Albania’s AIIS ranked among top global think tanks in 2013

The Albanian Institute for International Studies has been ranked 24th among the top think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe, according an annual report published by the University of Pennsylvania
TIRANA, Jan. 23 – The Albanian Institute for International Studies has been listed among Central and Eastern Europe’s top 40 think tanks, ranking 24th, according to the findings of the seventh annual 2013 Global Go To Think Tanks Report.
The report is viewed as the world’s most comprehensive ranking of think tanks, and AIIS has been consistently the only Albanian think tank to make it into the top list for a large region that spans from Hungary to Russia and includes the Balkans. This the third year in a row that AIIS ranks highly among Central and Eastern European think tanks. In total, ten think tanks in Albania were evaluated, but only AIIS made the cut, according the findings compiled by the Think Tank and Civil Society Program of the University of Pennsylvania.
“The ranking confirms AIIS as the top think tank in Albania and serves recognition to the quality of the institute’s work, research and staff,” AIIS said in a statement following the publication of the rankings.
The 2013 Global Go To Think Tank Index was published this week and contains a series of global and specialty rankings, organized on the basis of geographical location and specialization. Its results are drawn on the basis of a massive, global effort through a network of experts in the field.
The report is compiled with assistance from more than 1,500 peer institutions and experts from the print and electronic media, academia, public and private donor institutions, and governments around the world and ranks the top 150 global think tanks.
Established in 1998 by a group of academics and analysts with extensive experience in foreign policy and policy making issues, AIIS has made significant contributions through its analysis, projects and publications in the fields of Euro-Atlantic integration, democracy, security, and transition as well as regional security and cooperation.
In addition to doing independent research and surveys, AIIS is one of Albania’s primary publishers of books on international relations and an organizer of some of the country’s top conferences and seminars. Tirana Times is a media partner of the institute.
“In the world filled with tweets and sound bites that are often superficial and politically charged, it is critical to know where to turn for sound policy proposals that address the complex policy issues that policymakers and the public face,” says James McGann, the director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program. “This index is designed to help identify and recognize the leading centers of excellence in public policy research around the world.”