Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability

Assistant Professor, School of Economics, Xiamen University

Ph.D., Management, 2010, School of Public Administration, Renmin University of China

M.A., Management, 2007, School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University

B.A., Management, 2004, School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University

Cai's general areas of research are in institutional analysis and public policy with a particular focus on environment and sustainability issues. The research is firmly embedded in Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate (BECC) that strives for a better understanding of the impacts of climate change and common pool resources use decisions on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity, addressing the consequences of ecosystem changes for human beings and socio-economic systems. The vision of BECC is to evolve interdisciplinary research approaches that contribute to the sustainable management of ecosystems and biodiversity in a rapidly changing world.

A particular interest within environmental policy has been the complexity of coupled human and natural systems which focuses on the dynamic interactions between nature and society. Now one of her research project on this theme involves institutional analysis of irrigation management using a common set of interdisciplinary variables to study the water resources, the people who use the water and the institutions they develop to manage the water.