The institute also ranked first in Asean in three further categories
Singapore, 4th February 2019: The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA), the country’s oldest think tank, has maintained its ranking as the Best Independent Think Tank in Asia for the third year running, in the 2018 Global Go To Think Tank Index released last week. The SIIA was the only Singapore think tank to be ranked in this category.
The institute also maintained its ranking as the best think tank in ASEAN, ranking 44th – a jump up of three spots from last year – in a global ranking of think tanks excluding those in the United States (US). In the same category, the SIIA was ranked 7th in Asia.
Chairman of the SIIA, Associate Professor Simon Tay, said, “We work in partnership with other think tanks, governments and leading companies to convene dialogue and provide thought leadership. As an independent think tank, we hope to enable informed and principled decisions to help our region be more integrated, progressive and sustainable, and to have a global voice in a challenging geopolitical moment.”
The annual Index Global Go To think Tank Index, compiled by the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Programme (TTSCP), ranks think tanks based on criteria such as the commitment of their leadership, quality and reputation of their staff as well as their research and analysis. Over 3,750 university faculty and administrators, journalists, policy makers, think tank scholars and executives, and donors participated in the latest ranking index.
The SIIA also came in first in ASEAN in various categories including Top Domestic Economic Policy Think Tanks, Best New Idea or Paradigm Developed by a Think Tank, and Think Tanks with the Best External Relations/Public Engagement Program.
Commenting on the results, SIIA’s Director of Policy Programmes, Ms. Chen Chen Lee, said, “We are honoured that our research in ASEAN and sustainability issues has been recognised. We work with many other think tanks and it’s important to see that think tanks in Asia as a group are being better recognised as our region is growing and take a stronger presence on global issues.”
The Top Think Tank in The World is The Brookings Institution from the US.
James G. McGann, Senior Lecturer, International Studies Director Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program Lauder Institute University of Pennsylvania, commented, “Think tanks play a critical role in analysing, developing and promoting policy solutions, particularly in times of extreme disruption and change. However, these organizations now operate in information-rich societies where facts, evidence and credible research are often ignored — and where disinformation can gain a footing. To remain relevant and impactful, think tanks and policy institutes must simultaneously pursue rigor, innovation, accessibility and accountability more than ever before.”
Download report: 2018 Global Go To Think Tank Index
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About the Singapore Institute of International Affairs
The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) is a non-profit and independent think tank dedicated to the research, analysis and discussion of regional and international issues.
Founded in 1962, the institute is Singapore’s oldest think tank. The SIIA is also a founding member of the ASEAN Institutes of Strategic and International Studies (ASEAN-ISIS), a regional alliance of think tanks and plays a key role in Track II diplomacy, supplementing official dialogue between governments.
About the Global Go To Think Tank Index and the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program
The annual Global Go To think Tank Index, established since 2006, ranks the world’s leading think tanks in a variety of categories. It is run by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania which conducts research on the role policy institutes play in governments and civil societies around the world.
Often referred to as the “think tanks’ think tank,” TTCSP examines the evolving role and character of public policy research organizations. Over the last 27 years, the TTCSP has developed and led a series of global initiatives that have helped bridge the gap between knowledge and policy in critical policy areas such as international peace and security, globalization and governance, international economics, environmental issues, information and society, poverty alleviation, and healthcare and global health. These international collaborative efforts are designed to establish regional and international networks of policy institutes and communities that improve policy making while strengthening democratic institutions and civil societies around the world.
