The OHCG was established at ECUST on September 22nd, 2019. Named after Oliver Hart, 2016 Nobel Prize laureate in Economic Sciences and Professor of Economics at Harvard University, the Center was co-founded by ECUST with economists from other top universities including Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, and East China Normal University. Oliver Hart, Honorary Professor of ECUST, serves as the director of the Center. In 2023, he has been appointed as the chairman of the first Strategic Advisory Committee of the Business School at ECUST.
OHCG comprises full-time and part-time researchers. The Center studies major economic issues initiated by China and topics with typical Chinese characteristics yet holding global implications. It also focuses on the global cases that possess highly practical value in China.
The Center aims to conduct fundamental, applied, and policy-oriented research in economics. Its key research areas include: Contract Theory based on enterprises, industries, business parks, and urban-rural regions; Organizational Economics; Law & Economics; ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) & Corporate Governance; Digital Economy & Industry (Organization, Chain, Space) Governance; Public Service & Social governance; Resource-Environment & Energy-Carbon Governance; Territorial Spatial Governance; Spatial Governance in Urban & Rural Areas; Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cyberspace Governance; as well as experimental and empirical research related to the above areas.
Currently, the Executive Director of the Center is Yuming WU, professor from the Department of Economics, School of Business, ECUST. The Deputy Director of the Center is Shicheng JIANG, Associate Professor also from the Department of Economics, School of Business, ECUST.
