Press Release
from Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
Cambridge, MA – For the fifth 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 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, capacity, and performance of think tanks at the national, regional, and global levels so they can better serve policy makers and the public.”
McGann noted that the 2017 rankings were determined with input from more than 3,750 university faculty and administrators, journalists, policymakers, think tank scholars and executives, and donors from around 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 over 7,800 think tanks worldwide.
“The Belfer Center is home to a remarkable community of scholars, students, and staff driven by a common mission to build a more secure, peaceful world,” said Belfer Center Director Ash Carter. “I am proud that the impact of our efforts to train the next generation of leaders and advance policy-relevant knowledge at the intersection of science and international affairs is recognized around the world.”
The Belfer Center’s programs and projects address critical issues relating to cybersecurity, digital democracy, nuclear proliferation, diplomacy, and terrorism; relationships with Russia, China, and the Middle East; as well as challenges involving energy, innovation, and climate change. The Center integrates research and insights from social scientists, natural scientists, technologists, and practitioners in government, diplomacy, the military, and business.