Ifri : Leading Foreign Policy think tank in Europe

Ifri is the main French independent research and debate institution dedicated to international affairs. 

 

In 2011, for the fourth year in a row, Ifri is the only French institute ranked among the world's top 50 leading think tanks in the world based outside the United States. It ranks third in Western Europe according to the "Global Think Tanks Index" established by the University of Pennsylvania. This international survey concerns 6 480 think tanks from 169 countries.

 

Inspired by the US and British example, Ifri prides itself in being the oldest French "think tank." Since its creation in 1979 by Thierry de Montbrial, Ifri's footprint has constantly been expanding. Fully integrated in the network of major international think tanks, Ifri aims at gathering decision-makers and researchers to develop non-partisan and thorough research and debate on current international issues. Ifri's goals are to:

•develop applied research in the field of public policy related to international issues

•foster interactive and constructive dialogue between researchers, professionals, and opinion leaders

Ifri is not affiliated with any political party or official authority. Attached to its political and intellectual independence, the institute has chosen to diversify its public and private financial sources. With a budget of about 6 million Euros, 70% of which comes from private sources, Ifri has been able to remain faithful to its independence and purpose despite the constraints imposed by the global economic crisis

Policy-oriented research

As a cross-disciplinary research center, Ifri gathers over thirty five French and foreign researchers. Over 50% of Ifri's researchers are less than forty years old. This rejuvenated team looks into the future with an open-minded approach. Ifri's experts are involved in major international networks and communicate on a regular basis with their foreign counterparts. Ifri's "policy-oriented" research is organized around different regional and cross-disciplinary research areas, which evolve according to international political and economic trends.

Debate: the advantages of diversity

Ifri's research is enriched by the debates it organizes in a non-partisan and informal context. These debates are vital in developing closer relationships between researchers and decision-makers from the private and public sector. Since 1979, Ifri has organized over 1,800 conferences, 180 international symposiums and 500 meetings involving French and foreign prominent figures.

Ifri has also hosted numerous heads of state or government. Guests in recent years include President Nicolas Sarkozy, President Dmitri Medvedev, President Hu Jintao (when he was Vice-President), President Hamid KarzaÏ, President Jalal Talabani, President MikhaÏl Saakashvili, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President Viktor Iouchtchenko, President Vaclav Klaus, President Abdoulaye Wade, President Pervez Musharraf, President Abdullah Gül, President Boris Tadic, President Viktor Ianoukovitch, Herman Van Rompuy, José Manuel Barroso, Anders Fogh Rasmussen...

Publications: providing the tools to understanding world events

Ifri's research and debate are covered in the institute's various collections as well as in top publications such as the quarterly journal Politique étrangère, the oldest French journal on international affairs, and the annual report RAMSES. With a circulation of 10,000 copies, RAMSES combines a factual analysis of events, a critical assessment of the past year and perspectives for the following year.     

Today the website www.ifri.org is the first media through which Ifri's debates, work and studies are disseminated (including summaries of the most recent publications, policy papers, seminar, meetings, and symposium reports).

Ifri equally contributes to European debates through our regular reports and prompt analysis of European news and events published in the new electronic collection "Actuelles de l'Ifri".

Ifri is also very present in the media: in 2010 its researchers published over 335 articles and interviews. Aside from numerous articles and interviews, Ifri and its experts have been quoted over 5, 600 times in the French and foreign media.

A European ambition

In a globalized world in which France and Europe try to redefine their international role, and as the European project is going through a crisis, Ifri has greatly enhanced the European dimension of its activities. With a branch in Brussels - Ifri Brussels - launched in March 2005, Ifri has asserted itself as one of the rare French think tanks at the heart of the European debate with a crossdisciplinary approach associating political and economic decision-makers, researchers and experts on a European scale.

This year's track record reflects Ifri's ambitions. Ifri Brussels created a weekly event, "Ifri's Tuesdays in Brussels," recognized in Brussels for the richness of its debates-directly linked to EU's agenda. Thanks to its experience and its international staff, Ifri is today a prospective-oriented French and European think tank, benefiting from a unique international network

In 2010, Ifri:

• counted over 92 corporate members, 60 embassies and institutional members and 505 individual members;
• held 150 conferences in Paris and 45 conferences and seminars in Brussels;
• held 24 international conferences on major issues;
• welcomed over 140 foreign and French experts and prominent figures;
• had 5 researchers publish books;
• published over 100 online articles, amongst which more than 65 policy papers
• welcomed more than 10,000 participants to its events