Associate Researcher

Dr. Yihao Li supports Energy Foundation China’s overall strategy formulation, policy advisory, and project incubation by undertaking strategic policy research and knowledge synthesis in areas of low-carbon economic transition, cleantech investment, trade, and supply chains. Prior to joining the foundation in April 2023, Yihao worked at Harvard Business School as a research associate and the World Bank as a land policy analyst. He has published book chapters, reports, cases, and op-eds on China’s energy transition, urbanization, outbound infrastructure finance and investment in Sri Lanka, U.S.-China trade tensions, as well as climate resilience in small island developing states. For over a decade, Yihao has also worked to advance U.S.-China academic cooperation and people-to-people exchange as a co-founder and chairman of the board of trustees of Global China Connection, a non-profit organization based in the U.S.

Yihao has an interdisciplinary academic background. He holds a doctoral degree in urban planning and a master’s degree in public policy, both from Harvard University. He also has a bachelor’s degree in international relations and economics (magna cum laude) from Tufts University.