The Wilson Center Named Top 10 Think Tank Worldwide

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Ryan McKenna
Phone: (202) 691-4217
ryan.mckenna@wilsoncenter.org

WASHINGTON –The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is ranked as one of the top 10 think tanks in the world and is once again listed as number one in regional studies. In addition, the Center retained the top spot in institutional collaboration and was named the number six think tank in the United States. The results are according to the 2019 University of Pennsylvania Global Go To Think Tank Rankings Survey, which was released today.

“Washington is in the throes of the most hyper-partisan atmosphere of my lifetime. That’s not what we do here,” said Congresswoman Jane Harman, Wilson Center President, Director and CEO. “It is enormously gratifying that our peers recognize our value across the board. Kudos to the superb team at the Wilson Center who make it happen every day.”

This year’s rankings also acknowledged the Wilson Center in a brand new category, “Best Artificial Intelligence (AI) Think Tanks.”

“We are thrilled to learn that the Center’s work continues to rate so highly among our peers and by thought leaders and policymakers around the world,” said Governor Scott Walker, Chair of the Wilson Center Board.  “Recognition of our cross-disciplinary work exemplifies the teamwork of our talented staff and world-class scholars who produce highly relevant programs and reports.”

The Survey describes think tanks in the “Best Regional Studies Policy Research Center” category as “self-governing, independent of government or university affiliation, and producers of quality research that is objective and unbiased.” The category “Best Institutional Collaboration Involving Two or More Think Tanks” describes an “institution that is able to network, mobilize, and collaborate with two or more think tanks to produce a modest yet achievable set of global public goods.”

In addition to the rankings, several Wilson Center publications were singled out for excellence, including:

• Nuclear Crises with North Korea and Iran: From Transformational to Transactional Diplomacy – by Robert S. Litwak
• 5G and Security: There is More to Worry about than Huawei by Melissa Griffith
• Russian-Venezuelan Relations at a Crossroads by Vladimir Rouvinski
   

The University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program has produced the Global Go To Think Tank Index annually since 2007, drawing on the input of nearly 4,000 scholars, policymakers, journalists, and funders. It is widely regarded as the definitive resource on the study of think tanks. The full rankings are available here.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Wilson Center was chartered by Congress as the nation’s living memorial to President Woodrow Wilson. Through the work of its staff and fellows, it connects deep scholarship to urgent policy questions.