Think Tanks in Armenia: How the International Community Can Help (Research Brief)

This study assesses the impact of think-tanks in Armenia primarily through qualitative interview-based research, focusing on three questions: First, what is the status of think tanks in Armenia? Second, what role do they play in policy formation? And third, how might they increase their relevance and influence? The study concludes that the think-tank field remains underdeveloped in Armenia and describes major obstacles to development.

The study finds that the international community can help strengthen Armenian think-tanks by amending its approach to funding these organizations; this includes revising benchmarks for measuring their success; and by helping think-tanks target the public as a major audience.

Anna Borshchevskaya, of Atlantic Council, was a 2012-2013 Embassy Policy Specialist (EPS) fellow.