(1) Introduction to the institute of ecological civilization
Institute of Ecological Civilization (hereinafter referred to as the institute) is an entity research organization set up independently in Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics in September 2016. Compelling with the goals of Ecological Civilization Construction and Green Development, the institute was founded to satisfy the strategic needs of national ecological civilization pilot area construction in Jiangxi Province. The institute is established through integrating Jiangxi 2011 collaborative innovation center——Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangxi Ecological Civilization System Construction. Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangxi Ecological Civilization System Construction was successfully selected into the Chinese Think Tank Index （CTTI） Source List. At present, there are one doctoral and two master’s degree authorization centers for population, resource and environmental economics, and land resources and ecological economics. The institute has a strong research team led by well-known scholars with a reasonable age structure, knowledge structure, professional title structure and educational background structure. At present, there are 15 full-time researchers. The first dean of the Institute is Professor XIE Hualin, doctoral supervisor.
From perspectives of territorial space optimization, resource conservation promotion, ecological environment preservation and green system perfection, research work of the institute is centered on ecological economy, ecological environment, ecological life, ecological society, ecological system and ecological civilization construction etc. The institute has undertaken and completed more than 20 projects (including 1 major project and 2 key projects) sponsored by the National Social Science Foundation of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, over 50 provincial and ministerial projects, and published over 150 papers in academic journals, of which over 60 were included in SCI or SSCI. The institute actively participates in serving local economic construction, and has done a lot of work in fields such as Jiangxi ecological civilization construction, green development, territorial space planning, circular economy and rural construction consultation, and many research reports have received high praise from the main leaders of Provincial Party Committee and Provincial Government.
(2) Introduction to Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangxi Ecological Civilization System Construction
Collaborative Innovation Center of Jiangxi Ecological Civilization System Construction (hereinafter referred to as center) is the provincial 2011 collaborative innovation center approved by the education department of Jiangxi province in August 2015. Led by Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, collaborated with Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Science, Development and Reform Commission of Jiangxi Province, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Development and Governance Committee for Mountains and Lakes of Jiangxi Province and Institute of Environmental Protection of Jiangxi Province, the center is a comprehensive new Think-Tank integrating scientific research, social services and personnel training.
Development Targets: The center aims to establish a provincial and domestic leading innovative platform for ecological civilization system. Integrating front-end basic research of ecological economic development, resource and environment protection, basic laws of ecological finance and taxation, middle-end research of ecological civilization system, rear-end decision-making on ecological civilization construction as a synergy innovation network, the center establish a domestic leading ecological civilization construction platform. A group of leading talents has been attracted and a disciplinary group on research of the construction of ecological civilization system has been formed in the center. Presently we have achieved a number of innovative achievements and cultivate innovative talents who are engaged in research on ecological civilization and green development. With the formation of the innovation system of research on ecological civilization system, being the Think-Tank that lead the construction of ecological civilization demonstration area, the center has become a high level production base for achievements in the field of ecological civilization research in China and training and pooling base for top-quality talents.
Tasks of Collaborative Innovations: Focusing on the national strategic demand of establishing ecological civilization demonstration area of Jiangxi Province, attracting first-class scientists and research teams in fields of applied economics, theoretical economics, public administration, geography, ecology, management science and engineering etc. cooperating with related colleges, universities, institutes, government departments and enterprises etc. the center has become the Think-Tank platform for ecological civilization demonstration area of Jiangxi Province. Major innovation tasks are as follow: (1) explore ways to improve the main functional area and the protecting system of “ecological red line”;(2) explore the establishment of ecological compensation mechanism;(3) innovate ecological finance and taxation system;(4)improve the management and protection system for rivers and lakes;(5) explore the establishment of green GDP accounting system;(6) explore the establishment of appraisal system for ecological civilization construction;(7)explore the property system for natural resources;(8)improve the system for land use control;(9) establish the monitoring and warning mechanism for carrying capacity of resource and environment;(10) compile the balance sheet of natural resources.
Leading university: Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics
Cooperated institutes: Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Science; Development and Reform Commission of Jiangxi Province; Jiangxi Agricultural University; Development and Governance Committee for Mountains and Lakes of Jiangxi Province; Institute of Environmental Protection of Jiangxi Province.