[ Think Tank Trends ]
-- From the Survey Conducted for "NIRA's World Directory of Think Tanks 2002"
Public policy research institutes -known as think tanks- are important policy actors in democratic societies. They are a knowledge-based "soft infrastructure" and support a pluralistic, open and accountable policy-making process. NIRA conducts a worldwide survey of think tanks and publishes "NIRA's World Directory of Think Tanks (NWDTT)" every three years. NWDTT is widely used as basic reference resource on think tanks. The 2002 edition provides information on 320 institutes from 77 countries and regions, and includes a brief analysis of the global think tank community. The number of institutions listed in the directory has constantly increased since the publication of the first edition in 1993, which included 232 institutes from 64 countries. The following article describes Japanese think tanks in relation to broader trends in the global think tank community.
Characteristics of Organizational Status
The organizational status of think tanks varies in response to such factors as differences in political systems. The 2002 edition listed 148 independent organizations, 74 NGOs, 45 university-affiliated institutes, 19 semi-governmental institutions and 20 governmental institutes. The Japanese situation is unique, in that think tanks run for profit are found in no other country, and university-affiliated institutes are not usually categorized as think tanks in Japan. By contrast, the data included in NWDTT 2002 shows that public policy research in the rest of the world is not conducted for profit, and that university-affiliated institutes are considered to be think tanks conducting policy research from a theoretical perspective.
Reviewing the history of think tanks in Japan and the US, it becomes clear that the year 1970 was turning point in both countries. In the 1960's in the US, the term "think tank" generally referred to a contract research institute such as the RAND Corporation. In the 1970's, however the meaning of the term broadened to refer to independent public policy research institutes. Japanese think tanks developed as contract research institutes in emulation of the American pattern which they had studied during the 1960's. Although the number of think tanks has significantly increased in both countries, there is a clear distinction in organizational status: the US think tank community promotes independent public policy research, while the Japanese think tanks industry largely depends on government commissioned research.
Toward the Era of the Policy Community
Japanese think tanks have recently entered a period of transition, due to transformations in their parent companies and the effect of administrative reforms. Similar cases are also found in other countries. For example, the Policy Studies Institute (PSI) in the UK merged to become an independent subsidiary of the University of Westminster in 1998, and the Overseas Development Council (ODC) in the US ceased operation after three decades. The Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID) established a task force to review the status of the institute after insider trading by program administrator was discovered. The task force report concluded that the key characteristics of the HIID were continuous contribution to development studies; a multidisciplinary approach; applied research methods; and long-tem on -site project activities. On the basis of recommendation by the task force, the HIID closed after a quarter century of operation in June 2000 but many of its personnel continue to work at Harvard, engaging in cross-faculty collaborations. The task force report unintentionally clarified the roles of think tanks and the importance of these institutions.
Think tanks are free from the restrictions placed on governments as the implementers of policy, and are able to examine from a theoretical perspective. Given the growing number of think tanks worldwide, a global "policy community", which will promote discussion on innovative policy ideas and alternatives, is expanding.
-- From the Survey for the 2002Almanac of Think Tanks in Japan
NIRA publishes "Almanac of Think Tanks in Japan" annually to provide information on domestic policy research institutes. At the same time, a "survey on trends in Japanese think tanks" is conducted with regard to the think tanks represented in the almanac. On the basis of the results of the latest survey and data analysis conducted over the last decade, the "2002 Almanac of Think Tanks in Japan" represents an overview of the most recent directions in the think tank evolution. Details of the "survey on trends in Japanese think tanks" are presented on NIRA's home page, http://www.nira.go.jp/icj/index.html (in Japanese only).
[ Symposium/Lecture ]
Islamic Extremism and the Response of the International Community
NIRA commenced a series of conflict prevention colloquia in collaboration with the International Crisis Group (ICG) in autumn 2001. The ICG is a private international organization based in Brussels, which conducts analyses and presents proposals related to conflict prevention on the basis of field studies in countries at risk of conflict. The second round, held on January 23, 2002, featured a lecture by ICG President Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia.
"NIRA Challenge Books" is a series published by Nihon Keizai Hyoronsha, Inc., presenting a diverse range of policy options emerging from long-term perspectives on the ideal future direction for Japan. The series is published with the intention of generating discussion among the general public. The following is the latest volume to be published in this series.
- Edited by Kazutomo Abe and Syuujiro Urata
- Scheduled to be published: March 25 (in Japanese)
NIRA Research Output, No.20010016
- Scheduled to be published in late March
- A4, 250 pages (in Japanese)
NIRA Research Output, Vol.15, No.1, 2002
- Scheduled to be published in late March
- Modified A4, 90 pages (in English)
It has been pointed out that many factors block the realization of monetary union in East Asia, including the region's diversity. In Europe, by contrast, regional integration progressed after World War II. In January 1999, the unified currency, the "euro," was launched, and in January 2002, a complete shift to the euro commenced.
This publication considers the link between Europe's identity and its economic and monetary integration, in order to contribute to perspectives on potential monetary union in East Asia.
This volume of NIRA Research Output analyzes the mechanisms that enabled European union, especially monetary union, the response of European citizens to monetary union, and the reasons why citizens eventually came to support it.
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