Bridging Knowledge and Cultural Gaps Think Tanks in

Bridging Knowledge and Cultural Gaps: Think Tanks in the MENA Region Final PPT- 8/4/2020 Summer 2020 Research Symposium August 7 th, 2020 Philadelphia, PA 1

The Team Julia Lammers Data Collection Project Lead University of Pennsylvania Beyoncé Lightfoot University of Pennsylvania Inesse Jibre Mapping Project Lead Columbia University Abby Baggini University of Pennsylvania Ali Osman University of Pennsylvania Hilal Bazzi University of Michigan Layal Salaymeh Vienna University of Economics and Business Dana Jabre Brown University Emad Shahnoushi Columbia University Dr. James Mc. Gann TTCSP Director 2

Presentation Roadmap I. Global Overview II. Definitions and Categories III. MENA Overview IV. Literature Review V. Data Project Results VI. Mapping Exercise Results VII. Methodology VIII. Conclusions IX. Questions for Future Research 3

Global Overview 2019 2020 8, 248 TTs worldwide 623 Estimated TTs in MENA 507 | TTs in MENA in 2019 Index 111 | TTs potentially inactive from 2019 Database 116 | New TTs Identified 623 | Estimated TTs in MENA in 2020 90 Surveyed Think Tanks: Sample is 14. 4% of total estimated # of MENA TTs 4

MENA Think Tanks in the Global Context 21 countries make up the Middle East and North African (MENA) region According to the 2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index: ● With 507 think tanks, the MENA region has the least number of think tanks than any other region in the world ● 11 of the 157 Top Think Tanks Worldwide (Non Research Justification (why we are looking at mena) US) were from the region ● 103 of these think tanks are identified as Top Think Tanks in the region ● With 69 think tanks, Israel has the most think tanks in the region 5

The Region with the Smallest Percentage of TTs (6. 1%) Numbers from 2019 Index: Israel (69) Iraq (32) Saudi Arabia (10) Kuwait (16) Iran (64) Jordan (28) Syria (10) Morocco (15) Turkey (48) Lebanon (28) Algeria (9) Qatar (15) Egypt (39) Yemen (27) Cyprus (6) United Arab Emirates (15) Palestine (36) Tunisia (21) Libya (3) Bahrain (13) Oman (3) 21 Countries Tanks 507 Think 6

Regional and County by Country Distributions Numbers from 2019 Index: 7

Definition and Categories What is a “think tank”? Think tanks are public policy research , analysis, and engagement institutions that generate policy-oriented research, analysis, and advice on domestic and international issues that enable policymakers and the public to make informed decisions about public policy issues. Categories Autonomous and independent Quasi-independent Governmentaffiliated Quasi-governmental Universityaffiliated Political partyaffiliated Corporate (for profit) Hybrid 8

Literature Review ● American think tank model largely exported to the region, though with Key Regionally Specific increased constraints on policy influence (Stone, 2005) Issues ○ ○ ● ● Increased attention from foreign donors following 9/11 (Stone, 2005) Think Tank Characteristics by Sub-Region: (Li, 2017) ○ ○ ○ ● Scale, date of establishment, and government structure Need financial stability and to increase demand for research & analysis (Middle East Institute, 2019) Gulf Countries : supported through royal government, academia, NGO; likely the most stable funding The Sham: significant research in rich, stable countries; focus on Israeli. Palestinian conflict North Africa : additional non-Arab element to think tanks in this subregion, with often a more internationally oriented focus Gulf countries spending on foreign think tanks over domestic ones (Quorum Center for Strategic Studies, 2016) Energy & Resource Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Religion & Cult ure 9

Evolution of MENA Think Tanks ● ● Peak indicated shortly after 9/11, confirming literature review research Brief dip around 2010 ○ Hypothesis: perhaps the Arab Spring slowed think tank growth briefly ● *Sourcing: survey responses from 90 institutions, as well as the establishment dates provided by institutions on their websites (using 2020 database) Growth rate throughout the last three decades: ○ 90 s: 78% increase ○ 2000 s: 38% increase ○ 2010 s: 13. 5% increase 10

Regional Data Summary *Sourcing: survey responses from 90 institutions, as well as an analysis of information provided by other think tanks on their websites (using 2020 database) Average Budget Average Number of Researchers Average Number of Administrators Average Age of Think Tank $1, 896, 854 USD 26 12 27 years old 11

Mapping Results 116 new additions Updated Regional Estimates *** The Charts by Region define the Regions by the following: Levant includes: Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Cyprus, Syria, Iraq // North Africa includes: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia // Gulf Includes: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Total Number from 2019 GGTTI 507 Total Number New Additions 116 New Total of MENA Think Tanks in Database Potentially Inactive, Low Activity* 623 111 12

Interregional Analysis of 2020 Database North Africa 5 Countries, 116 Think Tanks in 2020 Database The Gulf & Yemen 6 Countries, 113 Think Tanks in 2020 Database The Levant 5 Countries, 203 Think Tanks in 2020 Database Turkey & Cyprus 2 Countries, 61 Think Tanks in 2020 Database Iran 1 Country, 91 Think Tanks in 2020 Database Levant includes: Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iraq // North Africa includes: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia // Gulf Includes: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates 13

Selective Country Analysis: Iran ● ● ● 27 additions, 91 Think Tanks Iran represented only 2. 3% of the MENA top 103 think tanks however, it consisted of 25% of the new additions Additions were not new, but had been previously inaccessible since websites were in Persian and much of their work is domestic Highlights the clear knowledge gap surrounding Iran specifically ○ Needs to be examined under USIranian relations 14

Selective Country Analysis: Israel ● ● ● 73 Think Tanks Significant number of institutions dedicated primarily to researching the Israeli-Palestinian issue Influence and role similar to think tanks in Western Europe/North America (Institute for National Security Studies, 2014) Economic and Structural Advantages: ○ ○ High per capita GDP allows for discretionary spending, philanthropy (Mc. Gann, 2005) Non-profit sector: 5% of Israeli GDP, 13. 9% Israeli workforce (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2016) 15

Selective Country Analysis: Turkey ● ● ● 53 Think Tanks Increased investment in foreign policy, intellectualism pluralism led to boom in think tanks throughout 2000 s Largely seem to augment existing Turkish foreign policy more so than produce independent thought Increasing restraints: Freedom House rating from “Partially Free” to “Not Free” (Outzen & Schwing, 2016) (Findikli, 2015) 16

Selective Country Analysis: Egypt ● ● 47 Think Tanks Most internationally oriented think tanks within Arab world (Li, 2017) Strong university system helps promote and sustain research institutions (Mc. Gann, 2005) Challenges: freedom of speech and political pressures ○ Egypt ranked 166/180 in 2020 World Press Freedom Index Limited gov funding since 1980 s (Shehata, 2018) 17

Selective Country Analysis: United Arab Emirates ● ● 16 Think Tanks Deep connections to US think tanks (funding and consistent contact) (Think Tank Watch, 2019) UAE think tanks competitive, due to royal support Research is far reaching in the region due to mass media campaigns (Li, 2017) Thematic focus on foreign policy, peace and security issues, especially within the region 18

Regional Data Analysis ● The majority of think tanks in the region have budgets less than $1 mil USD ○ ○ ● Average Budget: $1, 896, 854 USD Typically more researchers than administrators at regional think tanks ○ ○ ● ● The smallest self-reported budget is $5, 000 USD The largest self-reported budget is over $13 mil USD Smallest research team size: 2 Smallest administrative team size: 1 Largest research team size: 314 Largest administrative team size: 150 The youngest is 1 year old (2019), the oldest is 101 years old (1919) Think tanks in the region cover a wide variety of areas of research, but the top three areas are Economic Policy, Social Policy, and Foreign Policy ○ Average # Researchers: 26 Average # Administrators: 26 These three areas account for roughly 50% of the entire sample *Information is from the TTCSP database update survey (90 responses, with think tanks in Morocco, Israel, and Turkey responding at the highest rates) Average Age: 27 years 19

Team Challenges 1. Communication with Think Tanks 2. Applying and Assessing the Think Tank Definition 3. Verifying Think Tank Closures “A lot of the Arab world don’t like email as a form of communication. Phone calls, face to face, Skype calls and Whats. App are a much more effective and preferred way of communication. ” “Top Tips for Doing Business in the Middle East” - Bolst Global 20

Conclusions 1 The MENA region has the smallest percentage of recorded think tanks, and faces a set of unique operational and strategic challenges. 2 The data we have collected on the region’s think tanks show there is a wide range in budget size, staff size, and age. 3 4 Our 116 new additions demonstrate there are more think tanks in the region than previously recorded. Resources need to be more consistently devoted to studying the landscape. There is a knowledge gap between the East and the West. Further research needs to be conducted in order to explain why this gap exists and determine how to best bridge it. 21

Questions for Further Research ● Future Work ○ ● ● Gain better understanding of the influence MENA think tanks have Phone interviews with Think Tanks Improve response rate to surveys for more representative data How does the West’’s lack of knowledge on more Eastern think tanks adversely impact research efforts? Which other measures can be taken in order to get in contact with think tanks across the MENA region for TTCSP to receive more responses? How has the instability in the MENA region affected think tanks’ operations? ● ● ● What are the key differences between think tanks in the West and those in the MENA region? How can ehses differences be dealt with? What is the reputation of MENA think tanks in the media and around the world in general? To what extent do policy makers in the MENA region take the research conducted by think tanks into consideration in their decision making process? 22

Mapping Methodology Umbrella Organizations - For each country, we identified the top 1) universities, 2) corporations, 3) political parties Categorization - New and existing think tanks sorted by affiliation and research focus Translation - various correspondences translated into Persian, Arabic, and French. Translation also used for searches and databases. Mail Merge - Used to send and track communications with both new and existing think tanks as they were sent database update requests Online Searches - new additions identified also through searches for research centers, government websites, and organizational charts Alternative Communications Think Tanks were also contacted via international calling, Linked. In, Facebook, and even instagram 23

General Data Collection Strategy Phase I - Collect contact information of key positions at Top 103 Think Tanks in MENA region Phase II - Send database update request to contacts collected in previous phase Phase III - Collect contact information and send database update request to all other think tanks in MENA region 24

Bibliography Bolst Global. N. d. “Top Tips for Doing Business in the Middle East. ” Accessed July 28 2017. https: //bolstglobal. com/portfolio-items/cultural-tips-for-doing-business-in-the-middle-east/ Central Bureau of Statistics. 2016. Income and Expenses of Non-Profit Institutions 2011 -2015. http: //www. cbs. gov. il/www/hodaot 2016 n/08_16_247 e. pdf “Egypt. ” Reporters Without Borders, 2020 World Press Freedom Index. 2020/ Findikli, Burhan. 2015. “THE EMERGENCE OF THINK TANKS AND MEDIATOR INTELLECTUALS IN TURKEY. ” MA thesis, İstanbul Sehir University. https: //pdfs. semanticscholar. org/7457/aba 349 c 3 cffb 6 fe 97 d 00088 d 7 e 0763 f 45 cef. pdf Institute for National Security Studies. 2014. “The Role and Influence of Think Tanks in the Israeli Experience. ” Accessed July 28 2020. https: //www. inss. org. il/role-influence-think-tanks-israeli-experience/ Li, Yi. 2017. “PROFILE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ARAB THINK TANKS. ” Yonsei Journal of International Studies content/uploads/2017/06/17 SS_YJIS_Arab-Think-Tanks. pdf Mc. Gann, James G. and Johnson, Erik C. 2005. Comparative Think Tanks, Politics and Public Policy Mc. Gann, James G. 2016. The Fifth Estate: Think Tanks, Public Policy, and Governance 9, no. 1 (2017): 108 -127. http: //theyonseijournal. com/wp- . Northampton: Edward Elgar Publishing. . Washington DC: Brookings Institution. Mc. Gann, James G. , "2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report" (2020). TTCSP Global Go To Think Tank Index Reports. https: //repository. upenn. edu/think_tanks/17 “New Report Documents UAE's Deep Ties to Think Tanks. ” Think Tank Watch. October 21, 2019. http: //www. thinktankwatch. com/2019/10/new-report-documents-uaes-deep-ties-to. html 25

Bibliography Outzen, Richard H. M. and Schwing, Ryan. 2016. “Supporting Democracy in Erdog an’s Turkey: The Role of Think Tanks. ” Institute for National Strategic Studies May, 2016. https: //inss. ndu. edu/Portals/68/Documents/stratforum/SF-292. pdf , National Defense University. “Gulf countries are spending millions of dollars on foreign think tanks. ” Quorum Center for Strategic Studies. August 3, 2016. https: //www. quorumcentre. com/gcc-spending-millions-on-thinktanks/ Shehata, Dina. 2018. “Limitations of think tanks in Egypt. ” Ahram Online. March, 9, 2018. Stone, Diane. 2005. “Think Tanks and Policy Advice in Countries in Transition. ” Public Policy Program, Central European University & Asian Development Bank Institute. August 31, 2005. https: //think-asia. org/bitstream/handle/11540/3624/2005. 09. dp 36. think. tanks. jfppt. pdf? sequence=1 “The Role of Think Tanks in Shaping Middle East Policy. ” Middle East Institute. Youtube. January 31, 2019. https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=M 8 Zr. Ep. Mmm. CM 26

For more information: ● Visit the TTCSP home page about the program: https: //www. gotothinktank. com/ ● Visit Scholarly Commons to view previous Global Go To Think Tank Index Reports: https: //repository. upenn. edu/think_tanks/ ● To view past publications: https: //www. gotothinktank. com/publications 27

TTCSP Mission The mission of TTCSP is to increase the profile, capacity and performance of think tanks at the national, regional and global levels so they can better serve policymakers and the public. TTCSP conducts research on the relationship between think tanks, politics and public policy, produces the annual Global Go To Think Tank Index, develops capacity-building resources and programs, manages and supports a global network of over 8, 000 think tanks and trains future think tank scholars and executives. TTCSP is often referred to as the “think tanks’ think tank. ” Copyright © July 2020. Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program, University of Pennsylvania

“Helping to bridge the gap between knowledge and policy” 2020 Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the University of Pennsylvania, Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program. James G. Mc. Gann, Ph. D. Senior Lecturer, International Studies, Lauder Institute Director, Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program Wharton School and School of Arts and Sciences University of Pennsylvania 256 S. 37 th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 Main Office: (215) 573 -6267 Direct Line: (215) 746 -2928 Mobile: (215) 206 -1799 Email: jmcgann@wharton. upenn. edu Website: gotothinktank. com

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