Foundation Partners in Top Ranks of Central and Eastern European Think Tanks

Think Tanks are both an important element of a functioning civil society, and proof of its existence. Referred to as "the bridge between knowledge and power", these institutes for political advice and research contribute to the identification of political problems and conflicts, the search for appropriate solutions, and their rational implementation.

Today there are more than 6300 think tanks worldwide, active in 169 countries. At the end of January, Foreign Policy magazine published an updated list ranking of the top think tanks of 2009. Entitled "The Global Go-to Think Tanks: The Leading Public Policy Research Organizations in the World" and prepared by the University of Pennsylvania, the ranking is based on a worldwide survey of hundreds of scientists and experts from various organizations and institutions.

The top non-US institute for political advice and research is Britain's Chatham House (formerly the Royal Institute of International Affairs). Among the top think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe are some key partners of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty. In 3rd place is the F.A. Hayek Foundation in Slovakia, with whom our Foundation has had a long and successful partnership.

More Foundation partners on the list are the Lithuanian Free Market Institute, 9th place, and the New Economic School in Georgia, at a remarkable 13thplace, ahead of many other renowned political, advisory and research institutes in Central and Eastern Europe. This think tank co-ordinates most of its events with the Foundation's South Caucasus project office. In 15th place is another partner, the Bulgarian Institute for Market Economics while at 17th is the Foundation's long-standing partner in the CzechRepublic - the Liberalni Institut.

This updated survey shows that, in recent years, the work of think tanks has become increasingly specialized by topic and prioritized by issue. Those think tanks specializing in security and foreign policy have particularly distinguished themselves in terms of rank. With regard to Central and Eastern Europe, the results of this study have encouraged us to continue our work with our prominent, internationally recognized regional partners in order to promote democratic development and to strengthen organized liberalism.

The entire article on the world best think tanks for 2009 can be found at: http://www.ony.unu.edu