Vale Emeritus Professor Chunlai Chen

The late Emeritus Professor Chunlai Chen of the Crawford School of Public Policy
The late Emeritus Professor Chunlai Chen of the Crawford School of Public Policy

 

We announce with sadness the passing last week of Emeritus Professor Chunlai Chen, a prominent and well-respected member of the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy community.

Professor Chen’s immense contributions have shaped the academic culture of the Crawford School for nearly 25 years.

His educational pathway is a blueprint for a policy school career. He received his Bachelor of Science from the Beijing Forestry University, his Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a PhD in economics from the University of Adelaide.

He joined the Crawford School as a Lecturer in 2001 and established himself as a world-leading expert in foreign direct investment theory and policy, international trade policy and theory, agricultural economics, and the Chinese economy. He was promoted to Professor in 2020 and was recently appointed Emeritus Professor on July 1st.

Throughout his career, Professor Chen conducted impactful, policy-focused research and consultancies with many organisations, including for the OECD, APEC, the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR).

Professor Chen wrote two books: Foreign Direct Investment in China: Location Determinants, Investor Differences and Economic Impacts (Edward Elgar 2011), and Foreign Direct Investment and the Chinese Economy: A Critical Assessment (Edward Elgar 2017).

His academic achievements were matched by his dedication to institutional excellence and his commitment to mentoring students and colleagues.

The Australian National University recognised him as an exceptional educator, receiving multiple awards for his contributions to policy education—and the reverence of his colleagues and students.

He received awards from the College of Asia and the Pacific for outstanding contributions to teaching (2009) and teaching excellence (2010). He also received an ANU commendation for outstanding contribution to student learning (2010) and was nominated for the ANU Vice-Chancellor’s award for teaching excellence (2011).

Our condolences go to his family during this time. Professor Chen's professional legacy and impact on policy education will be remembered by the Crawford School community and his many colleagues and students worldwide.