2016 TTCSP Global Think Tank Report Released in Beijing

On Jan. 25, the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania kicks off first of its series “2016 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report” launching events in Wharton China Center (WCC) in Beijing.  Other over 80 cities in more than 60 countries around the world, including Washington, D.C., New York, will see the same events in coming days.

This year marks the 10th consecutive year that TTCSP released this world-known annual report on think tank research since its inception by TTCSP Director Prof. James G. McGann. Over the past decade, this program has established a rigorous inclusive, objective and fair evaluation system to track and rank global think tanks, seeking a better understanding of the role think tanks play in governments and civil societies and identifying the trend of their development. It aims to help think tanks enhance their quality, capacity and performance, and guide them to build channels of communions between society and government.

TTCSP Director James G. McGann gives his welcome speech via video to the audience, and WCC Executive Director Prof. John Zhang conveys his congratulations through video to the report. Sun Weijia, director International Cooperation at the State Council’s Counselor Office delivers his congratulation speech and thoughts on think tank development in China.

According to Prof. McGann, the initial effort to produce a global ranking of the world’s leading think tanks in 2006 was in response to the growing demand to identify the global trends and policy environment world’s think tanks are facing. In 2016, more than 51,000 journalists, policy makers, think tanks, and public and private donors from all over the world participated in the nomination and ranking process.

Last year, TTCSP extended invitation to 6,846 think tanks to participate in the evaluation and ranking. Based on its own evaluation system and survey of journalists, policy makers, think tanks, and public and private donors, it eventually selects the world top 175 think tanks. To insure the quality of the ranking lists and representativeness of the indicators, TTCSP has organized multiple seminars where hundreds of scholars and experts from various academic areas were invited to join the discussion. TTCSP also enhanced exchange with general public via social media to promote the ranking indicators.

The 2016 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report does not use study outcomes as the single criteria to evaluate think tanks’ influence, but also looks at their resource indicators (such as ability to recruit and retain leading scholars and analysts; the level, quality, and stability of financial support); utilization indicators (such as reputation as a “go-to” organization by media and policy elites in the country); output indicators (number and quality of policy proposals and ideas generated); and impact indicators (recommendations considered or adopted by policymakers and civil society organizations).

According to the report, a total of 6,846 think tanks were operating around the world in 2016.  The top three continents owning think tanks are North America (1,931), Europe (1,770) and Asia (1,262). The United States is still the largest think tank nation, 1,835, followed by China (435), UK (288), and India (280).  Performance of Chinese think tanks in 2016 is similar to that in 2015 with some progress made in several categories. Details regarding Chinese think tanks are listed at the end of this article, and complete report is available at http://gotothinktank.com/

Following the releasing ceremony, a two-hour long panel, themed on Why Think Tanks Are More Important Today Than Ever Before, attracts Fang Jin, Deputy Secretary General of China Development Research Foundation, Paul Haenle, Director of Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, Li Guoqiang, Deputy Director of Public Administration and Human Resources Institute, Development Research Center at the State Council of China, Wang Wen, Executive Director of Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies of Renmin University of China, Wang Huiyao  President of Center for China and Globalization (CCG) , Wen Xueguo, Executive Vice-President of Shanghai Academy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and Xu Yongquan, Deputy Director of World Economy Center, International Department of CCP.

The seven gentlemen, moderated by Ms. Miao Lu, CCG secretary general, all agree that think tanks are surely important to each country and to the world either from historical, political or international prospective; and in this fast-changing world, it is badly necessary for a think tank have the research exactly meet new development in China and in the world, and Chinese think tanks still need a long way to go to catch up world-class ones, like Brookings.

A new book on think tank studies authored by Dr. Huiyao Wang, President of CCG, and Dr. Miao Lu, Secretary-General of CCG, is also released at the conference. Named asThink Tank Power, the authors discusses the function, creative operation model of independent think tanks, five professional aspects a think tank must have, etc.

Reference:

2016 Global Think Tank Ranking List

1. Outstanding Performance of Chinese Think Tanks

Based on their regional location, research fields, and special achievements, global think tanks were ranked into 52 lists. Among these think tanks, Chinese think tanks can be found on 41 lists. Nine of them are ranked on the list of top 175 think tanks worldwide, and 18 on the list of top Asian think tanks covering China, India, Japan and South Korea. They are also seen on the list of top independent think tanks, top think tanks to watch, and top think tanks for education, environmental, and national security policies.

In addition, many newly-emerging independent think tanks in China have attracted international attention. Seven of them make the cut to be on the 2016 list of top 120 independent think tanks, and five join the list of the top 100 think tanks to watch around the world.

2. Top Think Tanks Worldwide

Among all the ranked 175 think tanks around the world, the Brookings Institute from the United States remains No. 1 and is named the world’s best think tank in 2016. This is the consecutive fifth year that it has claimed that crown. Chatham House (UK) and French Institute of International Relations (France) are listed No.2 and No. 3, respectively. The United States hosts six of the top 10 think tanks.

Nine Chinese think tanks are also among the top 175, which are:

3. Top 60 Asian Think Tanks (Chinese think tanks’ ranking)

4. Top 120 Independent Think Tanks

Six Chinese think tanks are listed among the world’s top 120 independent think tanks, which are China Institute for Reform and Development, Center for China and Globalization, Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China, Charhar Institute, Unirule Institute of Economics, China Society of Economic Reform, and Institute for Applied International Trade.

5. Top 100 Think Tanks to Watch Worldwide (Chinese think tanks’ ranking)

6. Top 80 Think Tanks With Outstanding Policy-Oriented Research Programs (Chinese think tanks’ ranking)