Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) [1] is a non-party, non-profit organization and independent think tank devoted to studying peace and security issues related to South and Southeast Asia. The institute seeks to bridge the gap between academic research and policy analysis within the context of Bangladesh and other countries of South and Southeast Asia. Strategic thinkers, academicians, former members of the Civil Services, Foreign Services, Armed Forces and media persons are associated with the institute. [2]
BIPSS has launched a specialized front named Bangladesh Center for Terrorism Research (BCTR) focusing in depth research to curb extremism and militancy in Bangladesh and in South-Asia. [3]
BIPSS is headed by Major General A N M Muniruzzaman. [4]
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) is the first institution of its kind in Bangladesh for analysis on all aspects of security, peace and security studies in the region as well as of the global. It will serve as a forum for research, training, exchanges and dialogue between practitioners, academics and activists at all levels. The institute is headed by the president, Major General Muniruzzaman. [5]
A think tank or policy institute is a research institute which performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most policy institutes are non-profit organisations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax exempt status. Other think tanks are funded by governments, advocacy groups, or corporations, and derive revenue from consulting or research work related to their projects.
The Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto is an interdisciplinary academic centre with various research and educational programs committed to the field of globalization. It offers master's degrees in Global Affairs, Public Policy, European, Russian, and Asia-Pacific studies. The school also offers a certificate program in global journalism.
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) is an American think tank based in Washington, D.C., focused on the foreign policy of the United States as it pertains to the countries in the Near East. Established in 1985, the institute's mission statement says that it seeks "to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them."
Rehman Sobhan is a Bangladeshi economist and freedom fighter. He played an active role in the Bengali nationalist movement in the 1960s. He was also a member of the first Planning Commission in Bangladesh and a close associate of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He was awarded the Independence Day Award in 2008.
Rohan Gunaratna is a political analyst and widely known as an international terrorism expert. He is the former Head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. The Globally renowned center ICPVTR has a worldwide reputation for its counter-terrorism research and analysis. Dr Bruce Hoffman, has described it as the counterterrorism research database available. The Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence (CSTPV) listed him as an "acknowledged expert on terrorism in South Asia". He is the former principal investigator of the UN's Terrorism Prevention Branch, Gunaratna has been called the world's top expert on Al Qaeda. He's lectured worldwide on terrorism and served as a consultant to many governments. Gunaratna is the author of over 15 books, including Inside al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror an international best-seller. For his contributions in advancing international security cooperation, Gunaratna received the Major General Ralph H. Van Deman Award in June 2014.
Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury is a Bangladeshi career diplomat and former government minister. He is principal research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) in the National University of Singapore.
The Bangladesh Open University or BOU is a public university with its main campus in Board Bazar, Gazipur District, Dhaka Division. It is the 7th largest university in the world according to enrolment.
South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG) is a non-profit think tank based in India which conducts public interest and advocacy work. The group consists of Indian academics and former government officials. The self-stated objectives of the group include advancing strategic analysis, promoting public understanding, and contributing to the expansion of knowledge of security internationally and with regard to India. The group further says it "seeks to address the decision makers, strategic planners, academics and the media in South Asia and the world at large."
Islamic University, Bangladesh, commonly known as Islamic University, Kushtia, is a major public research and PhD granting universities in Bangladesh and the largest seat of higher education in the south-west part of the country. It is the only university in Bangladesh where a specialized stream of theological studies and six other of humanities, social sciences, applied sciences, engineering, business and law are running parallel. Initially, it was funded by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and now it is financed by the Government of Bangladesh through University Grants Commission, Bangladesh. On 22 November 1979, the foundation of the Islamic University was set up in Kushtia, and it is operated under the Islamic University Act of 1980. Islamic University began operations on 28 June 1986. It is the seventh oldest university in the country and the first university in Bangladesh established after the independence from West Pakistan in 1971. It offers undergraduate, graduate, M Phil and PhD degrees.
Yan Xuetong is the distinguished professor and the Dean of the Institute of International Relations, Tsinghua University. In 2008, he was named as one of world's Top 100 public intellectuals by the American journal Foreign Policy. He is the only political scientist listed as Most Cited Chinese Researchers by Elsevier during 2014-2017.
Salma Malik is teaching at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.
Hekmat Khalil Karzai is the deputy foreign minister of Afghanistan. He was appointed as the deputy foreign minister on 21 January 2015.
The University of Dhaka is the oldest university in Bangladesh. Established in 1921 during the British Raj, it has made significant contributions to the modern history of Bangladesh. After the Partition of India, it became the focal point of progressive and democratic movements in Pakistan. Its students and teachers played a central role in the rise of Bengali nationalism and the independence of Bangladesh.
United Service Institution of India (USI) is a national security and defence services think tank based in New Delhi, India. It describes its aim as the "furtherance of interest and knowledge in the art, science and literature of the defence services".
Wasbir Hussain is a political commentator and strategic analyst whose core area of work includes writings and speaking on issues of peace, security and development in northeastern India and its immediate neighbourhood. One of the founders of the research and policy think tank, the Centre for Development and Peace Studies, he is currently its executive director. Hussain was twice nominated Member of India's National Security Advisory Board. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Northeast Live, northeastern India's first satellite English News Channel, with headquarters in Guwahati. The channel is the latest venture of Pride East Entertainments Pvt Ltd, the region's largest media group. Hussain hosts a debate show on the Channel titled 'Northeast Tonight with Wasbir Hussain, telecast every Saturday at 8 pm. The program involves discussion on current trending topics in Northeast India. He also hosts a popular weekly English talk show 'Talk Time with Wasbir Hussain' on News Live, a Group channel. In 2017, Hussain and two of his associates established the region's first state-of-the-art Television Media Institute at Guwahati called Turning Point Institute of Media & Creative Skills.
The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) is an independent think tank providing multidisciplinary policy advice and practical support focused on prevention and the rule of law, two important parts of effective counter-terrorism work. ICCT's work focuses on themes at the intersection of countering violent extremism and criminal justice sector responses, as well as human rights related aspects of counter-terrorism. The major project areas concern countering violent extremism, rule of law, foreign fighters, country and regional analysis, rehabilitation, civil society engagement and victims’ voices.
Igor Alexandrovich Zevelev is a Russian political scientist who has worked as Professor of National Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies since 2017.
M Sakhawat Hossain is a Bangladeshi author and speaker. He is the former Election Commissioner of Bangladesh (2007-2012), Brigadier General (retired) in the Bangladesh Army. He wrote more than 20 books, and serves as a columnist and freelance commentator on national and international television as a security and defense analyst.
The Institute for Iran-Eurasia Studies, commonly known as IRAS, founded in 2004, is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental think tank and publisher based in Tehran.