iGCU Ranked among 2020 Top Think Tanks in Asian regions in 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report

On January 28, 2021 (EST), the 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report researched and compiled by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania was released via video conference in 130 cities around the world, including Beijing, New York, Washington, London and Paris. The Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding,  Peking University (iGCU, PKU) has been nominated for the first time in the Global Go to Think Tank Index. By region, iGCU, PKU ranked 76^th among the 2020 Top Think Tanks in Asia, namely "2020 Top Think Tanks in China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea", and ranked 17^th among top think tanks in China on the list.

2020 Top Think Tanks in China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea

(Think Tanks in China on the List)

This initiative consist of thought pieces from 64 chief executives of top think tanks from 31 countries and regions. Forty think tanks, including iGCU, PKU, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) and Center for China and Globalization (CCG) and other think tanks in other countries and regions participated in the program of The Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice Around the World. Topics discussed include: the impact of technology, big data and artificial intelligence, competition from advocacy groups and public relations firms, increased polarization of politics, major changes in how think tanks are funded and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on think tank operations.This annual report also presents two upcoming books by Dr. James G. McGann, University of Pennsylvania -The Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice in the United StatesandThe Future of Think Tanks and Policy Advice Around the World. It is noted in the abstract that it is precisely during these turbulent times when experts and their advice are being undermined and significant policy and technology disruptions are calling in question the value and efficacy of policy advice that it was critical that we pause and reflect on the future of think tanks and policy advice. Within this context, the two books are part of a major national and global initiative to explore the future of think tanks and policy advice in the US and around the world.

The 2020 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report was prepared by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania led by Dr. James G. McGann, and has been released for 15 years since 2006. TTCSP evaluates and ranks think tanks worldwide annually on the basis of an open and transparent nomination and selection process and a detailed index system; it is the most influential think tank ranking system in the world today. The report aims to improve the popularity and effectiveness of think tanks, enhance public perception of the important role of think tanks in government decision-making and social impact, and guide national and regional think tanks to bridge the gaps between knowledge and policy in critical policy areas and between policymakers and the public.

The 2020 Report contains 56 lists of different categories, such as the world's Top Think Tank of the Year, Top Think Tanks Worldwide, Top Think Tanks by Region, Top Think Tanks by Area of Research, and Top Think Tanks by Special Achievement. According to the report, there are 11,175 think tanks around the world in 2020, with Asia becoming the region with the largest number of think tanks, followed by Europe and North America. With 2,203 think tanks, the United States remains the country with the largest number of think tanks. There are 1,413 think tanks in China, with a significant increase from last year, making China the country with the second largest number of think tanks in the world. Many think tanks in China are included in the Global Go To Think Tank Index Report, with increasing influence.

The Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding (iGCU, formerly known as the Institute for China-US People-to-People Exchange) at Peking University is a cutting-edge think tank that integrates academic research, policy advising, and leadership training. Since its establishment in October 2011, the Institute for China-US People-to-People Exchange (CUPPE), under the support and leadership of the Ministry of Education and relavant departments of Peking University, by taking advantage of the profound historical and cultural heritage of Peking University, had actively promoted people-to-people exchange between China and the international community in academic research, scientific research cooperation and cultural exchanges and served major strategies of the Party and the state. In December 2019, according to the constitution of the "Institute for China-US People-to-People Exchange at Peking University", Peking University decided to rename it as the "Institute for Global Cooperation and Understanding (iGCU) at Peking University". In January 2020, the Ministry of Education approved the name change. iGCU is the only comprehensive think tank for advancing people-to-people exchange at Peking University established by the Ministry of Education, serving the "ten mechanisms" of people-to-people exchange.

iGCU builds upon the philosophy of "Connecting People, Understanding the World" in advancing people-to-people exchange between China and the international community. On the occasion of the huge impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on global economy and society, as one of the co-sponsored think tanks and a member of the Think Tank Planning Committee, iGCU has been invited to participate in the "Global Town Hall Meeting" sponsored by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) of the University of Pennsylvania for three consecutive times, holding continuous discussions with think tank leaders, experts and scholars across all continents on relevant issues following the COVID-19 outbreak. As the only new think tank in China that has been invited to participate in the "Global Town Hall Meeting" for three consecutive times, the iGCU of Peking University participated in the work of the Planning Committee and played an important role in agenda setting, meeting arrangement, think tank proposals, etc. In order to promote joint response to the crisis, iGCU proposed to promote the construction of a community of shared future for mankind and safeguard the lives and common interests of humankind in the global fight against the pandemic, and shared suggestions on how to strengthen international cooperation. It voiced think tanks in China on the global fight against the pandemic in the Global Town Hall Meeting, enhanced the international influence of the think tanks in China, provided Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions for jointly safeguarding global public health security, and demonstrated the concept of building "a community of shared future for mankind" in the global fight against the pandemic.

In 2020, iGCU held a series of seminars on the 2020 United States Presidential Election with Chinese Association of American Studies and Intellisia Institute, and released such corresponding reports asDonald J. Trump's Victory and Predictive Analysis of US Policy Toward China, Joe Biden's Victory and Predictive Analysis of US Policy Toward China,andJoe Biden's Foreign Policy Team and Understanding of US Policy Toward China. The immediate analysis and interpretation of the 2020 United States Presidential Election and China-US relations had a positive social impact. In 2020, iGCU has submitted nearly 50 policy reports on such issues as fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, global governance and China-US relations, and actively offered advice and suggestions. Many of these reports were adopted and received important instructions and affirmation from Party and state leaders.

At the critical point when China-US relations and global governance and cooperation are facing challenges, iGCU held more than 20 domestic and international online and offline academic seminars in 2020, including 12 high-level international forums, such as the Lanting Forum themed "International Order and Global Governance in the Post-Pandemic Era" with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Department of the Central Committee of CPC, the "China-US Think Tanks Media Forum", the "Webinar on China-US Public Opinion Communication", the "Stanford University-Peking University China-US Working Group Dialogue (Virtual)" with Stanford University, and the "Dialogue with the World: Trans-Pacific Future Forum" with Phoenix TV, IFENG.COM and China-United States Exchange Foundation. In addition, iGCU held a series of forums in 2020, such as, the 5^th US-China Young Scholars Forum with the Global Times and the Carter Center, the 7^th China-Korea Policy (Online) Academic Conference with Ajou University and Kim Koo Forum, and the 1^st Seminar on "Prospect of China-US-India Trilateral Strategic Security and Cooperation" with USCET. In the future, the iGCU will continue to hold relevant annual activities to further promote people-to-people exchange and mutual learning between China and the international community, and facilitate the construction of a community of shared future for mankind.