He is a Senior Advisor at the Asia Society and an Associate Editor at the journal of Marine Resource Economics. Zhang completed his Ph.D. in Environmental and Resource Economics from Duke University in 2008. He also holds a B.A. in Environmental Economics and Management from Renmin University of China, a B.S. and a M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Tsinghua University. Zhang's research centers on empirical issues in environmental and resource economics. He is particularly interested in an interdisciplinary approach that integrates social sciences, engineering and natural sciences to deal with environmental policy problems. His research topics cover air pollution, water resources, climate change, and fisheries. His recent research has focused on the environmental and energy problems in China.