his research interests include public policy theories, science & technology policy, environment and climate policy, and public governance in transitional china. he is the author of the politics of expertise in china (2019), the rise of think tanks in china (2013), reform and opening-up and contemporary think tanks in china (chinese, 2018), expert involvement in policy changes (chinese, 2012), and china's think tanks: their influences in the policy process (chinese, 2009), and has published over thirty english articles in journal of public administration research and theory, public administration review, governance, public administration, policy studies journal, the china quarterly, policy sciences, public management review, environmental and planning c, administration & society, journal of contemporary china, journal of comparative policy analysis, asian survey, energy policy, and other international journals and dozens of articles in chinese journals such as social sciences in china, sociological studies, and management world, which are highly prestigious academic journals in respective fields.
he was nominated by united nations secretary-general antónio guterres and appointed by the economic and social council as a member of the un committee for development policy (cdp). he serves as vice president of the chines public administrative society, general secretary of the china public management association, executive council member and co-chair of the sdg working committee of the network of schools of public policy, affairs, and administration (naspaa). he also serves as regional editor of asian journal of political sciences, associate editor of journal of comparative policy analysis, and editorial board memberships for other ten international journals such as public administration, policy sciences, perspectives on public management & governance, journal of contemporary china, and so on. he has won many national academic awards including the china national science fund for distinguished young scholars of china (2016), the youth award of management science in china (2014), the national program for support of top-notch young professionals (2012), and the national outstanding youth fund (2013). he was the winner of “best comparative policy paper award for 2012” of the american society for public administration (aspa) and the “naschold award for excellence in scholarship in public management” at the 2017 annual conference of the international public management network. he was also selected as harvard yenching scholar by the harvard yenching institute in 2008.
books
zhu, xufeng, jing zhao, yuan kong, digital advocacy: chinese and global think tanks in the new media era《数字倡导：新媒体时代的中国与全球智库》，beijing: social science literature press, 2022.
zhu, xufeng, the politics of expertise in china. london and new york: routledge, 2019.
zhu, xufeng, reform & opening-up and think tanks in contemporary china. 《改革开放与当代中国智库》，beijing: china renmin university press, 2018.
zhu, xufeng, the rise of think tanks in china. london and new york: routledge, 2013.
zhu, xufeng, expert participation in policy changes. 《政策变迁中的专家参与》, beijing: china renmin university press, 2012. (translated and published in korea in 2014.)
zhu, xufeng, china’s think tanks: their influence in the policy process. 《中国思想库：政策过程中的影响力研究》，beijing: tsinghua university press, 2009.
selected english papers
zhu, xufeng & juan du, my superior’s appreciation, my subordinates’ promotion: experimental evidence of a promotion decision model of middle-level bureaucrats in china, international public management journal, forthcoming.
xiao, shiyang & xufeng zhu, bureaucratic control and strategic compliance: how do subnational governments implement central guidelines in china? journal of public administration research and theory, vol. 32, no. 2, 342–359, 2022.
zhu, xufeng & hui zhao, experimentalist governance with interactive central–local relations: making new pension policies in china, policy studies journal, vol. 49, no. 1, 13-36, 2021.
zhang, youlang, & xufeng zhu. the moderating role of top-down supports in horizontal innovation diffusion. public administration review vol. 80, no. 2, 209–221, 2020.
zhang, youlang & xufeng zhu, career cohorts and inter-jurisdictional innovation diffusion: an empirical exploration in china, international public management journal, vol. 23, no. 3, 421-441, 2020.
zhu, xufeng, & guihua bai, policy synthesis through regional experimentations: comparative study of the new cooperative medical scheme in three chinese provinces, journal of comparative policy analysis, vol. 22, no. 4, 320–343, 2020.
zhu, xufeng, think tanks in politically-embedded knowledge regimes: does “revolving door” matter in china? international review of administrative sciences, vol. 86, no. 2, 295–315, 2020.
zhu, xufeng, & youlang zhang, comparison of policy experiments: practices in asia, journal of comparative policy analysis, vol. 22, no. 4, 275–280, 2020.
zhu, xufeng & tianguang meng, geographical leadership mobility and policy isomorphism: narrowing the regional inequality of social spending in china, policy studies journal, vol. 48, no. 3, 806–832, 2020.
zhang, youlang & xufeng zhu, multiple mechanisms of policy diffusion in china, public management review, vol. 21, no. 4, 495–514, 2019.
zhu, xufeng & youlang zhang, diffusion of marketization innovation with administrative centralization in a multilevel system: evidence from china, journal of public administration research and theory, vol. 29, no. 1, 133–150, 2019.
zhu, xufeng & hui zhao, recognition of innovation and diffusion of welfare policy: alleviating urban poverty in chinese cities during fiscal recentralization, governance, vo. 31, 721–739, 2018.
xue, lan, xufeng zhu, & wanqu han, embracing scientific decision making: the rise of think tank policies in china, pacific affairs, vol. 91, no. 1, 49–71, 2018.
zhu, xufeng. executive entrepreneurship, career mobility and the transfer of policy paradigms, journal of comparative policy analysis, vol. 20, no. 4, 354–369, 2018.
zhu, xufeng & youlang zhang. political mobility and dynamic diffusion of innovation: the spread of municipal pro-business administrative reform in china, journal of public administration research and theory, vol. 26, no. 3, 535–551, 2016.
zhu, xufeng. in the name of ‘citizens’: civic activism and policy entrepreneurship of chinese public intellectuals in the hu-wen era. journal of contemporary china, vol. 25, no. 101, 745–759, 2016.
chien, crison, xufeng zhu, & tingjia chen, self-learning through teaching: singapore's land development policy transfer experience in china, environment and planning c: government and policy, vol. 33, no.6, 1639 – 1656, 2015.
zhu, xufeng & peipei zhang, intrinsic motivation and expert behavior: roles of individual experts in wenling participatory budgeting reform in china, administration & society, vol. 48, no. 7, 851–882, 2016.
zhu, xufeng, “mandate vs. championship: vertical government intervention and diffusion of innovation in public services in authoritarian china”, public management review, vol. 16, no. 1, 117–139, 2014.
zhu, xufeng, “correspondence: carbon emissions: learn from china's local pilot schemes”, nature, vol. 502, 38, 3 october 2013.
zhu, xufeng, “policy change and expert involvement in china”, public administration, vol. 91, no. 2, 281–302, 2013.
zhu, xufeng, “rebuilding government credibility in chinese environmental resident activism”, environmental science and technology, vol. 46, no. 3, 1303–1304, 2012.
zhu, xufeng & chao zhang, “reducing information asymmetry in the power industry: mandatory and voluntary information disclosure regulations of sulfur dioxide emission”, energy policy, vol. 45, no. 6, 704–713, 2012.
zhu, xufeng, “government advisors or public advocates? roles of think tanks from the perspective of regional variations”, the china quarterly, vol. 207, 668–686,2011.
25.zhu, xufeng, “correspondence: emissions: taking a collaborative lead will work better”, nature, vol. 462, 720 (10 december 2009)
zhu, xufeng, “making guanxi more influential: bureau chiefs and policy experts in the chinese policy decision-making process” the china review, vol. 9, no. 2 (fall), 129–155, 2009.
zhu, xufeng & bing sun. “tianjin binhai new area: a case study of multi-level streams model of chinese decision-making”, journal of chinese political science, vol. 14, no. 2, 191–211, 2009.
zhu, xufeng. “the influence of think tanks in the chinese policy process: different ways and mechanisms”, asian survey, vol. 49, no. 2, 333–357, 2009.
zhu, xufeng, “strategy of chinese policy entrepreneurs in the third sector: challenges of “technical infeasibility” policy sciences, vol. 41, no. 4. 315–334, 2008.
zhu, xufeng & lan xue. “think tanks in transitional china.” public administration and development, vol. 27, no. 5. 452–464, 2007.