Belfer Center Named World’s Best University Think Tank

Cambridge, MA – For the fourth year in a row, Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs has been ranked the best university-affiliated research center in the world.

The rankings appear in the latest edition of the Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, produced annually for the past decade by James McGann, director of theThink Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Lauder Institute. The goal of the Index, he said, “is to increase the profile and performance of think tanks and raise the public awareness of the important role think tanks play in governments and civil societies around the globe.”

McGann noted that the 2016 rankings were determined with input from more than 2,500 university faculty and administrators, journalists, policymakers, think tank scholars and executives, and donors from every region of the world. More than 900 functional area and regional specialists served as expert panelists and provided valuable insights and assistance in compiling the report, which catalogued nearly 7,000 think tanks worldwide.

“We are honored to be recognized by our peers for continued excellence in advancing policy relevant knowledge and training the next generation of leaders,” said Belfer Center Director Graham Allison. “Our influence for good depends mightily on the insight and commitment of our staff, scholars, and students who work every day for a more secure, peaceful world.”

The Belfer Center’s programs and projects address critical issues relating to cybersecurity, nuclear proliferation and terrorism, and relationships with Russia, China, and the Middle East, as well as challenges surrounding energy and climate change. The Center integrates research and insights from social scientists, natural scientists, technologists, and practitioners in government, diplomacy, the military, and business.