Royal United Services Institute

Last updated

Royal United Services Institute
AbbreviationRUSI
Formation1831;193 years ago (1831)
Founder
Type
Legal status Nonprofit organization [1]
Headquarters Westminster, London, United Kingdom
Coordinates 51°30′15″N0°07′33″W / 51.5043°N 0.1259°W / 51.5043; -0.1259
President
The Duke of Kent
Director-General
Karin von Hippel
Website rusi.org

The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI, Rusi) is a defence and security think tank with its headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley. [2] [3] The institution was registered as Royal United Service Institute for Defence and Security Studies and formerly known as the Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies. The current president of RUSI is the Duke of Kent and its director-general is Karin von Hippel. [4] [5]

Contents

History

RUSI was founded in 1831, making it the oldest defence and security think tank in the world, at the initiative of the Duke of Wellington. Its original objective was to study naval and military science.

The Duke of Wellington spearheaded the establishment of RUSI in a letter to Colbourn's United Service Journal arguing that "a United Service Museum" should be formed, managed entirely by naval and military officers, and under patronage of the monarch, then King George IV, and the commanders-in-chief of the armed forces. Such an institution would prove that the two professions have entered the lists of science, and are ready to contend for honours tam Artibus quam Armis ('as much through the arts as through weapons'). [2]

Subsequently, Commander Henry Downes, Royal Navy, assembled a group with a view to forming a committee for action, to which King George's First ADC was commanded to convey "His Majesty's gracious and high approbation of the undertaking and of the principles on which it is proposed to conduct it", which were stated to be suitable for "a strictly scientific and professional society, and not a club". The death of the King delayed matters, but the Duke of Clarence expressed his readiness to become a patron so, encouraged by the powerful support of the Duke of Wellington, the First Aide-de-camp, Sir Herbert Taylor, re-submitted the project to William IV (the former Duke of Clarence), and was able to assure the committee that "it could proceed under his Majesty's gracious auspices".[ citation needed ]

On 25 June 1831 the committee met. The chair was taken by Major General Sir Howard Douglas, in his person a symbol of the "United Service": a soldier who was the leading expert on naval gunnery. The resolution that the institution be established was put by the future Field Marshal Viscount Hardinge and seconded by the future Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort, the famous hydrographer. The first name adopted was the Naval and Military Museum: this was altered in 1839 to the United Service Institution, and in 1860 to the Royal United Service Institution by a royal charter of incorporation. [6] In 2004 the name was changed to the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies. Fellows of RUSI may use the five-letter post-nominal abbreviation, FRUSI.[ citation needed ]

Premises

Prior to moving into its current purpose-built headquarters in 1895, RUSI began its existence in Whitehall Court, then moved to a house in what was then known as Middle Scotland Yard in 1832. Queen Victoria granted RUSI the use of the Banqueting House, in Whitehall, Westminster. It finally moved to its current location next door to the Banqueting House in 1895. [2] In March 2022, RUSI announced that it had successfully secured "£10 million for the redevelopment of our 61 Whitehall home, to which we will return in 2023". [7]

As of the end of March 2022, RUSI has 111 employees in the UK, up from 78 the year prior. [7]

Activities

RUSI is a British institution; however, it operates with an international perspective. It promotes the study and discussion of developments in military doctrine, defence management and defence procurement. In the 21st century RUSI has broadened its remit to include all issues of defence and security, including financial and organised crime, terrorism and the ideologies which foster it and the challenges from other man-made or man-assisted threats and from natural disasters. [8]

RUSI has a membership consisting of military officers, diplomats and the wider policy community, numbering 1,668 individuals and 129 corporate members (see the last page of the latest Review). [8]

RUSI members and the wider defence and security community have access to the following activities:

Research

According to its website, RUSI "maintains a wide range of multidisciplinary research specialisms. It focuses on the areas of Military Sciences, International Security Studies, Terrorism and Conflict, Cyber, Nuclear Proliferation, Financial Crime and Organised Crime". [9] In April 2020, RUSI released a report urging the UK's intelligence agencies to step up their use of artificial intelligence in order to "keep pace" with adversaries who seek to exploit new technologies to attack Britain. [10]

Analysis

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London on 10 March 2015. Royal United Services Institute (16586082400).jpg
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond speaking at the Royal United Services Institute in London on 10 March 2015.

RUSI experts are often called upon to provide analysis and commentary on the leading defence and security issues of the day. [11] In addition, RUSI.org hosts timely analysis on the defence and security issues of the day. Content is drawn from its publications and briefings from its researchers. [12]

Publications

RUSI publishes a number of periodicals and books. RUSI claim that the RUSI Journal is leading journal on defence and security and that it was first published in 1857. [13]

Recognition

In 2008 [14] and 2020, RUSI was named Think Tank of the Year by Prospect magazine. [15]

In 2008 and 2011 the magazine named RUSI "Foreign Policy Think Tank of the Year", [16] and in 2018, RUSI was short-listed in the Economic and Financial as well as the International Affairs categories. [17]

Governance

RUSI gets its funding from individual members as well as corporate members, which include major corporations from numerous countries. [18] [19] RUSI is governed by a council comprising vice-presidents, trustees and an advisory Council. Members serve for a three-year term. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of the United Kingdom

The British Armed Forces are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, support international peacekeeping efforts and provide humanitarian aid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Think tank</span> Organization that performs policy research and advocacy

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, and some are associated with particular political parties, businesses or the military. Think tanks are often funded by individual donations, with many also accepting government grants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Institute for Strategic Studies</span> British international affairs think tank

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is an international research institute or think tank focusing on defence and security issues. Since 1997, its headquarters have been at Arundel House in London. It has offices on four continents, producing data and research on questions of defence, security and global affairs, publishing publications and online analysis, and convening major security summits. The Guardian newspaper has described the IISS as ‘one of the world’s leading security think tanks.’

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitehall</span> Road in the City of Westminster, in Central London

Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Square. The street is recognised as the centre of the Government of the United Kingdom and is lined with numerous departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Defence, Horse Guards and the Cabinet Office. Consequently, the name "Whitehall" is used as a metonym for the British civil service and government, and as the geographic name for the surrounding area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)</span> UK Government department responsible for defence

The Ministry of Defence is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for implementing the defence policy set by the government and serves as the headquarters of the British Armed Forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julian Lewis</span> British Conservative politician

Sir Julian Murray Lewis is a British Conservative Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for New Forest East since 1997. Lewis has served as Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) since 2020, succeeding Dominic Grieve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chatham House</span> British think tank founded in 1920

The Royal Institute of International Affairs, commonly known as Chatham House, is a British think tank based 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 Indian Defence services have established numerous academies and staff colleges across India for the purpose of training professional soldiers in military sciences, warfare command and strategy, and associated technologies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Fry</span> Royal Marines general (born 1951)

Lieutenant General Sir Robert Alan Fry, served as a Royal Marine for over 30 years and was involved in military operations in Northern Ireland, the Gulf, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. After retirement from military service he went into private business and, in 2007, became CEO of Hewlett Packard's defence and security business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In 2010 he was appointed chairman of McKinney Rogers International and subsequently, in 2011, Albany Associates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses</span> Indian think-tank based in New Delhi, India

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 Centre for Defence and International Security Studies is a British defence and security think tank. CDiSS is engaged in research, analysis, commentary and discussion on issues of significance within the broad context of international security.

The Duke of Westminster's Medal for Military Literature was awarded by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies,, Whitehall, London. Awarded annually from 1997 to 2016, the Medal was given to honour a living author who has published a notable original contribution to the fields of defences studies and international security affairs. This award has been superseded by the Duke of Wellington Medal for Military History as of 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Union Defence Organisation</span> Former intergovernmental military agency

From April 1948, the member states of the Western Union (WU), decided to create a military agency under the name of the Western Union Defence Organisation (WUDO). WUDO was formally established on September 27–28, 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Service Institution</span>

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".

Caroline Julia Primrose, Lady Dalmeny is a British former defence policy analyst. Lady Dalmeny was married to Harry Primrose, Lord Dalmeny. They were reported to be divorcing in 2014.

The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 was published by the British government during the second Cameron ministry on 23 November 2015 to outline the United Kingdom's defence strategy up to 2025. It identified key threats to the UK and the capabilities it required to address them.

The Arctic Institute – Center for Circumpolar Security Studies, often referred to as The Arctic Institute or TAI, is an international think tank founded in 2011 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institute's mission is to inform Arctic policy through interdisciplinary, inclusive research that addresses the most critical issues in the circumpolar Arctic. TAI is composed of researchers from around the world. The University of Pennsylvania's Global Go To Think Tank Index has consistently ranked The Arctic Institute among the top one hundred best think tanks in the United States since 2016. Romain Chuffart has served as Managing Director since September 2022.

Major General Christopher Leslie Elliott is a retired senior British Army Officer and author.

The Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, often known as the Integrated Review, and titled as Global Britain in a Competitive Age, was a review carried out by the British government led by Boris Johnson into the foreign, defence, security and international development policies of the United Kingdom. Described by Johnson as "the largest review of its kind since the Cold War", the review was published on 16 March 2021.

References

  1. Charity Commission
  2. 1 2 3 "Royal United Services Institute (Biographical details)". The British Museum, UK. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  3. Harding, Luke (4 March 2022). "Demoralised Russian soldiers tell of anger at being 'duped' into war". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  4. "RUSI Governing Bodies". Royal United Services Institute. 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  5. "Staff and Fellows". Royal United Services Institute. 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  6. Hartwell, N. M. (2019). "A repository of virtue? The United Service Museum, collecting, and the professionalization of the British Armed Forces, 1829–1864". Journal of the History of Collections. 31 (1): 77–91 via Oxford University Press.
  7. 1 2 "Financial Statements" (PDF). 31 March 2022. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 "2016/2017 Annual Report". Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  9. expertise
  10. Warrell, Helen (2020). "UK intelligence urged to step up AI use to counter cyber threats". Financial Times.
  11. "Royal United Services Institute" . Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  12. "Timely analysis". Rusi.org. Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  13. "RUSI Journal". Rusi.org. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  14. "Prospect Magazine's Think Tank of 2008". Prospectmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  15. Prospect, magazine (3 November 2020). "The 2020 Think Tank Awards Ceremony". Prospect magazine. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021.
  16. "Prospect Think Tank of the Year: The Winners". Prospect Magazine. Retrieved 18 July 2014.
  17. 2018 shortlisted
  18. "XFunding".
  19. "Corporate Members".
  20. "List of members of RUSI Council". Rusi.org. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2014.