Warton Economic Institute (WEI), formerly known as the Shanghai Institute of Economic Development established in 1988 , is the first consulting agency in China to conduct all-round and comprehensive research on macroeconomics, regional economy and enterprise development. It is a well-known economic think tank in China. Since its establishment more than 20 years ago, the Institute has successively planned and facilitated a series of major projects related to national strategy, regional development and enterprise growth, and made outstanding contributions to promoting China's economic reform and development.

In April 1988, with the care and support of former Shanghai Mayor Wang Daohan, and with the approval of the then Shanghai Municipal Government, the Shanghai Institute of Economic Development was formally established, with Shen Hanyao as the director. The Shanghai Economic Development Research Institute was restructured and renamed the Warton Economic Institute in 2003, and at the same time registered and established Shanghai Warton Economic Management Consulting Firm.

Many well-known experts and scholars have successively served as the leaders of the Institute. Mr. Yu Guangyuan, a Chinese economics leader, was the honorary dean of the Institute, Mr. Wang Daohan, the former mayor of Shanghai, and Merton Miller, the Nobel Prize winner in economics, he used to be a consultant of the research institute. Mr. Gao Shangquan, a famous economist and former deputy director of the National Economic Reform Commission, is currently the consultant of the research institute, and Mr. Shen Hanyao, winner of the Sun Yefang Economics Prize, is the dean.

Since its establishment, the institute has been mainly engaged in economic research, management consulting, forum and conference affairs, etc., and has presided over and completed hundreds of various projects and research reports, and has cooperated with many national governments, well-known research institutions, well-known enterprises, local governments, and industry associations. maintain close cooperation.

The Institute has successively completed a number of major projects related to national strategies, submitted hundreds of research reports to the party and state leaders, published more than 100 academic papers, and received numerous approval and important instructions from party and state leaders, such as Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, Wen Jiabao, Zhu Rongji, Yu Zhengsheng, Li Yuanchao, etc., including research on China's labor and employment (the concept of "hidden unemployment" was proposed for the first time, and won the Sun Yefang Economics Award), research on Pudong Development and Hangzhou Bay Development, research on China's securities market, and research on China's futures market , the development of the Greater Hongqiao, foreign exchange reserve strategy research, Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center research, Chuzhou Science and Technology City research and other topics have had a broad and far-reaching impact on China.

The institute also provides consulting services for many regional governments and enterprises, including Jiangsu green industry development plan, Shanghai new energy industry plan, Suzhou textile industry development strategy plan, Baosteel Group non-steel industry development plan, China Eastern Airlines Group merger and reorganization strategy, China National Gold Group's internationalization strategy, etc., and has been hired as a consultant by many local governments and enterprises. The institute has also provided planning and consulting services for internationally renowned companies such as JPMorgan Chase in the United States, McKinsey, Mori Consortium in Japan, Allianz in Germany, Sinar Mas Group in Indonesia, and Li Ka Shing Consortium in Hong Kong, and established cooperative relations with them.

The Institute has also established and hosted a series of high-level economic forums at home and abroad, such as the China-Malaysia Summit Forum attended by the Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers of China and Malaysia, and the Modern Market Economy Forum attended by many high-level government officials, well-known experts, scholars and entrepreneurs, etc. . In addition, since 2001, the institute has hosted 21 consecutive China Business Top 100 Listed Companies Summit Forums in succession, and since 2015 has hosted two China Business Top 100 Cities Comprehensive Development Forums. It is currently working with partners from the United States, Australia, Germany and other countries to prepare for high-end conferences such as the China-US Economic Cooperation Forum, the China-Australia Economic Summit Forum, and the China-Germany Top 100 Industrial Development Summit Forum.