Professor Lin is the Honorary Dean and Professor of National School of Development and the Founding Director of China Centre for Economic Research (CCER) at Peking University. He was the Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of the World Bank from 2008 to 2012 being the first from developing countries served in this position. After his tenure at the World Bank in June 2012，he continued his lecturing and research in Peking University.

He is a deputy of China’s People’s Congress. He was Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce and Vice Chairman of Economic Council, Chinese People’s Political Consultation Conference. He served on several national and international committees, leading groups, and councils on development policy, technology, and environment.

Professor Lin gained a doctorate in economics at the University of Chicago, United States in 1986. He is the Corresponding Fellow at the British Academy and Fellow at the The World Academy of Sciences. Lin is the recipient of the Honorary Doctorate degree from Universite d’Auvergne of France, Fordham University of the U.S., Nottingham University of the U.K., City University of Hong Kong, London School of Economics and Political Sciences and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.