Ammon News - For the second year in a row, the Centre for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the University of Jordan (UJ) topped the list of “Distinguished Centres for Excellence”, after being ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the years (2016-2019), according to a UJ statement.

This came within the annual report of the Global Go To Think Tank Index for the year 2020 published by the Think Tanks and Civil Society Programme (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

Ranked according to their importance, 7,500 research institutions and think tanks worldwide were featured in the 2020 edition.

The report ranks research centres according to more than 28 indicators, including the organisation’s ability to produce new knowledge, innovative policy proposals or alternative ideas on policy, the ability to bridge the gap between the academic and policymaking communities, the quality, number, and reach of its publications, the quality and commitment of the think tank’s leadership, and the quality and reputation of the think tank’s staff, among others, according to the statement.

Moreover, CSS ranked 37th on the Top Foreign Policy and International Affairs Think Tanks list and 130th in the Global Ranking Category of the research centres around the world (excluding the US), which ranks over 7,500 centres worldwide.

CSS Director Zaid Eyadat expressed thanks to CSS’ staff and council, as well as the UJ administration for the continuous support to the centre’s vision, activities, and role as a distinguished intellectual and scientific entity, read the statement.

“This achievement, that we are all proud of, motivates us at the centre to spare no effort in serving the public interest of the state and society, and in providing decision-makers with the necessary facts and data,” he said.