Institute for Strategic Dialogue

Institute for Strategic Dialogue logo

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is a think tank which aims to work with leaders across sectors and geographies to develop to the major security and socio-economic challenges of our time and to enhance Europe’s capacity to act effectively in the global arena.^[1] Originally founded as the Club of Three, bringing together France, the UK and Germany on issues of mutual concern,^[2] the Institute now has three distinct areas of work; Counter Extremism, Education and Europe’s place in the world.^[3] ISD's founder and president is George Weidenfeld, Baron Weidenfeld.^[4] Its Director/CEO is Sasha Havlicek.^[5]

Counter-Extremism

ISD runs a wide ranging programme of work on extremism which ranges from traditional research papers^[6] through to the facilitation of practitioners networks^[7][8] and the development of counter narrative tools.^[9] This work was overseen by Rachel Briggs OBE,^[10] who left ISD in 2015.^[11] Their work ranges from work on Al-Qaeda^[12] through to work on the Far Right^[13] and even integration^[14] Major programmes include:

• Policy Planners’ Network: ISD manages the PPN, a European inter-governmental network of policy chiefs from integration and interior ministries created to systematise cross-border exchange and develop upgraded, coordinated responses to the dual challenges of integration and extremism.^[15]
• Against Violent Extremism (AVE) network: a global network of former extremists, survivors of violence and interested individuals from the public and private sectors - working together to counter all forms of violent extremism.^[16]
• Far Right Extremism: ISD runs a programme on far-right extremism; managing a European Commission funded initiative with the Swedish government to promote European cooperation to tackle the far right.^[17]

In delivering their projects ISD partners with governments^[18] and leaders of the technology sector such as Google.^[19] ISD also chairs the EU’s Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) working group on the internet and social media.^[20]

Education

ISD has a scholarship programme^[21] and a series of visiting Professorships at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.^[22] ISD’s work in education seeks to empower leaders of the future^[23] and to bring leading practitioners and scholars to universities to address major themes in the arts, social sciences and humanities.^[24]

The Humanitas visiting Professorships, which ISD manages in conjunction with the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH) in Cambridge and by the Humanities Division in Oxford,^[25] is intended to bring leading practitioners and scholars to both universities to address major themes in the arts, social sciences, and humanities. Previous visiting professors have included Alastair Campbell^[26] and Eric Schmidt.^[27]

Europe in the World

ISD has a stream of work on Europe’s place in the world which draws heavily on the organisation’s original mission to promote discussion of matters of common concern to the peoples of the United Kingdom, Germany and France.^[28] This stream of work seeks to promote Europe’s capacity to engage cohesively and strategically in the international arena.^[29]

External links

• Official website

References