Jakarta, 31 January 2019: Think tanks from ASEAN founding member countries of Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia were listed among the world’s leading research institutions based on the 2018 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report (GGTTI) conducted by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTSCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania.

Indonesia’s Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia ranked number 14 globally in the category of International Economics Policy Think Tanks, putting it in the top 15 along with organisations like Brookings Institution, Korea Development Institute, and Chatham House. 

The Centre for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia took 1st position in the Top Think Tanks in Southeast Asia and the Pacific category.  Singapore’s Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (2nd), the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (5th), Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia (6th) and Centre for Public Policy Studies (8th), also successfully ranked in the top-10 position in the region.

The ASEAN Institute of Strategic and International Studies place 10th globally for Best Think Tank Network.

Many other ASEAN organisations were included in the prestigious rankings this year.

By rising through the rankings, ASEAN have proven their commitment to producing quality research and creating a robust research community. In the coming years, the think tank community will have an increasingly vital role during an era of political and digital disruptions as well as economic and social instability. As the emerging market status of ASEAN member states must adapt to the fast-changing global conditions, the work of ASEAN think tanks is integral to minimising potential risks and optimizing the opportunities.

The annual GGTTI ranks the top think tanks globally across a series of categories and is organised by TTSCSP. As many as 3,750 university faculty and administrators, journalists, policymakers, think tank scholars and executives, and donors participated in the 2018 GGTTI.

See here for the 2018 report. 

2018 Global Go To Think Tank Launch Welcome