatic and contribute to the development of China’s economy. 

For its 90 years of development, NKIT strives to be the world top institution in the fields of economics. It tries to enrich our understandings of economics by means of studying China economics development thoroughly with unique Chinese Characters.  It also tries to be the top think tank of China which can provide stimulating and practical advisory reports for various level of local government of China.