2018 Global Think Tank Summit: Think Tanks: A Bridge Over Troubled Waters and Turbulent Times

Abstract

Dr. James McGann, Director of the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania, and Guntram Wolff, Director of Bruegel, a think tank based in Brussels working on issues of economics and global affairs, introduced the 2018 Global Think Tank Summit in Brussels, Belgium. The summit comprised over 120 participants, largely think tank executives, from over fifty countries, and took place from November 6 to 9, 2018. According to Mr. Wolff, the main goal of the summit was to discuss global policy issues in a complicated political environment. As many countries look to national solutions to problems rather than global cooperation, the aim was to approach these problems jointly. Mr. Wolff made note that the “multilateral political system is under threat from several players,” the most visible ones in global trade discussions being China and the United States, with Europe largely acting as a bystander. One of the main questions tackled during the summit was how to increase the effectiveness of think tank research, communication, and transparency. Further, think tank executives were encouraged to share best practices with one another and focus on issues of diversity. Mr. Wolff also explained that the first day of the conference was open to the public because think tanks have an increasing responsibility to directly share facts, data, and analysis with the public, and become a trusted source in global and regional issues.