The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) is a Chinese research institute and think tank. The institution is the premier comprehensive national academic research organization in the People's Republic of China for the study in the fields of philosophy and social sciences, with the obligation of advancing and innovating in the scientific research of philosophy, social sciences and policies. It was described by Foreign Policy magazine as the top think tank in Asia. CASS is under the auspices of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. It is the country's second oldest such institution, after the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences in Shanghai. It also holds the Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and later become the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sc