The Building for the Future initiative aims to strengthen student-led think tanks and enrich and broaden the perspectives that inform public policy recommendations in Europe. With support from the Open Society Foundations, OTT offers grants to selected student-led think tanks in Europe to strengthen their leadership capabilities and promote new perspectives on European policy issues and research questions. OTT is currently implementing the second cycle of the initiative by supporting four student-led think tanks in Europe:
Warwick Think Tank
Warwick Think Tank is a student-led think tank founded in 2011 at the University of Warwick in the UK. Warwick Think Tank was created by students as a non-partisan organisation to explore ideas, and research solutions to the numerous policy problems which exist today.
Epis Think Tank
Epis Think Tank is a student-led think tank focusing on international foreign and security policy. Founded in 2022 in Germany, the think tank aims to become the bridge between students and practice. EPIS Think Tank has hosted events in collaboration with the Hertie School of Governance, EuroDefense EU, and the Parlamentarisch Militärische Gesellschaft (pmg).
Generation for Rights over the World (GROW)
GROW is a think tank founded in France with the objective of defending human rights around the world. Since 2020, GROW has been working to contribute meaningfully to academic and policy debates while providing actionable insights that address contemporary human rights challenges worldwide.
Student Think Tank for Europe-Asia Relations (STEAR)
STEAR, established in 2021, aims to strengthen relations and deepen cultural ties between the billions of people living across Europe and Asia. Its vision is to serve as the first and leading policy institute for students and young professionals in Europe and Asia, to provide a bridge between the two continents, and to strengthen multilateral cooperation and international prosperity.
Activities & Support
During the second cycle of the initiative, OTT will support the selected think tanks by:
- Providing them with a grant to organise multi-regional events.
- Offering a place for one of their members to attend the School for Think Tankers.
- Offering a place for one of their members to attend the OTT conference and the opportunity to propose and organise a session during the conference.
Multi-regional events
Multi-regional events are gatherings where European student-led think tanks reframe European public policy issues with perspectives from other regions of the world to enrich and broaden the perspectives that inform public policy recommendations in Europe.
During the second cycle, each student-led think tank will implement 3 multi-regional events.
Hear from our Cycle 1 grantees
The best thing I learned during the Building for the Future Initiative was how to engage with partner organisations.
— The Security Distillery
The multi-regional event fostered invaluable networking opportunities, enabling us to engage in meaningful conversations and connect with a diverse range of stakeholders.
— York Student Think Tank
The OTT conference provided me – and, by extension, the other student thinktankers in my society – with insights into the research and strategies of professional think tanks and gave us the opportunity to connect with professionals.
— The Wilberforce Society
Partner with us
Are you a funder interested in the work of student-led think tanks? Are you a university looking to set up a student-led think tank? We would love to hear from you. Please get in touch!