Rice’s Baker Institute and its Center for Energy Studies at top of global think tank rankings

Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy has risen to the No. 2 ranking among the best university-affiliated think tanks in the world, up from No. 3 the previous year, and its Center for Energy Studies (CES) maintained its standing as the No. 1 energy and resource policy think tank, according to the 2019 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report published this week.

The Baker Institute is also ranked No. 16 out of 109 of the top think tanks in the U.S. overall and is listed among the best think tanks globally in the category “Best Quality Assurance and Integrity Policies and Procedures.”

“These rankings reflect the Baker Institute’s continuing impact as a top resource for decision-makers in the public and private sectors, providing high-caliber, nonpartisan research and analysis on the most salient domestic and foreign policy issues of our day,” said Baker Institute Director Edward Djerejian. “This success has been made possible by the rigorous work of our fellows, scholars and staff, along with our dedicated board of advisors and loyal supporters.”

“Our consistent, team-oriented dedication to providing data-driven, unbiased analysis across an expanding range of energy-related issues is foundational, and our collective and continuing success derives directly from our interdisciplinary team of fellows and scholars, each of whom truly represents the best in their respective fields,” said Kenneth Medlock, CES senior director and the James A. Baker III and Susan G. Baker Fellow in Energy and Resource Economics.

The other university-affiliated think tanks in the world’s top three are IDEAS/Public Policy Group at the London School of Economics and Political Science (No. 1) and Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex, U.K. (No. 3).

The top-ranked CES is followed by the Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (No. 2), and the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, U.K. (No. 3).

Founded in 1993, the Baker Institute houses fellows and scholars who conduct research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. Core fields of study include energy, the Middle East, Mexico, health policy, public finance, private entrepreneurship and economic growth, international economics, presidential elections, science and technology, China, space policy and drug policy.

CES was founded in October 2012 and provides policymakers, corporate leaders and the public with quality, data-driven analysis of issues that influence energy markets. The long-standing Baker Institute Energy Forum is an integral part of CES and remains an active entity for participation in the center’s ongoing research and public policy programs.

Established in 2006, the University of Pennsylvania Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program’s Global Go To Think Tank Index has become the gold standard for think tanks around the world and is widely cited by governments, donors, journalists and policymakers as the foremost guide to the performance of thousands of domestic and international public policy centers.

The program’s report is compiled with assistance from nearly 4,000 peer institutions and experts from the media, academia, public and private donor institutions and governments in the U.S. and around the globe.