Think Tanks

Return to the #79 Newsletter


In crisis times, demand for expert knowledge rises. To help meet that demand think tanks have emerged as laboratories of ideas that can help us better understand today’s realities and more easily imagine tomorrow’s world. Originally conceived as “universities without teaching”, they have gradually evolved to become anything form quasi-academic institutions to politically engaged organizations. Although their relevance, impartiality and credibility are sometimes questioned, one cannot ignore their dramatic growth in scale, number and influence over the last 100 years. The IESE Library has compiled some information sources to help you explore the role of think tanks and identify the ones that remain sources of objective, serious debate and analysis.

  • Find Think Tanks

Open Think Tank Directory
A global collection of 2700 think tanks and related organizations.

Think Tank Search
Harvard Kennedy School Think Tank search tool.

Think-tanks and research institutes
EU external action and the EU’s role in the world. KU Leuven.

  • Top Think Tanks

Top Think Tanks in the World
According to TTCSP, University of Pennsylvania.

1. Brookings Institution (United States)
2. French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) (France)
3. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (United States)
4. Bruegel (Belgium)
5. Center for Strategic and International Studies (United States)
6. Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV)
7. Chatham House (United Kingdom)
8. Heritage Foundation (United States)
9. RAND Corporation (United States)
10. International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) (United Kingdom)
11. Wilson Center, FKA Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (United States)
12. Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) (United States)
13. Center for American Progress (CAP) (United States)
14. Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) (Japan)
15. Cato Institute (United States)
16. Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) (Germany)
17. Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) (United States)
18. Fraser Institute (Canada)
19. Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) (Germany)
20. Korea Development Institute (KDI) (Republic of Korea)

  • Ranking Think Tanks

Global Go To Think Tank Index Reports
University of Pennsylvania

2018 Ranking Categories:
-Top Think Tanks in the World
-Top Think Tanks by Region
-Top Think Tanks by Area of Research
-Top Think Tanks by Special Achievement

Transparify
Transparify provides a global rating of the financial transparency of major think tanks.

Think Tanks: impartiality and influence. The views of MPs
COMRES

  • Think Tanks Research

Find Policy
Find results from 17 leading think tanks working on foreign policy, in the US and Europe. Search think tank sites grouped by topic.

Think Tank Review
A monthly selection of EU-related papers published by think tanks across the world created by the EU Council Library.

Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP)
The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the International Relations Program, University of Pennsylvania conducts research on the role policy institutes play in governments and in civil societies around the world.

European Parliament Think Tank
Find documents that help shape new EU legislation.
European Parliamentary Research Service.

  • Think Tanks Blogs

On Think Tanks

Think Tanks Reviews