Established in 2005, the department of social security and risk management of Zhejiang University has developed a training and education system in the discipline of labor and social security at undergraduate, master and doctorate levels. Moreover, a   post-doctoral station on the study of social security has also been established. Since its  inception, the department has cultivated 400 undergraduate, and 200 graduate students, including several international graduate students. In order to enhance the capacity of students in international communications, the department has set up exchange channels and research collaborations with leading foreign universities including Harvard University and University of Bristol. Besides, the department has established, a research institute of risk management and social security, with the research focus on the theoretical studies and policy analysis in the field of social security.

The department has seventeen full-time faculty members, including eight professors, seven associate professors, and two lecturers. Specifically, the faculty members consist of Prof. Yao Xianguo (chair professor of Zhejiang University), Prof. Zhang Junsen (in the National Recruitment Program of 1000 Global Experts), Prof. Lin Ka (in the New Century Talent Support Program by Ministry of Education of China), Prof. Qian Xueya and Prof.Guo Jiqiang (in the second level of the 151 Talent Program by Zhejiang Province), Prof. Miao Qing (winner of the Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars by Zhejiang Province), and Zhang Haifeng (ZhijiangYoung Social Scholars by Zhejiang Province). Apart from this, the faculty members, Professor Yao Xianguo, Professor He Wenjiong, and Professor Mi Hong have also been invited by the government of Zhejiang Province, Ministry of Finance of China, and Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of China as experts and consultants.

Since 2011, the faculty in the department has carried on three major projects and two young scholar projects of the National Social Science Fund of China, nine projects from the National Science Fund of China (including major programs), seven major projects at Province/Ministry level, and twenty-eight projects by National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance of China, Ministry of Civil Affairs of China, and Ministry of Science and Technology of China. More than 300 academic articles/reports (45% are published in SSCI journals and key Chinese journals) have been published, and some research works have won the several awards including, 2 first-level prizes, 7 second-level prizes, and 8 third-level prizes at the Province/Ministry level