The first annual Middle East Think Tank Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey from December 11 to 13, 2013 brought together nearly 50 participants from 19 countries and representing 40 thinks tanks from throughout the Middle East. The meeting was held under the theme “Increasing the Effectiveness of Think Tanks in the Middle East and North Africa: Key Opportunities for Institutional Growth.” It was organized by the Think Tank and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania, Stratim: Center for Strategic Communications, and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. In addition to discussing global and regional challenges and opportunities facing think tanks, the workshop took an in-depth look at the role of think tanks in shaping and informing policy, avenues for more effective funding, increasing communication, engaging civil society and areas of institutional growth. The workshop will result in a summit report to be released in early 2014. From the GRC side, Chairman Dr. Abdulaziz Sager and Dr. Christian Koch, Director of the GRC Foundation in Geneva attended.
