Closing panel: The future of think tanks
With Dede Amanor-Wilks (Director of IEA Ghana), Daniela Schwarzer (DGAP, Germany), and Andrea Ordoñez (Southern Voice, Ecuador). Moderated by Sonia Jalfin (Sociopúblico, Argentina)
Summary
Think tanks have faced unprecedented pressures over the last year. Many have taken advantage of the opportunities presented by the pandemic to usher radical changes to their strategies and business models. Others have had to change to survive. Around them, new political, economic, social and technological trends are changing the environments in which they exist. How will think tanks respond and evolve over the next 100 years?
From the chat box
Daniela mentioned an increase in competition for talent. As a student very interested in think tanks, it seems to me the other way around. Young people struggle to access the world of think tanks.
I wonder how ‘creative destruction’ will work in the world of think tanks? Will some flourish and others disappear? Will the modal think tank be smaller/larger? Wider spread/narrower spread? More global or more national?
It’s a bit like Apple or Microsoft. Who will be the first Billion Dollar Think Tank? Brookings? To put this another way, how much does diversity matter? And how can it be protected/fostered?
I’m curious what the panel thinks about the joint challenge of ‘disinformation’ and the audience’s increasing attention deficit and information overload … how do think tanks create impact and connect with targeted audiences?
What do you think will be the main function of think tanks in 100 years?
The competition for talent growing but from what Dede says, think tanks can now acquire talent from anywhere?
I have a follow-up question related to independence, if I may — the opening keynote speaker of this conference left us with a very relevant thought ‘independence does not equal void of a set up values’ — how does this sit with independence and fundraising in say 50 years, seeing at what speed the corporate world is taking ‘over’ influence/decision-making from governments.
Will think tanks exist? Well, will governments exist?
If corporations and foundations become supra-state institutions … the notion independence from government will change. Think tanks may prefer to cosy up to the government than to corporations or foundations?
Good answer, Dede. A billion dollar think tank owned by a billion people!
I love this vision, Dede! A crowd-based think tank.
I loved this panel! Thank you amazing women!
More on think tanks and change
From think tank to change hub
Keynote by Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of New America
How do think tanks react to or foster change?
Read the OTT Annual Review 2020–2021
