The Center for American Studies (CAS) at Fudan University has been shortlisted and entitled one of the top 14 leading think tanks in institutes of higher learning centering on international studies in the 2017 AMI Research and Comprehensive Evaluation Report on Chinese Think Tanks issued by the Fourth National Summit on Evaluation of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Initiated by Chinese Evaluation Center for Humanities and Social Sciences, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), the study introduces and adopts comprehensive and disciplined approaches to analyze and evaluate the integral capabilities of think tanks, incorporating the measures of combining three-step data screening and three rounds of investigation, quantified and qualitative assessment system, etc. The indexes of AMI Evaluation System consist of Attractive Power, Management Power and Impact Power. A total of 166 think tanks make the list, sub-categorized into the comprehensive, specialized, enterprise and social research institutes correspondingly.

In recent years, the center has performed well in various appraisals and rankings of its kind, taking the leading position in ratings and evaluation conducted in Chinese Think Tank Index started by Nanjing University and Guangming Daily, Chinese Think Tanks Report issued by Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences as well.

List of Chinese Leading Think Tanks Centering on International Studies in Institutes of Higher Learning:

(The 2017 AMI Research and Comprehensive Evaluation Report on Chinese Think Tanks,CASS) 

Institute of International and Strategic Studies,Peking University 

Center for Public Diplomacy Studies, Beijing Foreign Studies University 

China Institute for WTO Studies, University of International Business and Economics 

Center for American Studies, Fudan University 

China-ASEAN Research Institute of Guangxi University 

Center for Central Asian Studies, Lanzhou University 

China Institute for Arab Studies of Ningxia Univeristy 

Institute of International Relations, Tsinghua University 

Shanghai Institute of International Finance Center, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics 

The Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University 

Center for German Studies, Tongji University 

China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies, Wuhan University 

Center for Southeast Asian Studies, Xiamen University 

Center for Non-Traditional Security and Peaceful Development Studies, Zhejiang University

(Data Source: The 2017 AMI Research and Comprehensive Evaluation Report on Chinese Think Tanks, CASS, listed in no particular order)