As a “Globally Highly Cited Scientist” published by Clarivate Analytics, Dong Xiucheng’s academic influence is evident. He has published more than 300 academic papers in top international journals in the energy field such as "Energy", "Energy Economics", "Applied Energy", "Energy Policy", etc., of which more than 90 papers have been indexed by SSCI/SCI, and many papers have been selected as ESI highly cited papers. His research results are not limited to the academic field, but have a deeper impact on national policy formulation. He has presided over more than 150 scientific research projects of various types, including many national-level major projects. As the chief expert, he undertook the major research special project of the National Social Science Fund "Research on the Identification, Evaluation and Control of Major Risks Facing the Construction of the 'Belt and Road'". He also presided over major national-level projects such as the Ministry of Education’s major philosophy and social science research project “Research on Expanding my country’s Strategic Oil and Gas Reserves”, the National Natural Science Foundation’s major research project “Research on the Integration of Natural Gas Industry Network Chains in the Development of the Western Region”, and the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Innovation Method Special Project “Integrated Research and Demonstration of Innovative Methods for Unconventional Oil and Gas Resource Development Engineering”.

Dong Xiucheng actively participates in social services and holds many important social positions. He is the deputy chairman of the board of supervisors and chairman of the expert committee of the China Petroleum Circulation Association, and the vice chairman of the Energy Resources Systems Engineering Branch of the Chinese Society of Systems Engineering. He also serves as a member of the Price Expert Advisory Committee of the National Development and Reform Commission, a specially appointed expert of the National Energy Administration, and a consulting expert of the National Petroleum Reserve Center, etc., directly providing intellectual support for national energy decision-making. Different from the traditional "study scholar", Dong Xiucheng attaches great importance to academic communication and public communication. He has been active on media platforms for a long time. As a special commentator on CCTV, he often accepts exclusive interviews or interviews with important domestic and foreign media on hot issues in the energy economy.

Dong Xiucheng’s academic research has distinctive interdisciplinary characteristics. He is good at comprehensively using economics, management science, systems engineering and data model methods to solve complex problems in the field of energy economics. In "Research on the Identification, Evaluation and Control of Major Risks Facing the Belt and Road Initiative", he established a scientific method of risk identification through scientific, comprehensive and systematic research and analysis, and constructed an evaluation method, indicator system and index method, which was a significant innovation in theory. In terms of oil and gas reserve research, he reconstructed and designed the policy issues of strategic petroleum reserves from the perspective of public policy, and clearly pointed out that strategic petroleum reserve projects have both public and private attributes. In view of the optimal scale, base location and storage method of strategic oil and gas reserves, he used a method that combines qualitative analysis with quantitative calculations, applied economic decision-making theories such as econometrics and dynamic programming, and used scientific model screening and strategic system integration as quantitative support to ensure the systematic and scientific nature of the planning and construction of national oil and gas strategic reserves. In recent years, Dong Xiucheng's research horizons have further expanded to the field of low-carbon economy. He serves as the executive director of the China International Low Carbon Economy Research Institute, focusing on major issues such as “Belt and Road” energy w88 and development, national oil and gas reserve policies and emergency response mechanisms. In the context of increasingly complex international relations, he has provided important intellectual support in the field of national energy security, especially national energy reserves and emergency response issues.