thinktankek

Thinktankek is a term used in policy studies to describe a hypothetical transnational network of think tanks that collaborate to analyze public policy issues and to produce coordinated research outputs. Envisioned as a network rather than a single institution, thinktankek would facilitate cross-disciplinary projects, shared data resources, and common methodological standards, enabling member organizations to extend their reach and improve the comparability of findings.

Conceptually, thinktankek emerges in discussions as a way to address duplication of effort and uneven policy influence among independent think tanks. It is not tied to any specific real-world group and remains largely theoretical, serving as a framework for considering how diverse actors might cooperate in policy research and dissemination.

In the hypothetical model, membership would include academic, policy, and applied research centers with relevance to governance, economics, health, environment, or security. Governance might be provided by a rotating steering council drawn from member institutions, with thematic working groups on macroeconomics, climate policy, digital governance, and social welfare. Activities would include joint research projects, multi-country comparative studies, shared data platforms, joint policy briefs, and convening conferences and workshops.

Funding would typically come from member institutions, supplemented by external grants or philanthropic sources. The network would aim to preserve independence by adopting transparent governance, disclosure of funding sources, and clear conflict-of-interest policies.

Proponents argue that thinktankek could reduce duplicative research, improve policy relevance, and broaden dissemination. Critics warn that coordinating diverse actors can slow outputs, create governance tensions, or amplify funder influence, potentially compromising independence. Since thinktankek is a hypothetical construct, examples of outputs are speculative: cross-country datasets, joint policy briefs, and best-practice reports produced under a shared framework.

See also: Think tank, policy institute, network analysis, collaborative research.