On March 29, 2026, the Seminar on the New Book Ecological Institutionalism in Politics was successfully held at Renmin University of China (Zhongguancun Campus). The seminar was hosted by Chenghai Institute of Global Development and Security. It invited experts from universities including Peking University, Renmin University of China, Tsinghua University, Beijing Foreign Studies University, University of International Business and Economics, and Peking University Press, to discuss the academic contributions, policy values and development prospects of "ecological institutionalism", focusing on such issues as discourse system, disciplinary development and theoretical exploration. Huang Yuxing, Professor of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China moderated the seminar.
Zhao Kejing, Author of Ecological Institutionalism in Politics, and Professor of the Department of International Relations at Tsinghua Universitry, delievered a keynote speech. Tracing back to the disciplinary origin, Professor Zhao Kejin pointed out that, as an ancient discipline serving the nation, political science has always centered its core concern on exploring the path to achieving an ideal political life. Since modern times, political science has been deeply influenced by scientism, and its research paradigm has long been confined to the dichotomous framework of agency and structure. Although this trend has promoted the standardization of disciplinary development, it has largely neglected the external ecological foundation on which human beings and society depend for survival. In response, the book attempts to introduce an "ecological" dimension into institutional research, seeking to identify a deeper matching relationship between institutional fulcrums and ecological foundations.
Professor Zhao Kejin elaborated on the theoretical framework and logical deduction of "ecological institutionalism". He pointed out that, as a balancing point between individuals and society, institutions are not neutral and directly shape the formation of political order. The "ecology" advocated by ecological institutionalism is not a mere environmental concept, but an integrated system of materiality, time and space, from which three basic laws can be summarized: First, institutions create order, which inherits the explanatory power of mainstream institutionalism over political phenomena. Second, ecology selects institutions, which analyzes the selective effect of ecological systems on institutional design by examining key variables such as resource scarcity and ecological openness. Third, path determines direction, holding that a specific ecological niche defines the initial path choice and generates long-term path dependence.
In terms of theoretical and empirical examination, Professor Zhao effectively demonstrated the impact of ecology on institutional operation through a comparative analysis of political cases both in China and abroad. He emphasized that the effectiveness of institutions generally depends on their compatibility with the local political ecology, and the non-replicable nature of ecology accounts for the divergent outcomes commonly seen in institutional transplantation. The traditional Chinese political form was highly stable, as its institutional design was, at a deep logical level, consistent with the fundamental relationship between humans and nature. In his conclusion, Professor Zhao acknowledged that ecological institutionalism is still in the initial stage of theoretical exploration, and further refinement is needed in the conceptual measurement of ecological systems, empirical research, and specific governance cases, so as to further advance the construction and improvement of an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese political science.
Yang Guangbin, Director-general of Chenghai Institute of Global Development and Security, and Dean of the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, highly recommended the book, and pointed out that it revitalizes traditional institutionalist research and shares a similar insight with historical politics in uncovering the laws governing civilizational evolution. On the one hand, due to initial differences in geographical ecology, Eastern and Western civilizations have respectively evolved institutional traditions of "great unification" and "pluralism" in the Great Divergence. On the other hand, once institutions take shape, they in turn reshape ecology, exhibiting strong path dependence and stability. Such ecology-locked civilizational forms underpin the fundamental differences in the political logics of the East and the West.
Wang Zhengyi, Director of the Academic Committee, and Professor of the School of International Studies at Peking University, fully affirmed the theoretical contributions of the new book and demonstrated the explanatory power of "ecological institutionalism" from three dimensions—power structure, central-local relations, and social mobility—by drawing on both Chinese and foreign political traditions. Professor Wang emphasized that the legitimacy of power distribution, central-local relations, and elite-mass relations are three long-standing structural issues in world history. They play a pivotal role particularly in the inheritance and evolution of China's political tradition, and ecological institutionalism offers a systematic perspective for understanding the institutional resilience embedded in this historical logic.
Xie Tao, Dean and Professor of the School of International Studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, pointed out that the new book addresses four major current propositions: first, it responds to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind; second, it responds to the construction of China's autonomous knowledge system; third, it responds to Chinese-style modernization; and fourth, it responds to mainstream Western political science. Professor Xie further addressed that in the future, "political leadership" should be embedded in the framework as a core variable to elaborate on its pivotal role in order creation and institutional transformation, so as to further enhance the theory's realistic explanatory power and universal significance.
Dai Changzheng, Dean of the School of International Relations, Dean of the Institute of National Security and Governance, and Professor of University of International Business and Economics, highly recognized the new book's major breakthroughs over existing theories, shifting the focus of research on political systems from static structures to dynamic mechanisms, with greater attention to the internal operation of institutions within specific ecological contexts. Meanwhile, Professor Dai also emphasized the need to clarify the theoretical boundaries and focus research on the internal structures and relations of political systems, so as to avoid excessive expansion that would weaken its explanatory power. Finally, Professor Dai argued that follow-up studies should further refine the logical framework of the theory, with the aim of developing an irreplaceable Chinese political science theory to provide guidance for global governance and world order.
Liang Lu, Editor of the Peking University Press, shared the behind-the-scenes story of the new book's publication from a publishing perspective. Editor Liang noted that the author maintains a firm political stance and the manuscript features solid academic content. The publication process epitomizes Professor Zhao's academic integrity, research competence, and spirit of collaboration. Meanwhile, the book's publication actively responds to national strategies and serves as a robust practice in building China's autonomous knowledge system and promoting the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences.
During the open discussion session, faculty and students from Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Peking University and other universities took turns exchanging views and conducting discussions with the participating guests on such topics as institutional migration, ecological mechanisms, disciplinary development, and policy practice. The conference concluded successfully in a warm atmosphere, making positive contributions to advancing the construction of an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese political science and promoting the prosperity and development of philosophy and social sciences.