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| Centre d'études prospectives et d'informations internationales | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre d'études prospectives et d'informations internationales |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Founders | Hubert Védrine, Alain Joxe |
| Headquarters | Paris |
| Type | Think tank |
Centre d'études prospectives et d'informations internationales is a French policy research institute founded in 1978 in Paris that analyzes international affairs and strategic trends. The institute engages with policymakers, diplomats, and scholars through reports, seminars, and conferences linking contemporary issues to historical precedents such as the Treaty of Versailles, the Cold War, and the European Union enlargement. It frequently interacts with institutions including École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, Sciences Po, Collège de France, and international actors like the United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the European Commission.
The institute was established during the late 1970s alongside contemporaries such as Fondation Jean-Jaurès, Institut Français des Relations Internationales, and Brookings Institution-affiliated networks, emerging from debates sparked by the Yom Kippur War, the 1973 oil crisis, and the shifting alignments after the Vietnam War. Early directors drew on careers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (France), the French National Centre for Scientific Research, and diplomatic postings in capitals like Washington, D.C., Moscow, and Beijing. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s the centre organized events referencing the Helsinki Accords, the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, and the Maastricht Treaty, while publishing analyses during crises such as the Gulf War, the Balkan Wars, and the Rwandan genocide. In the 2000s it adapted to new challenges linked to the War on Terror, the Iraq War, and the rise of China as seen in dialogues with People's Republic of China delegations and scholars from Peking University and Tsinghua University.
The centre's stated mission parallels institutions like Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Chatham House in promoting informed debate on geopolitics, strategic foresight, and international law exemplified by interactions with International Court of Justice themes. Activities include policy briefings for offices such as Élysée Palace, legislative hearings at the Assemblée nationale, and advisory input to bodies like Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and International Monetary Fund. It convenes roundtables with representatives from African Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Gulf Cooperation Council, and think tanks like RAND Corporation and Bruegel.
Research spans geopolitics, energy security, demographic transition, and technology policy, often comparing case studies referencing Russia, United States, India, Brazil, and South Africa. Publications include working papers, policy notes, and books distributed through partnerships with Presses Universitaires de France, Oxford University Press, and Routledge; topics have touched on the Paris Agreement, Kyoto Protocol, and cyberspace norms linked to Stuxnet and WannaCry. The centre has produced analyses on regional issues such as the Sahel conflict, Syrian civil war, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and South China Sea dispute, and on global topics like COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Governance mirrors models used by Atlantic Council and Centre for European Policy Studies with a board comprising former ministers from cabinets such as François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac eras, diplomats who served at Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., and academics affiliated with Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Université Paris-Saclay. Leadership has included directors with backgrounds in the Ministry of Defence (France), the Council of the European Union secretariat, and ambassadorships to countries like Germany and Japan. Committees address ethics, editorial standards, and partnerships with entities including European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and World Bank.
Funding sources combine private foundations such as Fondation Bettencourt Schueller and Ford Foundation-style donors, corporate sponsorships from energy firms like TotalEnergies and tech companies similar to Microsoft, alongside grants from multilateral agencies including United Nations Development Programme and European Investment Bank. Collaborative research has been co-sponsored with academic partners including Harvard University, London School of Economics, Heidelberg University, and regional institutes like Asian Development Bank research units and Inter-American Development Bank programs.
The centre has influenced French foreign policy debates around interventions in regions such as the Sahel, trade negotiations like the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and defense doctrines exemplified by discussions on the Common Security and Defence Policy. Criticism has arisen from civil society organizations and journalists associated with outlets like Le Monde and Libération concerning perceived proximity to corporate donors and occasional alignment with positions promoted by ministries such as Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France). Scholars at Université de Strasbourg and think tanks such as École normale supérieure critics have queried methodological transparency and selection of case studies.
Notable projects include foresight exercises on European strategic autonomy influenced by debates around Treaty of Lisbon, scenario planning for energy transitions referencing the Nord Stream debates, and public seminars on digital sovereignty in the wake of rulings by the European Court of Justice. Impactful outputs informed parliamentary inquiries into interventions in Mali and contributed to multilateral dialogues at G7 and G20 meetings; partnerships with institutions like Institut Montaigne and OECD amplified reach. The centre's alumni have taken roles at European Commission, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and diplomatic missions to NATO.
Category:Think tanks based in France