About Think Tanks: The Mission and Impact of the World's Leading Think Tanks

One of the recommendations that emerged from the G20 Foreign Policy Think Tank Summit in June of 2012 was a strong interest in developing an online platform that would enable the continual exchange of ideas and facilitate collaborative efforts among think tanks around the world. The underlying objective of this recommendation was to increase the profile and performance of think tanks by sharing the best practices for think tank research, management, resource mobilization and external relations of the leading think tanks in the world.

As the first step in a larger initiative to advance conversation between policy research, analysis and engagement institutions, the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program is creating an online directory featuring the organizational profiles of the world’s top think tanks. The profiles will take the form of power point presentations that many organizations have developed for internal (new staff orientation) or external (fundraising and external relations) purposes.

It is our belief that bridges between policy research institutions and their analysts and scholars can be formed at many levels that often transcend academic disciplines and national and political boundaries. We are convinced that by presenting the diversity of programs and organizational models in a variety of local, national and global contexts we can facilitate the exchange of information and best practices among think tanks and policy oriented NGOs around the world.

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    Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy
    (2015-01-01) Baker Institute for Public Policy; Rice University
    Founded in 1993, the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy has established itself as one of the premier nonpartisan public policy think tanks in the country. The institute ranks 9th among university-affiliated think tanks worldwide, 18th among U.S. think tanks and fourth among energy resource think tanks, according to a 2014 study by the University of Pennsylvania's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program. As an integral part of Rice University, one of the nation's most distinguished institutions of higher education, the Baker Institute has a strong track record of achievement based on the work of its endowed fellows, Rice faculty scholars and staff. Located in Houston, Texas, the nation's fourth-largest city and the energy capital of the United States, as well as a dynamic international business and cultural center, the Baker Institute brings a unique perspective to some of the most important public policy challenges of our time. Key research programs include energy, health, conflict resolution, science and technology, tax and expenditure policy, and Latin America and China studies. The institute collaborates with experts from academia, government, the media, business, and nongovernmental and private organizations. In conjunction with its more than 20 programs, the institute attracts many domestic and foreign leaders who provide their views and insights on major issues. Speakers have included U.S. presidents and cabinet members, world leaders and heads of government, and numerous foreign dignitaries from around the globe.