The Diplomat
Elcano Royal Institute remains the leading think tank in Spain and the ninth in Western Europe on the University of Pennsylvania index, which also includes the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) and the Fundación Alternativas among the continent’s top thirty.
The 2019 Global Go To Think Tanks Index (GGTTI), which is produced each year by the University of Pennsylvania, also places the Elcano Royal Institute as the fifteenth in the world in the area of foreign policy and international relations and the thirtieth in the world (and the first in Spain at a great distance from the rest) in the category of best think tank network.
“Elcano thus consolidates itself in one of the best positions in the world, competing with the great centres of thought, and placing itself ahead of some of the most prestigious in the world”, added the Elcano Royal Institute. Adding up all the categories, Elcano occupies the 38th position in the world (out of 158) without including the Americans and the 47th (in this case, out of 176) including the American think tanks.
Furthermore, the index places the CIDOB in twelfth place in Western Europe (out of 144), thirtieth in the world without Americans and 36th with Americans. The third major Spanish thint tank is the Fundación Alternativas, which has improved its positions with respect to the previous year’s index, and is now in 114th place among the 176 best in the world (89th place minus the United States), 18 places above 2018. Alternativas also ranks 27th in Western Europe (up six places).
The index, which has been compiled by the University of Pennsylvania since 2007, analyses think tanks around the world, up to a total of 8,248, of which 2,058 are in North America and 2,219 in Europe. A total of 3,974 experts from five continents participated in the vote, including journalists, university professors, public and private donors, and policy makers.
Overall, Spain ranks twentieth in the world and ninth in Western Europe in terms of the number of think tanks, with 66, tied with Bolivia. The list is headed by the United States, with 1,871; India, with 509; and China, with 507. The first European country is the United Kingdom, in fourth position, with 321. It is followed by Argentina (227), Germany (218, the first EU country as of tomorrow, with the departure of the United Kingdom), Russia (215), France (203) and Japan (128).
The Fundación Alternativas and the Elcano Royal Institute will organize tomorrow a debate entitled The role of the think tanks, which will take place in the new headquarters of the Foundation and in which the data of the new ranking of the University of Pennsylvania will be analyzed, as well as current issues, such as climate change, digitalization, inequality, populisms and nationalisms, the commercial boom of China and its relationship with the United States or the use of social networks.
