Baker Institute ranked 21 among best think tanks

By Dixita Viswanath     2/7/13 6:00pm

 

The Baker Institute has always served as a beautiful area on campus and has attracted some of the world's best leaders to Rice. Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy has been ranked No. 21 among the top think tanks in the United States, an increase from No. 25 from last year, according to the University of Pennsylvania Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program's 2012 survey. The institute was also ranked No. 6 among energy and resource policy think tanks. 

The Baker Institute produces policy analysis and specific recommendations for decision makers in both public and private sectors. It addresses domestic and foreign policy issues in a nonpartisan way, Baker Institute Founding Director Ambassador Edward Djerejian said. The Institute frequently hosts notable speakers from across the world. In addition, the Baker Institute's Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program encourages students to work in either nonprofit or government organizations and formulate their own research on public policy. 

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Djerejian said he was very pleased that, at the start of its 20th year, the Baker Institute has been recognized so highly among global and U.S. think tanks. 

"We are part of the standard of excellence at Rice and provide unique opportunities and space for students to get involved within the public policy sector," Djerejian said. "These rankings reaffirm and are a recognition of work that is being done here."

Sid Richardson College senior Raj Salhotra has been an active member of the Baker Institute Student Forum for two years now and said this ranking reaffirms the work the Baker Institute is doing. 

"I think that it is great that with less than 20 years of experience, the Baker Institute has rose from virtually unknown to one of the world's top think tanks," Salhotra said. "I think they help prepare people for careers in public policy; the training they provide is invaluable to the [Rice] community."

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