70-614: 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 . 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
140-504: A royal charter of incorporation . 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 . 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
210-614: A 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. Think tanks publish articles and studies, and sometimes draft legislation on particular matters of policy or society. This information is then used by governments, businesses, media organizations, social movements or other interest groups. Think tanks range from those associated with highly academic or scholarly activities to those that are overtly ideological and pushing for particular policies, with
280-521: A larger mosaic that concentrates all the EPA's enemies against it at one time." According to the progressive media watchdog Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting , both left-wing and right-wing policy institutes are often quoted and rarely identified as such. The result is that think tank "experts" are sometimes depicted as neutral sources without any ideological predispositions when, in fact, they represent
350-484: 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). According to Declassified UK , RUSI tends to 'adopt pro-UK government perspectives' in commentaries. OpenDemocracy criticized RUSI being presented as apolitical by news outlets such as the BBC , considering the organization has "close links with
420-1147: A number of categories and presents its findings in the Global Go-To Think Tanks rating index. However, this method of the study and assessment of policy institutes has been criticized by researchers such as Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski, Director of the Think Tank Fund, assisted by the Open Society Institute . Think tanks may attempt to broadly inform the public by holding conferences to discuss issues which they may broadcast; encouraging scholars to give public lectures, testifying before committees of governmental bodies; publishing and widely distributing books, magazines, newsletters or journals; creating mailing lists to distribute new publications; and engaging in social media. Think tanks may privately influence policy by having their members accept bureaucratic positions, having members serve on political advisory boards, inviting policy-makers to events, allowing individuals to work at
490-511: A number of think tanks that are in the form of governmental, non-governmental, and corporate organizations. In China a number of think tanks are sponsored by governmental agencies such as Development Research Center of the State Council , but still retain sufficient non-official status to be able to propose and debate ideas more freely. In January 2012, the first non-official think tank in mainland China, South Non-Governmental Think-Tank,
560-722: A particular perspective. In the United States, think tank publications on education are subjected to expert review by the National Education Policy Center 's "Think Twice" think tank review project. A 2014 New York Times report asserted that foreign governments buy influence at many United States think tanks. According to the article: "More than a dozen prominent Washington research groups have received tens of millions of dollars from foreign governments in recent years while pushing United States government officials to adopt policies that often reflect
630-590: A range of economic and governance issues confronting Ghana and Sub-Saharan Africa . It has also been involved in bringing political parties together to engage in dialogue. In particular it has organised Presidential debates every election year since the Ghanaian presidential election, 1996 . Notable think tanks in Ghana include: Afghanistan has a number of think tanks that are in the form of governmental, non-governmental, and corporate organizations. Bangladesh has
700-448: 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. RUSI experts are often called upon to provide analysis and commentary on the leading defence and security issues of the day. In addition, RUSI.org hosts timely analysis on the defence and security issues of
770-478: A standalone website on 20 September 2021. Kennard is an investigative journalist and author who has previously written for news outlets such as The Guardian , the Financial Times , openDemocracy and The Intercept , usually focusing on Britain's role on the international stage. Curtis is a historian and journalist who has written extensively about post- Second World War period foreign policy of
SECTION 10
#1732780328034840-512: A wide range among them in terms of the quality of their research. Later generations of think tanks have tended to be more ideologically oriented. Modern think tanks began as a phenomenon in the United Kingdom in the 19th and early 20th centuries, with most of the rest being established in other English-speaking countries. Prior to 1945, they tended to focus on the economic issues associated with industrialization and urbanization. During
910-484: 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. RUSI has
980-608: Is a global think tank that works on issues such as Water Diplomacy , Peace and Conflict and Foresight (futures studies) . Think tanks with a development focus include those like the National Centre for Cold-chain Development ('NCCD'), which serve to bring an inclusive policy change by supporting the Planning Commission and related government bodies with industry-specific inputs – in this case, set up at
1050-713: Is collaboration between policy institutes in different countries. For instance, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace operates offices in Washington, D.C. , Beijing , Beirut , Brussels and formerly in Moscow , where it was closed in April 2022. The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania , led by James McGann , annually rates policy institutes worldwide in
1120-641: Is deeply embedded in Whitehall. This means that numerous government policies are hidden from the same public who should be able to hold a government to account in a democracy. These hidden policies often need to be exposed, and the secret state challenged." In August 2020, Declassified published a story about a British soldier, Ahmed Al-Batati, being investigated by the Royal Military Police for protesting UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia . British missiles, fighter jets and bombs have been used in
1190-452: Is done in public think tanks. There is a strong emphasis on the knowledge-based economy and, according to one respondent, think tank research is generally considered high quality. Japan has over 100 think tanks, most of which cover not only policy research but also economy, technology and so on. Some are government related, but most of the think tanks are sponsored by the private sector. Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) at
1260-483: Is governed by a council comprising vice-presidents, trustees and an advisory Council. Members serve for a three-year term. Think tank A think tank , or public 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
1330-529: Is not uncovering the reality of Britain's role in the world and the public is being largely kept in the dark. This means that governments are not being held to account for their policies. The problem is not just with the UK's right-wing, billionaire-owned media but also with its more 'liberal' outlets and the BBC , the most popular source of news for the British public. The British media are less and less mainstream – and are if anything becoming even more embedded in
1400-518: Is the Duke of Kent and its director-general is Karin von Hippel . 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
1470-674: Is to maintain analytical and research support for the President of Kazakhstan. Most Malaysian think tanks are related either to the government or a political party. Historically they focused on defense, politics and policy. However, in recent years, think tanks that focus on international trade, economics, and social sciences have also been founded. Notable think tanks in Malaysia include: Pakistan's think tanks mainly revolve around social policy, internal politics, foreign security issues, and regional geo-politics. Most of these are centered on
SECTION 20
#17327803280341540-567: The Daily Express . In August 2020, Declassified journalist Phil Miller, who wrote the piece about Ahmed Al-Batati, asked the MoD for comment. An MoD press officer responded by questioning what angle Miller's article was taking and claimed not to know much about Declassified ; the officer later told Miller, "we no longer deal with your publication". Following this, the Council of Europe ,
1610-760: The British government , publishing numerous works on the subject. Declassified ' s chief reporter is Phil Miller, an investigative journalist, author and filmmaker whose book Keenie Meenie explores the history of Keenie Meenie Services , a British mercenary organization. Board members at Declassified include South African former MP Andrew Feinstein and former Guardian security editor and defence correspondent Richard Norton-Taylor ; its advisors include former Guardian associate foreign editor Victoria Brittain , activist and musician Lowkey , American journalist Glenn Greenwald and Italian journalist Stefania Maurizi . Its website says: "The 'mainstream' UK media
1680-471: The Cold War , many more American and other Western think tanks were established, which often guided government Cold War policy. Since 1991, more think tanks have been established in non-Western parts of the world. More than half of all think tanks that exist today were established after 1980. As of 2023, there are more than 11,000 think tanks around the world. According to historian Jacob Soll , while
1750-520: The Council of Europe to issue a media freedom alert for the UK. The UK government only intervened to reverse the blacklisting after Declassified UK threatened legal action in the matter. Declassified UK has been regulated by IMPRESS since June 2021. Declassified UK was set up in 2019 by Matt Kennard and Mark Curtis and was at first hosted on the website of the Daily Maverick , an independent South African website, before launching
1820-578: The Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen since 2015. In November 2020, Declassified revealed that the United Kingdom had 145 overseas military bases , many more than the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had previously claimed. In February 2021, it revealed that figures from the British royal family had had more than 200 meetings with leaders of "tyrannical" Middle Eastern monarchies since
1890-485: The 1950s, the phrase "think tank" did not refer to organizations. From its first appearances in the 1890s up to the 1950s, the phrase was most commonly used in American English to colloquially refer to the braincase or especially in a pejorative context to the human brain itself when commenting on an individual's failings (in the sense that something was wrong with that person's "think tank"). Around 1958,
1960-421: The 1980s as a result of globalization, the end of the Cold War , and the emergence of transnational problems. Two-thirds of all the think tanks that exist today were established after 1970 and more than half were established since 1980. The effect of globalisation on the proliferation of think tanks is most evident in regions such as Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia, where there
2030-526: The 20th century, such institutes were found primarily in the United States, along with much smaller numbers in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Western Europe. Although think tanks had also existed in Japan for some time, they generally lacked independence, having close associations with government ministries or corporations. There has been a veritable proliferation of "think tanks" around the world that began during
2100-529: The British state and its military establishment," but also recognized its analysts to be "highly informed and often insightful." RUSI members and the wider defence and security community have access to the following activities: 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". In April 2020, RUSI released
2170-521: 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". 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
Royal United Services Institute - Misplaced Pages Continue
2240-636: The Foundation of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan was created in 2003. IWEP activities aimed at research problems of the world economy, international relations, geopolitics, security, integration and Eurasia, as well as the study of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan and its contribution to the establishment and strengthening of Kazakhstan as an independent state,
2310-521: The MoD because we think they have certainly acted against the Civil Service Code, for example, and there may be other codes of conduct or other legal requirements that they might not be consistent with by telling us that." The National Union of Journalists called upon Wallace to intervene and an independent review was later ordered. The inquiry was headed by Tom Kelly, who was one of Tony Blair 's Downing Street press spokespeople when Blair
2380-595: The Philippines could be generally categorized in terms of their linkages with the national government. Several were set up by the Philippine government for the specific purpose of providing research input into the policy-making process. Sri Lanka has a number of think tanks that are in the form of governmental, non-governmental and corporate organizations. There are several think tanks in Singapore that advise
2450-731: The Year", and in 2018, RUSI was short-listed in the Economic and Financial as well as the International Affairs categories. RUSI gets its funding from individual members as well as corporate members and revenue from publications and research contracts. Major contributors include the U.S. Department of State , the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office , the European Commission and BAE Systems . RUSI
2520-538: The actions of think tanks and potentially bypass the political process, analysing the social background and values of those who work in think tanks. Pautz criticizes this viewpoint because there is in practice a variety of viewpoints in think tanks and argues it dismisses the influence that ideas can have. In some cases, corporate interests, military interests and political groups have found it useful to create policy institutes, advocacy organizations, and think tanks. For example, The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition
2590-458: The behest of the government to direct cold chain development. Some think tanks have a fixed set of focus areas and they work towards finding out policy solutions to social problems in the respective areas. Initiatives such as National e-Governance Plan (to automate administrative processes) and National Knowledge Network (NKN) (for data and resource sharing amongst education and research institutions), if implemented properly, should help improve
2660-773: The capital, Islamabad . One such think tank is the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), which focuses on policy advocacy and research particularly in the area of environment and social development. Another policy research institute based in Islamabad is the Institute of Social and Policy Sciences (I-SAPS) which works in the fields of education, health, disaster risk reduction, governance , conflict and stabilization. Since 2007 - 2008, I-SAPS has been analyzing public expenditure of federal and provincial governments. Think tanks in
2730-575: The church spans from Charlemagne all the way to the 17th century, when the kings of France were still arguing about whether they had the right to appoint bishops and receive a cut of their income." Soll cites as an early example the Académie des frères Dupuy , created in Paris around 1620 by the brothers Pierre and Jacques Dupuy and also known after 1635 as the cabinet des frères Dupuy . The Club de l'Entresol , active in Paris between 1723 and 1731,
2800-645: The construction of a discourse coalition with a common aim, citing the example of deregulation of trucking, airlines, and telecommunications in the 1970s. Plejwe argues that this deregulation represented a discourse coalition between the Ford Motor Company , FedEx , neo-liberal economists, the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute . Elite theory considers how an "elite" influence
2870-581: The continent's leading human rights organisation, issued an alert warning of a serious breach of press freedom. In addition, the International Press Institute wrote a letter to the MoD and the Defence Secretary , Ben Wallace , asking them to clarify the reason for the blacklisting. After the MoD issued an apology, Declassified editor Mark Curtis told Press Gazette : "We are looking at taking legal action against
Royal United Services Institute - Misplaced Pages Continue
2940-472: The day. Content is drawn from its publications and briefings from its researchers. 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. In 2008 and 2020, RUSI was named Think Tank of the Year by Prospect magazine. In 2008 and 2011 the magazine named RUSI "Foreign Policy Think Tank of
3010-584: The development of international cooperation and the promotion of peace and stability. The Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the RK (KazISS) was established by the Decree of the President of RK on 16 June 1993. Since its foundation the main mission of the Kazakhstan Institute for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as a national think tank,
3080-625: The donors' priorities." Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah , set up various state-supported think tanks in the 1960s. By the 1990s, a variety of policy research centers sprang up in Africa set up by academics who sought to influence public policy in Ghana. One such think tank was The Institute of Economic Affairs, Ghana , which was founded in 1989 when the country was ruled by the Provisional National Defence Council . The IEA undertakes and publishes research on
3150-474: The establishment, regularly amplifying extremist policies that support war, human rights abusers and corporations contributing to catastrophic climate change. The government publishes key information on its policies virtually every day which is often very revealing. But only a tiny proportion of this is ever covered in the establishment media. Those journalists choose not to cover it, or else don't care. We do. However, much remains hidden. Britain's culture of secrecy
3220-437: The experts they fund for future government jobs, while others want to push specific areas of research or education." McGann distinguishes think tanks based on independence, source of funding and affiliation, grouping think tanks into autonomous and independent, quasi-independent, government affiliated, quasi-governmental, university affiliated, political-party affiliated or corporate. A new trend, resulting from globalization,
3290-784: The first organization to be regularly described in published writings as "the Think Tank" (note the title case and the use of the definite article ) was the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences . However, the Center does not count itself as and is not perceived to be a think tank in the contemporary sense. During the 1960s, the phrase "think tank" was attached more broadly to meetings of experts, electronic computers , and independent military planning organizations. The prototype and most prominent example of
3360-409: The government on various policies and as well as private ones for corporations within the region. Many of them are hosted within the local public educational institutions. Declassified UK Declassified UK is an investigative journalism and media organisation founded in 2019 by Matt Kennard and Mark Curtis . It describes itself as "the leading media organisation uncovering the UK's role in
3430-437: 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'). 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
3500-532: The more established think tanks, created during the Cold War , are focused on international affairs, security studies, and foreign policy. Think tanks vary by ideological perspectives, sources of funding, topical emphasis and prospective consumers. Funding may also represent who or what the institution wants to influence; in the United States, for example, "Some donors want to influence votes in Congress or shape public opinion, others want to position themselves or
3570-761: The quality of work done by think tanks. Some notable think tanks in India include: Over 50 think tanks have emerged in Iraq, particularly in the Kurdistan Region. Iraq's leading think tank is the Middle East Research Institute (MERI), based in Erbil. MERI is an independent non-governmental policy research organization, established in 2014 and publishes in English, Kurdish, and Arabic. It
SECTION 50
#17327803280343640-577: The questions of the federal government." In the early 1920s, fascist and other far-right think tanks appeared in the Netherlands . After 1945, the number of policy institutes increased, with many small new ones forming to express various issues and policy agendas. Until the 1940s, most think tanks were known only by the name of the institution. During the Second World War, think tanks were often referred to as "brain boxes". Before
3710-691: The start of the Arab Spring in February 2011. These included 44 meetings with the Bahraini House of Khalifa and 40 with the Saudi regime . On 8 September 2021, in the wake of the final withdrawal of the United States troops from Afghanistan , Phil Miller reported that "a Cold War -era file on Margaret Thatcher 's support for the Afghan mujahideen " was being censored by the UK government. This
3780-536: The term "think tank" is modern, with its origin "traced to the humanist academies and scholarly networks of the 16th and 17th centuries," Soll writes that, "in Europe, the origins of think tanks go back to the 800s when emperors and kings began arguing with the Catholic Church about taxes. A tradition of hiring teams of independent lawyers to advise monarchs about their financial and political prerogatives against
3850-511: The think tank; employing former policy-makers; or preparing studies for policy makers. The role of think tanks has been conceptualized through the lens of social theory. Plehwe argues that think tanks function knowledge actors within a network of relationships with other knowledge actors. Such relationships including citing academics in publications or employing them on advisory boards, as well as relationships with media, political groups and corporate funders. They argue that these links allow for
3920-483: The third category was the RAND Corporation , which was founded in 1946 as an offshoot of Douglas Aircraft and became an independent corporation in 1948. In the 1970s, the phrase became more specifically defined in terms of RAND and others. During the 1980s and 1990s, the phrase evolved again to arrive at its broader contemporary meaning of an independent public policy research institute. For most of
3990-638: The transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997, more think tanks were established by various groups of intellectuals and professionals. They have various missions and objectives including promoting civic education; undertaking research on economic, social and political policies; and promoting "public understanding of and participation in the political, economic, and social development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ". Think tanks in Hong Kong include: India has
4060-595: The use of the Banqueting House , in Whitehall , Westminster . It finally moved to its current location next door to the Banqueting House in 1895. 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". As of the end of March 2022, RUSI has 111 employees in the UK, up from 78 the year prior. RUSI
4130-490: The world's second-largest number of think tanks . Most are based in New Delhi, and a few are government-sponsored. There are few think tanks that promote environmentally responsible and climate resilient ideas like Centre for Science and Environment , Centre for Policy Research and World Resources Institute . There are other prominent think tanks like Observer Research Foundation , Tillotoma Foundation and Centre for Civil Society . In Mumbai, Strategic Foresight Group
4200-414: The world." Curtis is an established author on UK foreign and aid policy, and Kennard is a journalist who formerly worked at the Financial Times and wrote for numerous other newspapers. After Declassified UK had published articles relating to the Ministry of Defence , the Ministry refused to engage or provide further comment to the news organisation. This effective blacklisting in September 2020 led
4270-401: Was Prime Minister. It found that MoD press officers believed their communications director had "sanctioned a blanket ban" on giving any comment to the website. Curtis said, "It is clear that Declassified was blacklisted, which is contrary to the way that public officials are required to deal with news organisations. The MoD should admit it and stop trying to let its most senior media official off
SECTION 60
#17327803280344340-459: Was a concerted effort by other countries to assist in the creation of independent public policy research organizations. A survey performed by the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program underscores the significance of this effort and documents the fact that most of the think tanks in these regions have been established since 1992. As of 2014 , there were more than 11,000 of these institutions worldwide. Many of
4410-427: Was another prominent example of an early independent think tank focusing on public policy and current affairs, especially economics and foreign affairs. Several major current think tanks were founded in the 19th century. The Royal United Services Institute was founded in 1831 in London , and the Fabian Society in 1884. The oldest United States –based think tank, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace ,
4480-403: 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
4550-422: Was despite the fact that the documents have become eligible for release to the National Archives under the 30-year rule. On 3 January 2022, Richard Norton-Taylor reported that "British warships deployed to the South Atlantic after Argentina's invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982" were armed with 31 nuclear depth charges . The story was later picked up by Argentine newspaper Clarín and British tabloid,
4620-425: Was established in the Guangdong province. In 2009 the China Center for International Economic Exchanges was founded. In Hong Kong, early think tanks established in the late 1980s and early 1990s focused on political development, including the first direct Legislative Council members election in 1991 and the political framework of " One Country, Two Systems ", manifested in the Sino-British Joint Declaration . After
4690-474: Was formed in the mid-1990s to dispute research finding an association between second-hand smoke and cancer . Military contractors may spend a portion of their tender on funding pro-war think tanks. According to an internal memorandum from Philip Morris Companies referring to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "The credibility of the EPA is defeatable, but not on the basis of ETS [ environmental tobacco smoke ] alone,... It must be part of
4760-412: Was founded in Washington, D.C. , in 1910 by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie . Carnegie charged trustees to use the fund to "hasten the abolition of international war, the foulest blot upon our civilization." The Brookings Institution was founded shortly thereafter in 1916 by Robert S. Brookings and was conceived as a bipartisan "research center modeled on academic institutions and focused on addressing
4830-413: Was listed in the global ranking by the United States's Lauder Institute of the University of Pennsylvania as 46th in the Middle East. There are many think tank teams in Israel, including: In South Korea , think tanks are prolific and influential and are a government go-to. Think tanks are prolific in the Korean landscape. Many policy research organisations in Korea focus on economoy and most research
4900-415: 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
#33966