In Brief: Top three African think tanks based in South Africa

Photo: ReliefWeb

South Africa, Africa's think tank hub

NAIROBI, 13 January 2009 (IRIN) - Africa’s three leading think tanks are based in South Africa. Foreign Policy, an international peace magazine, says the three (the Centre for Conflict Resolution, the South African Institute of International Affairs and the Institute for Security Studies) are among at least 78 based in South Africa - out of Africa’s estimated 420 think tanks.

Foreign policy has published its first ever comprehensive global ranking of the world’s think tanks. The survey was based on the views of hundreds of scholars and experts, and ranks Kenya second in Africa with at least 42, and Nigeria third with 38.

Foreign Policy argues that think tanks do not simply churn out academic papers: In Africa they are a force for change, focusing on domestic issues such as economic development, health (AIDS), policing and crime prevention.

ma/cb