On October 17, the 2018 National Poverty Alleviation Awards Commendation Conference & Advanced Deeds Report were held in Beijing. Professor Li Shi from BNUBS won the Innovation Award of 2018 National Poverty Alleviation Award, which honors advanced individuals who have diligently studied, explored, innovated poverty alleviation measures or methods, and exerted an important influence on the country due to the theoretical and practical innovations. Wang Yang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), met with the prizewinners and extended his congratulations. Hu Chunhua, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and leader of the State Council Leading Group for Poverty Alleviation and Development, attended the commendation meeting.

Li Shi is a professor of BNUBS, Executive Dean of the China Institute of Income Distribution, distinguished Professor of the Changjiang Scholars of the Ministry of Education and Jingshi Scholar and academic leader in the field of income distribution and labor market research, and receives special government allowance from the State Council. Committed to research in the field of income distribution, he has made rich academic achievements, and thus won the 8th China Economics Theory Innovation Award (China’s highest theoretical economics award), Sun Yefang Economics Award (1994, 2010, 2017), etc. Hence the title of “Mr. Income Distribution of China.” At the same time, he and his team attach great importance to serving the society with academic achievements. Based on his theory of social development and income distribution with Chinese characteristics, he has set up three national high-end think tanks, namely the China Income Distribution Research Institute, the Micro Policy Simulation Center and the Human Development Economics Research Center, providing important theoretical foundation and intellectual support for comprehensive poverty alleviation.

Realizing that studying literature and data alone cannot solve the problem of poverty, he holds the view that theories and practice must be combined. So during the 30 years of poverty research, he has visited hundreds of poverty-stricken counties, paid attention to the core issues of these areas, and put forward many opinions and policy recommendations with insights.

He also realizes that poverty research is a long-term issue. As China’s coordinator of the “China Young Scholars Poverty Research Network” project funded by the Canadian International Development Research Foundation (IDRC), he actively seeks research funding for young scholars engaged in income distribution research and builds a good mutual exchange and learning platform for them.