A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental organizations, but some are semi-autonomous agencies within government or are associated with particular political parties, businesses or the military. Think-tanks are often funded by individual donations, with many also accepting government grants.
Sri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar, PC was a Sri Lankan lawyer and statesman. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005. Lakshman Kadirgamar served as the President of Oxford Union in 1958-59.
Chatham House, also known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a think tank headquartered in London, England. Its stated mission is to help governments and societies build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world. It is the originator of the Chatham House Rule.
The Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Karachi whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs.
The Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI), established in 1999, is one of the leading think tanks in Pakistan. It is affiliated with the National Security Division (NSD), a part of the Government of Pakistan. IPRI focuses on datafication, digitalization and analysis of information relevant to policy decisions. As a result of recent reforms, IPRI is ranked 74th in the University of Pennsylvania’s Think Tanks and Civil Societies Programme.
The Institute not only conducts multi-disciplinary research, it also promotes civil society-governmental interactions and policy dialogue through national, regional and international conferences which enhances the country’s research capacity and environment by facilitating issue-centric discourse.
Recognised for its objectivity and policy relevance, IPRI’s publications offer current, up-to-date and high-quality research. It disseminates its findings and policy recommendations through its publications. In order to foster goodwill and North-South and South-South communication of cultures and ideas, IPRI also supports academic exchange programmes between regional and international researchers and think tanks.
IPRI deals with all facets of National Security, including International Relations & International Law, Strategic Studies, Governance & Public Policy, and Economic Security.
IPRI exemplifies two decades of rigorous and timely analysis of crucial strategic agendas and inter-governmental processes that influence national and regional policy community. The global geopolitical environment remains highly fluid. With each passing day, new situations emerge, creating challenges, shaping new courses of action and influencing public perceptions and state policies. Through independent, rigorous and timely analysis, IPRI provides research inputs to policymakers for making informed decisions.
The Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi, is India's foremost think tank for advanced research in international relations, especially defence, strategic and security issues, and providing training to civilian, military and paramilitary officers of the Indian government. It is funded by the Indian Ministry of Defence but operates as a non-partisan and autonomous body. It aims to promote national and international security by carrying out research on defence and security-related issues and disseminating the knowledge among the policy-makers and wider public.
The S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) is an autonomous graduate school and policy-oriented think tank within the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. Founded in 1996 as the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, RSIS offers graduate education in international affairs, taught by an array of international faculty. The school is named after former Deputy Prime Minister S. Rajaratnam.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for conducting and managing Sri Lanka's foreign relations through oversight of its missions abroad via the Sri Lanka Overseas Service, as well as drafting and general implementation of the nation's foreign policy.
Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) is the institute in Colombo where Sri Lanka Overseas Service officers are trained. The Institute functions under Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, with itself coming under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Sri Lanka. Its current Director-General is Pamela J Deen and it is situated within the grounds of the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo.
Nirupama Menon Rao is a retired civil servant of 1973 batch Indian Foreign Service cadre who served as India's Foreign Secretary from 2009 to 2011, as well as being India's Ambassador to the United States, China and Sri Lanka during her career.
LSE IDEAS is a foreign policy think tank at the London School of Economics and Political Science. IDEAS was founded as a think tank for Diplomacy and Strategy in February 2008, succeeding the Cold War Studies Centre founded in 2004. It is led by Professor Christopher Alden and Professor Michael Cox. LSE IDEAS has been ranked as the top European university-affiliated think tank and the number two university-affiliated think tank in the world.
The Lighthouse is a large bungalow in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At present it is owned by the Sri Lankan Government and houses the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies.
The International Centre for Policy Studies (ICPS) is an independent NGO, founded in 1994 which aims to promote public policy concepts and practice and apply them to influential policy research that affects both the public and private sectors in Ukraine.
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera is a Sri Lankan academic, geopolitics and foreign policy analyst. He is a political columnist and author. He is a visiting professor for geopolitics and global leadership at Northern Kentucky University and a visiting lecturer in International Political Economy for The University of London in Sri Lanka Royal Institute of Colombo and teaches at the International Security at University of Colombo. Abeyagoonasekera has more than a decade of experience in government administration, serving as the head of several government institutions to positions at the board level. His commentaries on International Relations and Geopolitics are published by Observer Research Foundation New Delhi, London School of Economics and South Asia Journal. Abeyagoonasekera writes the monthly column Dateline Colombo for IPCS think tank in New Delhi.
Admiral Jayanath Colombage, RSP, VSV, USP, FNI is a Sri Lankan flag officer and diplomat. He was the Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs until 2022, prior to which he served as Additional Secretary to the President for foreign relations. A career naval officer, he had served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, the professional head of the navy from September 2012 to June 2014.
Irangani Manel Abeysekera is a Sri Lankan diplomat. Having served as Sri Lankan Ambassador in Germany and Thailand, she is known as Sri Lanka's first woman career diplomat.
The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) is an independent think-and-do tank providing multidisciplinary policy advice and practical support focused on prevention, the rule of law and current and emerging threats three 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.
Prasantha Lal De Alwis, President's counsel, obtained his LLB and LLM from University of Colombo. He initiated his career as a State Counsel at the Attorney General's Department of Sri Lanka in 1983, and had served in that capacity until 1990. Subsequently, he joined the private bar and since then had been practicing in both appellate and trial courts, specialized in the spheres of criminal and family Law. He also is a Corporate Director, visiting Lecturer at faculty of Law of the University of Colombo and Sri Lanka Law College. He is a member of the board of management for Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International relations and Strategic Studies.
The Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, is a public research university located in Hanoi, Vietnam and an administrative unit under management of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam. Founded in 1959, formerly known as "University of Foreign Affairs" or "Institute for International Relations", the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam is known as a prestigious institution providing in-depth training, strategic research and forecasts on a wide range of pressing regional and global issues to the country's government. It is regarded as an elite training ground for future diplomats, leaders, civil servants, journalists and business executives in Vietnam.
