Its predecessor is the Research Team on People's Commune founded in 1978. Its previous names include Research Division for Rural Economic Organizations and Institutions during 1994-2015, Research Division for Rural Economic Organizations during 1988-1994, Research Division for Rural Cooperative Economics during 1986-1988, Research Division for Cooperative Economics during 1983-1986, and Economic Research Division for People's Commune before 1983. Since 2011, it has undertaken over 70 projects and accomplished over 300 publications, including more than 50 monographs, more than 150 core journal papers and more than 80 policy proposals.

Research area: rural organizations and institutions.

Research directions: rural cooperative economy, agricultural management system, rural social security, new types of agribusiness, peasant household economy and rural social organizations.