DAI Yixin-School of Public Policy and Management of Tsinghua University

Yixin Dai is an Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University. Her research focuses on environmental governance, collaborative governance, innovation policy, renewable energy, and general theories of public administration. Her current work investigates both the evolution of collaborative relationships among multiple stakeholders in addressing “wicked problems” and the role of policy instrument mixes in facilitating such collaboration, with empirical cases drawn from China’s environmental governance and digital transformation efforts. Her research has been published in leading journals including Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JPAM), Governance, Public Administration, Environmental Management, Climate Policy, Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, and Energy Policy. She serves as a board member of Public Administration, Associate Co-Editor of the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, and Topic Editor for MDPI journals. She leads or co-leads several research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Social Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Cyrus Tang Foundation. She is also actively involving in international research collaborations. She earned her Ph.D. from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and joined Tsinghua University in 2007. Prior to that, she was a lecturer at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville from 2006 to 2007.

EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Public Administration 2007 Syracuse University
Area of Specialization: Science and Technology Policy, Environmental Policy
Master in Public Administration 2000 Tsinghua University
Bachelor in Control Theory and Applications 1997 Tsinghua University

COURSES
Public Policy Analysis (Tsinghua University, both in Chinese and in English)

Intellectual History of Public Administration (Tsinghua University, in Chinese)

Doctoral Writing Seminar (Tsinghua University, in Chinese)

Environment and Development in China (Tsinghua University, in English)

Urban Management and Governance Seminar (Tsinghua University, in Chinese)

Referral Journal Publication (In English)

1. Sun, Y., Dai, Y. & Jin, X.* (2025). Assessing the Impact of Democratic Institutions and Administrative Capacity on National Carbon Emissions Reduction. Journal of Public Affairs: An International Journal. (ESCI, Impact factor 2.7) (accepted)

2. Zhang, H., Zhao, V.* & Dai, Y. (2025). A Co-evolutionary Framework Integrating Reputation and Network Structure for Modeling Social Influence Dynamics. IEEE Transactions on Signal and Information Processing over Networks. (SCI, Impact factor 3.0) (accepted)

3. He, L., Dai, Y. & Guo, Y.* (2025). Aligning Behavioral Assumptions Underlying Policy Instruments: A Principle for Designing Policy Mixes Targeting Behavioral Change. Public Administration (accepted and published online). https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.13057. (SSCI, Impact factor 4.3)

4. Jin, X., & Dai, Y.* (2024). Data-driven Technology, Organizational Structure, and Interdepartmental Data Sharing: The Case of Government-led Digital Projects in Guangzhou. Chinese Political Science Review. DOI:10.1007/s41111-024-00257-z (ESCI, Political Science and International Relations category (Q1), Impact factor 3.4)

5. Jin, X., & Dai, Y.* (2024). Assessing the Effectiveness of Air Pollution Control Policy Mixes: A Case from China. International Journal of Public Administration, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2024.2393338. (SCIE, Impact factor 1.8)

6. Zhou, L., & Dai, Y.* (2023). Public Acceptance of Policy Instruments: Evidence from Traffic-related Smog Control Policies in Beijing. Journal of Chinese Political Science, DOI:10.1007/s11366-023-09851-5. (SSCI, Impact factor 4.6)

7. Zhou, L., & Dai, Y.* (2023). Within the Shadow of Hierarchy: The Role of Hierarchical Interventions in Environmental Collaborative Governance. Governance-an International Journal of Policy and Administration. 36(1):187-208. (SSCI, Impact factor 2.6)

8. Zhou, L., & Dai, Y.* (2023). What is the Role of Hierarchical Interventions? Insights from the Evolution of Water Collaborative Governance in China. Environmental Management. 71, 641-654. (SSCI, Impact factor 2.7)

9. Zhou, L., & Dai, Y.* (2022). Water Governance in Yangtze River Delta, China. The Collaborative Governance Case Database. https://collaborativegovernancecasedatabase.sites.uu.nl/cases/water-governance-in-yangtze-river-delta-china/.

10. Dai, Y., Li, Y., Cheng, C. Y.*, Zhao, H., & Meng, T. (2021). Government-led or public-led? Chinese policy agenda setting during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 23(2), 157-175. (SSCI, Impact factor 3.9)

11. Dai, Y., Haakonsson, S., Oehler, L.* (2020). Catching up through green windows of opportunity in an era of technological transformation: Empirical evidence from the Chinese wind energy sector. Industrial and Corporate Change, 29(5), 1277–1295. (SSCI, Impact factor 2.8)

12. Zhou, L., & Dai, Y.* (2020). Which is more effective in China? How communication tools influence public acceptance of nuclear power energy. Energy Policy, 147, 111887. (SSCI, Impact factor 9.3)

13. Zhou, L., & Dai, Y.* (2019). The influencing factors of haze tolerance in China. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(2), 287. (SSCI, Impact factor 4.614 in2021)

14. Ely, A., Geall, S.*, & Dai, Y. (2019). Low carbon China: Emerging phenomena and implications for innovation governance: Introduction to the special section of environmental innovation and societal transitions. Environmental Innovation & Societal Transitions. 30: 1-5. (SSCI, Impact factor 5.7)

15. Dai, Y.* (2019). Policy instrument designed to gain transition legitimacy: a case of Chinese nuclear development. Environmental Innovation & Societal Transitions. 30:43-58. (SSCI, Impact factor 5.7)

16. Zhou, L., & Dai, Y.* (2017). How Smog Awareness Influences Public Acceptance of Congestion Charge Policies. Sustainability, 9(9):1579. (SSCI, Impact factor 3.3)

17. Dai, Y.*, & Xue, L. (2015). China’s policy initiatives for the development of wind energy technology. Climate Policy, 15(1): 30-57. (SSCI, Impact factor 5.3)

18. Dai, Y., Popp, D.*, Bretschneider, S. (2005), Institutions and intellectual property: The influence of institutional forces on university patenting, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 24:3, p.579. (SSCI, Impact factor 2.6)

Working Paper Series (In English)

1. Dai, Y., Haakonsson, S., Huang, P., Lema, R., Zhou, Y. (2020). The Chinese renewable energy industries and sustainable development: Catching up through green windows of opportunity. SDC International Research Report 2020: Energy & Social Science, Sino-Danish Perspectives on the Energy Transition. https://ebooks.au.dk/aul/catalog/view/395/267/1440.

2. Dai, Y., Zhou, Y., Xia, D., Ding, M., Xue, L. (2014). Innovation Path of the Chinese Wind Power Industry. DIE working paper series. 2014(32). https://www.idos-research.de/en/discussion-paper/article/the-innovation-path-of-the-chinese-wind-power-industry/.

3. Dai, Y. (2015). Who Drives Climate-relevant Policy Implementation in China? (No. IDS Evidence Report; 134). IDS working paper series. https://opendocs.ids.ac.uk/articles/report/Who_Drives_Climate-relevant_Policy_Implementation_in_China_/26450527.

Other Publications (In English)

1. Bulcourf, P., Casula, M., Dai, Y.*, & Davidson, A. (2025). Introduction to the Book Reviews Section for the Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 1–3. https://doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2025.2458374. (SSCI, Impact factor 3.9)

Referral Journal Publication (In Chinese)

1. Jin, X., & Dai, Y.* (2024). Factors Influencing Local Governments’ Data Governance Bodies: A Study and Model Exploration based on Event History Analysis of 296 Prefecture-level Cities in China[J]. Journal of Beijing Institute of Technology (Social Sciences Edition), 26(4): 176-188.

2. Dai, Y.*, Sun, Y. (2020). A Study on the Long-term Effectiveness of Collaborative Mechanism based on ICA Framework: Using Collaborative Air Pollution Control in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei as a Case. Public Administration and Policy Review, 38(4): 15-26.

3. Wang, J., Liu, Z., Dai, Y., Liao, L.* (2019). Beyond NIMBY – a study of the citizen attitude and governance mechanism. Urban Problems, 2019(2):81-88.

4. Dai, Y.*, Zhou, H. (2015). A study on the administrative implementation of the petition mechanism. China Public Administration Review, Vol. 19: 35-53.

5. Dai, Y., Hu, S.* (2014). The effect of open innovation on innovation policy making from the perspective of innovation paradigm change. Studies in Science of Science, 32(11):1723-1731.

6. Dai, Y.*, Yang, G. (2014). A Study on the Matching between Public Weibo Technology and Public Service. E-Government, 1: 54-65.

7. Dai, Y.*, Gu, S. (2013). Improve Innovative Policy Making Capacity to Promote Energy Industry to be Greener – A Case Study of Emerging Industry. Chinese National Conditions and Strength, 250:25-27.

8. Dai, Y. (2013). Three Key Factors for Successful Crowdsourcing. Harvard Business Review (Chinese Edition), April, 99-101.

9. Dai, Y.*, Tang, T., (2012). A Framework for Regulation Post-Evaluation in China Based on Policy Evaluation Theory. Chinese Public Administration Review, 12:3-13.

10. Dai, Y., (2011). A public perception model for Low-carbon technology application and promotion. Modern City Study, 11:31-38.

11. Dai, Y.*, Wang, W. Liu, Z., Q, Y., (2010). A study on leadership model in low-carbon city governance. Modern City Study, (8), 7-15.

12. Dai, Y. (2010). Book review on “Cities and Climate Change: city sustainability and Global Environmental Governance”. Journal of Urban and Regional Planning, 3(2): 242-244.

13. Dai, Y. (2010). Green information – What is the guiding role of policy information in low carbon economic development and innovation. Chinese Social Science Today, 2010.2.25.

14. Dai, Y. (2010). The governance model of Fund for electronic waste. Journal of Chinese Technology Investment, 4:99-101.

15. Gu, C. Tan, Z. Liu, Z., Dai, Y., Zheng, S., Liu, W., Yu, T., Han, Q. (2010). A low carbon-oriented framework of city planning. Journal of Urban and Regional Planning, 3(2): 23-42.

16. Gu, C., Tan, Z., Liu, Y., Yu, T., Han, Q., Liu, H., Dai, Y., Liu, Z., Zheng, S. (2009). Progress in Climate Change, Carbon Emission, and Low Carbon City Planning. Urban Planning Forum, (3):38-45.

17. Liu, Z., Dai, Y., Dong, C., Qi, Y. (2009). The perspective of low carbon city and the international experience. Urban Studies, 6:1-7.

18. Dai, Y. (2009). The Necessity of Development Low Carbon City in China and an Analysis on the Governance Model, Chinese Population Resource and Environment, 7(3), 12-18.

19. Dai, Y. (2009). A study on low-carbon city development: concept formation and measurement setting. Modern Urban Research, 11:1-7.

20. Dai, Y., Shi, Z. (2000). The developing barriers of the Chinese Photovoltaic industry and the solutions, Chinese Population Resource and Environment, 12(40):86-89.

21. Dai, Y., Sun, R., (2000), Evaluation of the intangible asset and its applications, Chinese Social Science, 7:73-76.

Book Chapters

1. Dai, Y., Liu, Z., Chen, H. (2020). Research on Innovation of Policy Instruments in Green Transformation Governance. Chapter 8 in Qian, X., Zhou, J., Wu, J. (Ed.) Green low-carbon Development and Transition in the New Development Ideas. Tsinghua University Press: Beijing.

2. Liu, Z., Wang, J., Zhou, L., Dai, Y. (2020). Research on the public awareness and attitude of green development policy. Chapter 6 in Qian, X., Zhou, J., Wu, J. (Ed.) Green Low-carbon Development and Transition in the New Era. . Tsinghua University Press: Beijing.

3. Dai, Y., Liao, L., Zhou, L., Wang, J., Liu, Z. (2018). Research on public awareness and attitude of green development policy. Chapter 7 in Qian, X., Zhou, J., Wu, J. (Ed.) Green Low-Carbon Transition Under the “New Normal” of China’s Economy. Tsinghua University Press: Beijing.

4. Dai, Y., Liu Z., Wang, J., Liao, L. (2017). A study of public awareness in green low carbon development policy. Chapter 11 in Qian, X., Zhou, J., Wu, J. (Ed.) Several Thoughts on Chinese Green Development after the Paris Protocol. Tsinghua University Press: Beijing.

5. Dai, Y. (2015). Study of wind industry. Chapter 17 in Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development (Ed.) Report on the Development of China’s Strategic Emerging Industries. Science Press: Beijing.

6. Dai, Y. (2014). Study on the Technological Risk Management in Response to Climate Change, Chapter 8, In Xue, L. (Ed.) Risk Governance Climate Change. Science Press: Beijing.

7. Yu, A., Dai, Y., Zhang, D., Tang, T. (2012). Post-Evaluation on Beijing Smoking Ban Policy and Suggestions. Chapter 7 in Cui, X. (Ed.) A study on Smoking Control and Its Effort. Cui, X. (Ed.). Peking Union Medical College Press: Beijing.

8. Dai, Y., & Xue, L. (2011), University technology transfer and commercialization: A case of Tsinghua University, in book: “University technology commercialization and academic entrepreneurship in Asia” by Edward Elgar.

9. Dai, Y. (2011). The policy framework and regulation system for low-carbon eco-city development. In Gu. C. (Ed.) China Low Carbon Eco-city Development Report. China Building Materials Press: Beijing.

10. Dai, Y. (2009). Chapter 3: Low carbon city planning, in Gu. C. (Ed.) Climate Change and Low Carbon City Planning. Southeast University Press: Nanjing.

11. Dai, Y., (2007), International technology transfer and collaboration in American and Japan, in book “Strategic Research on International Technology Transfer and Collaboration in Chinese Higher Education”, Renmin University Press: 2007

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High-Quality Dataset Construction and Quality Evaluation Techniques

Major researcher, sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Dedicated project)

Jan. 2025 – Dec. 2027

Research on the Urban Governance Theory System and Realization Approaches in the Context of Chinese-Style Modernization

Major researcher, sponsored by Tsinghua Strategy for Heightening Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Jan. 2024 – Dec. 2025

Multi-Temporal Dynamics of Policy Networks in Intelligent Social Governance: Mechanisms and Strategic Tools

Major researcher, sponsored by the Beijing National Science Foundation (International Scientists Projects)

July, 2024 – June, 2026

A Framework for Water Quality Improvement Identifying Best Practices for China and the U.S.

Co-PI of Tsinghua team, collaborate with University of California, Irvine, sponsored by Cyrus Tang Foundation

June, 2023 – September, 2024

A Study on the Standard System of Collaborative Governance for Pollution Reduction and Carbon Reduction in Key Regions

PI, sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning

July. 2023 – Dec. 2023

A Study on Mechanism Design to Promote the Data Governance Structure and Capacity at Local Government Level

PI, sponsored by the China Institute for Electronic Data Governance at Tsinghua University

Oct. 2022 – Oct. 2023

A Study on the Modeling and Simulation of Guiding Complex Intelligence for Decision-making and Behavior Changes under Emergency Situations

PI, sponsored by the Tsinghua-Toyota Joint Research Institute

Jan. 2021 – Mar. 2023

A study of Mass Media: the Formation Process, Key Mechanisms and Future Direction of Public Opinion in Social Media Network

PI, sponsored by the Key Project Branch of the National Social Science Fund of China

Oct. 2021 – Oct. 2023

Long Lasting Collaborative Mechanism Design for Air Pollution Control in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region

PI, sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning

May. 2019 – Dec. 2019

A Theoretical Study on Collaborative Governance under Hierarchical Administrative Structure – Using Environmental Governance in China as a Case

PI, sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Jan. 2019 – Dec. 2022

A Study on Inter-governmental Collaborative Governance for Air Pollution Control

Taking charge of sub-project on policy instrument study

Aug. 2017 – Jun. 2020

A Study on the Expert Management – from crowdsourcing perspective.

PI, sponsored by the China Southern Grid

March. 2017 – Dec. 2017

A Study on the policy maker’s perception formation in uncertainty technology selection: using low-carbon electricity technology as examples

PI, sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China

Jan. 2012 – Dec. 2014

Study on the key issues of Chinese technological management system reform

Co-PI, sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology

Jun. 2014 – Jun. 2015

Political Economy Analysis of Climate Change Policies

PI, sponsored by The Institute of Development Studies (IDS), The University of Sussex

Mar. 2013 – Dec. 2013

Technological Trajectories for Climate Change Mitigation in China, Europe and India

PI, sponsored by The German Institute of Development (DIE)

Jan. 2011 – Dec. 2013

The social acceptance of local renewable energy technology selection

PI, sponsored by the Center of Industrial Development and Environmental Governance

Jan. 2011 – Dec. 2011

A study on public perception in the development of renewable energy development

PI, sponsored by University of Minnesota

Jun. 2010 – Jun. 2011

Policy Study on University-industry collaboration

PI, sponsored by Minister of Science and Technology

May, 08 – May, 09

Institutional Building for Low Carbon City – A Perspective at Local Governance

PI, sponsored by Tsinghua University Low Carbon Economic Institution

Jul, 08-Jul, 09

Mechanism and Modes for International Technology Collaboration in Beijing

Collaborate with Tsinghua Research and Development Management Department

May, 07- May, 08

A Research on the Strategy of Chinese Universities in International Science and Technology Cooperation and Exchanges

Key Project on Strategic Studies of the Ministry of Education

Major researcher

Oct, 06-Oct. 07

The Role and Impact of Universities in National Innovation System: A Comparative Study of Universities in Asia

Major researcher

June, 07 – June, 09