[talk about the construction of think tanks during the 14th Five Year Plan period ④] The recently issued "national development plan for philosophy and social sciences during the 14th Five Year Plan period" (hereinafter referred to as the "plan") proposes to strive to build a number of new think tanks with important decision-making influence, social influence and international influence, so as to provide support for promoting scientific and democratic decision-making according to law, promoting the modernization of national governance system and governance capacity, promoting high-quality economic and social development, and improving national soft power. Colleges and universities are an important force in the "five way army" of philosophy and Social Sciences in China. For the majority of University think tanks, the key to achieving this goal proposed in the plan is to promote the development of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics with the help of "one body and two wings", that is, with high-quality research as one, brand activities and think tank diplomacy as two wings, comprehensively improve the comprehensive influence of think tanks, better serve national decision-making, lead public opinion and help the construction of international discourse system. The following is a brief analysis of the construction practice of the national development and Strategy Institute of Renmin University of China (hereinafter referred to as "the National Development Institute of the National People's Congress"). Take high-quality research as the lifeline to enhance the influence of decision-making Service decision-making is the core goal of the construction of new think tanks with Chinese characteristics, and high-quality research and high-level achievements are an important basis for think tanks to improve their decision-making service capabilities. Although the majority of think tanks mainly do countermeasure research, think tank research must always be based on deep academic research, otherwise it will become "water without a source and trees without roots". In this sense, the high-quality research of think tanks is endogenous in the process of transforming from the traditional academic research mechanism to the operation mechanism of think tanks, and this mechanism transformation and institutional innovation undoubtedly provide a basic guarantee for the high-quality research of think tanks. In this regard, University think tanks have natural advantages, and they should also make full use of and give full play to this advantage to improve the ability and ability of service decision-making. Specifically, first, we should give full play to the advantages of first-class disciplines and high-quality research resources in Colleges and universities, and carry out collaborative research. University think tanks should combine advantageous disciplines and advantageous research resources, focus on the core research fields to carry out collaborative innovation, focus on major theoretical issues in the scientific, physical and chemical logic, focus on major practical issues in the theoretical system, strengthen theoretical interpretation in grasping the overall situation, promote theoretical innovation in boosting practice, and strengthen ideological guidance in serving the people. The second is to focus on major issues that need to be solved urgently in the decision-making of the party and the government. Actively respond to national strategic needs, carry out forward-looking, targeted and reserve policy research, strive to improve the ability of comprehensive research and strategic planning, and provide advice for national development. Third, take root in China, strengthen grassroots research, and carry out research on "facing the real world directly". We should do a good job in practical research based on national conditions and facing the grass-roots level, integrate local experience and typical cases into policy analysis, and truly produce high-level think tank achievements with policy value while improving researchers' awareness of problems. Fourth, build a high-quality think tank talent system to support high-level research. University think tanks can rely on the natural advantage of talent intensive universities to establish an operation mode of "core platform + expert network", and build a flexible and efficient research team with "small platform, large network", so as to produce high-quality results. In the future, the National Development Institute of the National People's Congress will continue to gather high-quality research resources from 14 first-class disciplines, encourage interdisciplinary research, constantly innovate institutional mechanisms, gather a number of first-class think tank scholars, and produce a number of first-class think tank achievements. Focus on brand activities to enhance social influence Thoughts and opinions are the first elements of the formation of the academic influence of think tanks, but thoughts or opinions themselves are not the direct elements of the social influence of think tanks. Only when thoughts or opinions give full play to the role of guiding practice and promoting development, and correctly answer the urgent problems raised by reality, will thoughts or opinions be concerned by society and social influence appear. The depth and breadth of the think tank's ideas or views can be accepted by the public determines the social influence of the think tank. If the ideas or opinions of think tanks are based on professional, independent, innovative and strategic analysis, it will be relatively easy to obtain the recognition and trust of the public, so as to realize the social influence of think tanks. At present, adhering to and developing the theory and practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics has raised a large number of new problems that need to be solved urgently. The social influence of think tanks should be improved by taking branding as the goal, combining the characteristics of think tanks' achievements and the law of social communication, and building a "product chain" and "communication chain" of think tanks with brand activities as the core. Specifically, the first is to strengthen the construction of think tank brand activities. New think tanks with Chinese characteristics should always bear in mind the mission of the times. Think tank activities lie not in many, but in "refinement", in putting forward correct ideas or forward-looking views, responding to the urgent needs of the people, and serving the important affairs of the party and the "National Congress". The second is to establish a team of brand experts. Make full use of the valuable expert resources and talent pool of colleges and universities, establish and dynamically manage the expert pool, implement a regular contact mechanism, focus on and track major national strategic issues, hot and difficult issues, strengthen accurate and in-depth solicitation, promote the upgrading of think tank product quality with the improvement of expert reputation, research quality, response speed, etc., guide public opinion, and enhance social influence. Third, strengthen the publishing of brand books. Combine books publishing, research reports, policy briefings and other think tank products with brand forum activities to reflect the organic combination of ideological power and influence. Fourth, actively use modern communication tools to strengthen media promotion and social publicity. Further enhance the influence of we media with the official website, wechat and Weibo as the core, finely divide the push content, operate in the form of columns, enrich visual materials, and improve the activity and brand in the public mind through visibility in major or hot events. In the future, the National Development Institute of the National People's Congress will summarize the experience of the brand of China's macroeconomic forum, incubate and cultivate professional forums of other research centers or teams, and strive to create several influential think tank forum brands at home and abroad. Take think tank diplomacy as an important carrier to enhance international influence Cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries are an important part of the party's and the country's external work, and an important way to consolidate the social public opinion foundation of Sino foreign relations and improve China's opening-up level. In recent years, as an important subject of people to people and cultural exchanges, a large number of new think tanks have been active on the international stage, contributing wisdom and strength to telling the Chinese story well, improving the national cultural soft power, achieving global common development, and promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. At present, the great changes in the world that have not been seen in a century have accelerated their evolution, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and change. There is an urgent need to answer the questions of "what's wrong with the world" and "where is mankind going". Think tank diplomacy should touch more on the practical problems faced by China or generally concerned by the outside world, increase the relevance of public diplomacy, and enhance the effectiveness of think tank diplomacy. The promotion of the international influence of think tanks must be based on specialization. For University think tanks, the promotion of think tank diplomacy can be started from the following four aspects. First, improve the level of consultative research on international strategic issues. Closely follow the trend of world change and development, carry out forward-looking and reserve research on the geopolitics, development trends, national security and the trend of major country relations of major countries in the world, and give full play to the role of University think tanks in international strategic research in multiple dimensions. Second, actively cooperate with home diplomacy and important high-level visits, and continue to carry out public diplomacy activities of think tanks with great influence. Build a bridge between experts and scholars and major national foreign affairs activities, actively promote experts and scholars to conduct field research abroad, strengthen international cooperation in the field of national research, and expand partnerships. Third, serve the construction of the "the Belt and Road". Based on countries, we should work in both directions to provide more reliable and effective countermeasures and suggestions for the high-quality development of the "the Belt and Road". Fourth, strengthen overseas publicity and media promotion. The websites and publications of think tanks are an important way for overseas people to understand China and new think tanks with Chinese characteristics. Think tanks in Colleges and universities should pay attention to the construction of external communication channels, and improve their popularity and reputation abroad by improving websites and social media communication channels, publishing excellent translations and works, and establishing a database of overseas Chinese research experts. In the future, the National Development Institute of the National People's Congress will devote itself to accurately grasp the changes of the world with an international vision and forward-looking thinking, and do a good job of policy research and decision-making consultation closely around the overall situation of the work of the party and the state. Author: Yan Jinming (executive dean of national development and Strategy Research Institute, Renmin University of China) (outlook new era)