Professor Yang was the first chairman of Shanghai Big Data Social Application Association and is the secretary-general of Asian Pacific-Europe Law Institute Alliance. He is an expert of China Corporate Social Responsibility Think Tank, an expert of Artificial Intelligence Project of MIIT of PRC and a specialist in the Compliance Management Systems-Guidelines Work Group of Standardization Administration. He is a member of the Think Tank of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and is also a judicial counsel of CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee of Politics and Law, Shanghai Market Supervision Bureau, Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Justice and Shanghai Government. He is a senior expert of Shanghai High Court and of Shanghai People's Procuratorate. In addition, Professor Yang is a supervisor of Shanghai Judicial Think Tank and an expert of Shanghai Procuratorate Big Data Innovation Lab and of Shanghai Judiciary Administration Big Data Lab.

As the chief scientist of major projects sponsored by the National Social Science Foundation, Supreme Court, Shanghai Social Science Foundation, Shanghai Judicial Think Tank and Shanghai Legal Association and the director of National Key Research and Development Program and Major Project of National Social Science Foundation, Professor Yang has undertaken eighteen ministerial level research projects. Additionally, he worked as the director in more than ten projects entrusted by corporations such as Shanghai Metro, Shanghai Jiaoda Withub Information Industrial Company and Jiangsu Communication Holding Company.

Professor Yang was a visiting scholar in the Supreme Court of PRC, China University of Political Science and Law, Duke University, University of North Carolina and Erasmus University Rotterdam. He was invited to make speeches by academic institutions in the US, Britain, Russia, Australia, Japan, Netherland, Spain, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He, individually or together with academic institutes such as China Institute of Corporate Legal Affairs, Duke Law School, Emory Law School, American Bar Association, Erasmus University, University Aix-Marseille, National University of Singapore, University of New South Wales, Western Sydney University, University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Bar Association, National Taiwan University, Japan Business Federation, The Association of Corporate Legal Department of Japan, Kobe University, Bocconi University, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, British Institute of International and Comparative Law and University of Durham, organized over forty international academic conferences.

Professor Yang won the Decisional Counseling Award of Shanghai Government for twice, won the first prize of Shanghai Outstanding Teaching Achievement Award for four times, won the first prize of Shanghai Outstanding Jurisprudence Achievement Award for twice, won the second Prize of Shanghai Philosophy and Social Science Outstanding Achievement Award for twice and won the Most Popular Professor of Koguan School of Law, SJTU for twice. He is also the winner of the first Prize of Fangde Judicial Outstanding Achievement Award, the second prize of Outstanding Achievement Award of China Law Society, the first prize of Outstanding Thesis Award of China Law Society, the special prize of SJTU Outstanding Professor Award, the Shanghai Outstanding University Textbooks Award and Shanghai Quality Courses Award.

Professor Yang is a selectee of New Century Excellent Talents Supporting Plan of the Ministry of Education, PRC, the winner of Outstanding Young and Middle-aged Jurists in Shanghai and a selectee of Pujiang Talents Plan. He was nominated as the Social Science Freshman of Shanghai, Shuguang Scholar of Shanghai, Tang Lixin Outstanding Scholar and Advanced Individuals of China Law Society.

His research interests include the Legal Sociology, Corporate Compliance and Social Responsibility, Interdisciplinary Study of Legal Big Data, Foreign Investment Law, Judicial Reform and Legal Education.

Professor Yang has published over 110 articles in law journals such as Chinese Journal of Law, China Legal Science, Studies in Law and Business, Science of Law, Tribune of Political Science and Law, Law Science, The Jurist, Journal of Political Science and Law, Hong Kong Law Journal and Asian Journal of Law and Society. Dozens of his articles were cited by Xinhua Digest, Chinese Social Science Digest and China University Academic Abstracts. Professor Yang is the sole writer of four books and edited two books. He is also a coauthor of eight books. Leaders of CPC and the state gave instructions based on the proposals of Professor Yang for several times.

Professor Yang is an independent director of listed companies in China. He is an arbitrator of Shanghai International Arbitration Center, Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration, Shanghai Arbitration Commission, Dalian Arbitration Commission and Wuhan Arbitration Commission. He is also a mediator of Shanghai Commercial Mediation Center.