SDPI ranks 52nd amongst global think tanks

Major challenges for think tanks include hostile use of AI, resource constraints

ISLAMABAD: The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has been ranked 52nd amongst the best, independent think tanks of the world in the 14th edition of University of Pennsylvania Global Go To Think Tank Index (GGTTI).

The 2019 GGTTI report, released on Thursday, indexes over 8,500 think tanks registered with GGTTI from across the globe. The organisations were selected after fulfilling a rigorous criterion. Owing to multidisciplinary research and advocacy, the SDPI ranked overall in 14 categories amongst the top global think tanks.

SDPI has been placed at 101 amongst the top think-tanks worldwide (non-US), 15th among South East Asia and the Pacific, and first in Pakistan. It is also ranked at 141 for top domestic policy think tanks, 84 for the best social media use, 78 among top food security think tanks, and the 51st think tank to watch.

From Pakistan, 25 think tanks participated in the ranking, but SDPI maintained its ranking above them all this year as well.

The report noted that while the number of think tanks is growing across the world, there remain some critical challenges and opportunities that the think tank community confronts globally.

The challenges mainly include a hostile regulatory environment, resource constraints, growing competition, use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and adaptation to technological advancement for conducting and dissemination of research.

To effectively respond to these challenges, think tanks need to focus on developing national, regional, and global partnerships while using AI and data analytics to deliver their products and services to an ever-expanding audience of citizens, policymakers, and businesses around the world, the report concluded.

Launching the 2019 GGTTI report, the SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri said that despite all constraints faced by the global civil society and think tanks, SDPI has not only retained its ranking but also improved in seven categories in the index as compared to the previous year.

While highlighting the significance of use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in research, Dr Suleri said that those think tanks and research organisations who failed to use AI and data analytics in conducting and dissemination of their research will eventually lag and become irrelevant in the growing competition.

He said Pakistan needs more think tanks to flourish and nurture, as think tanks play the role of diagnostic centres to evaluate public policies and provide independent advice.

Other Pakistani think tanks who got ranked in various categories and the regional ranking index include the Pakistan Institute for International Affairs, Social Policy and Development Centre, Institute of Policy Studies, Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Centre for Research on Economic and social transformation, Centre for Policy Studies, Jinnah Institute, Lead Pakistan, Applied Economic Research Centre, Area Study Centre for Far East and Southeast, Alternate Solutions Institute, Pakistan Council on Foreign Affairs (CFR), Pakistan Development Review of PIDE and Policy Research Institute of Market Economy.

The Brookings Institution, USA, is ranked as the think tank of the year and Centre of Excellence for 2016-2018, whereas Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (United States) ranked as the top 2019 think tank.

SDPI Joint Executive Director Dr Vaqar Ahmed, while commenting on the sustainability model of the think tank in Pakistan said that Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Science Foundation etc. should include research think tanks as an eligible organisation to apply for research grants.

This will help counter the challenge of research think tanks. Also, think tanks need to explore other windows of funding in the private sector, he added.  

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2020.