Think tanks must learn to think bigger
Think tanks should become more practical, with greater interactions with policymakers to enhance their influence, according to a report by the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences.
Apart from being “professional” and effective in their analysis, they should be more active in proposing policy advice, according to the 2018 China Think Tank Report produced by the SASS Center for Think Tank Studies.
“They have made great improvements in their interactions with policymakers in the past year,” the report said. “And they should continue to do so.”
It also said think tanks need to improve cooperation with international organizations to contribute more to public diplomacy.
In 2018, the most popular topics for study included the 40th anniversary of reform and opening-up, coordinated regional development, digitization, artificial intelligence, financial governance, the development of G20 and BRICS countries, new-type globalization and regional conflicts.
The Development Research Center of the State Council was rated as the most influential, followed by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences.