April 17, 2004

To the Development Research Group of the World Bank: 

I am most delighted to write this reference letter on Dr. Hengfu Zou’s contribution to modern economics teaching and research in China. Dr. Zou is a person with vision, devotion, and entrepreneurship. He admirably started an economics undergraduate program at Wuhan University in 1992 with his own personal time and funds. His devotion and vision influenced many other Chinese economists working overseas to contribute their time to teach in that program. Now Dr. Zou’s undergraduate economics program at Wuhan University has recognized as the best program in China. The program has produced hundreds of graduates. Many of them pursue further PhD studies at top universities in the United States. Some of them have returned to teach in China after obtaining their PhD and several of them have become prominent economists in China and the world.

In my view, Dr. Zou has done more than any person or institution in China and abroad for the building up of modern economics in China. I understand that capacity building is one of the priority areas of the World Bank’s programs for the developing countries. The World Bank should be proud of Dr. Zou’s achievement on economics capacity building in China.

If you would like to know more about Dr. Zou’s contribution to economics teaching and research in China, please do not hesitate to contact me.

My best regards,

Sincerely yours,

Justin Yifu Lin

Professor and Founding Director

China Center for Economic Research

Peking University