The Albanian Institute for International Studies is the only think tank from Albania to make it into the prestigious University of Pennsylvania ranking, placing 19th out of 30 in Central and Easter Europe
Tirana Times
The Albanian Institute for International Studies has been named one of the top think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe, placing 19th out 30 in the prestigious Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, a foreign policy research institution based at the University of Pennsylvania, according to the newly released annual ranking of think tanks around the world. AIIS was the only Albanian think tank to make into the ranking.
Established in 1989, the TTCSP works to evaluate the role policy institutes play in governments and civil societies around the world. The 2011 think tank report is the result of consultations among 793 expert panelists, scores of donors, as well as intergovernmental and academic institutions. Out of 537 institutions in Central and Eastern Europe nominated for the ranking, AIIS placed in the top 20.
“Albania has made tremendous progress in the last twenty years and is moving smartly towards its European home. AIIS is both a cause and a consequence. Its sharp analytical focus on the world beyond Tirana has helped what was once one of the most isolated countries on earth, become an active contributor to the international order. These have been marvelously productive years for both Albania and its leading international institute,” commented Daniel Serwer of the U.S. Peace Institute.
“This institute has spawned public discussion about not just events in the Balkans, but wider European and Global issues. In a political milieu fraught with deep schism and vehement loyalties Albert Rakipi and the AIIS is known by both socialist and Democratic Party governments as a principal source of international information and contacts and is respected by international NGOs and foreign diplomats in Tirana,” addedDr. Daniel N. Nelson,Senior Fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, in Washington, DC President of Albania, Bamir Topi, also echoed his affirmation of the ranking’s evaluation.
“The events, selected topics and invited personalities, the actual issues it has studied as well as the publications of this Institute have played a significant role not only in the development of internal policy in Albania but most importantly in the foreign policy. The regional and global approach taken in every issue has brought a valuable contribution in the progress of Albanian foreign policy, in the internal advances of the Albanian society, as well as in the integration process towards NATO and the European Union,” he commented.
Albania’s lead think tank was established in 1998 by a group of academics and analysts with extensive experience in foreign policy and policy-making issues. Since then, it has made significant contributions via its analysis, projects, and publications in the fields of Euro-Atlantic integration; democracy, security, and transition; and, regional security and cooperation. AIIS has also served as a consultative body, with policy-makers seeking its advice on the challenges Albania faces on the road to democratization. Thus after more than a decade of contributions to Albanian society and decision-makers, AIIS has now brought Albania into the think-tank spotlight by becoming the only Albanian institution to earn a spot in the global ranking.
“The ranking of the Albanian Institute for International Studies as one of the best think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe is great news for us,” commented Dr. Albert Rakipi, the executive director of AIIS.
“It acknowledges the tradition of excellence that we have worked so hard to establish through our hundreds of collaborations within and outside of Albania and the activities that our specialized staff have tirelessly developed and implemented. I am confident that by maintaining our high standard of work and progress, AIIS will continue to deserve its spot in the ranking for years to come.”
