The Belarusian Research Council has presented the results of the first ranking of Belarusian think tanks.
The top three spots are the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies, IPM Research Center, and Our Opinion “Nashe Mnenie” expert community. Of the twelve rated agencies, they showed the best results in terms of technical and methodological capacity, informational coverage, and volume and quality of research and analysis.
The rating was initiated by Pact international non-profit organization and is designed to strengthen the motivation of Belarusian think tanks and encourage them to pursue a better quality of their work and foster the awareness of the community of the work performed by the research sector.
The ranking of Belarusian think tanks is based upon international best practices in rating agencies of this kind, specifically, Global Go To Think Tank Rating (University of Pennsylvania) and Index of Public Profile (Center for Global Development). The pilot rating study conducted for Belarus’s research sector back in 2014 allowed adapting foreign practices and making the rating methodology inclusive and objective.
The methodology employed for the Belarusian ranking can be applied for major think tanks and research initiatives. Subjects of research provide comprehensive data concerning the technical and methodological capacity of their think tank, coverage, and research and analysis activities. Submitted data is processed and assessed with points being assigned based upon a single scale. An independent external specialist was invited to process and assess the data submitted by the think tanks. The data is then checked and ranks are finalized on a collegiate basis by a committee comprising independent Belarusian and international experts.
The first ever ranking of Belarusian think tanks was presented on the sidelines of the Congress of Belarusian Studies in Kaunas (Lithuania) on 1 October 2015.
About the Belarusian Research Council. The Belarusian Research Council is a network of think tanks, research centers, and donors that support research projects in Belarus. The Council was initiated by Pact international non-profit organization in May 2012 with a view to promoting the coordination of all stakeholders, improving the quality and availability of study materials and pursuing more effective use of available data. The Council offers researchers broad educational possibilities for professional development, compiles a database of Belarus-related research, organizes “What Belarusians Think” discussions, rates think tanks, etc.