Policy Advocacy

The role of think tanks is becoming increasingly important globally, and they are crucial to policymakers worldwide. However, Hong Kong’s think tanks development has been very slow in the past 20 years. One might ask: What are think tanks? Why are think tanks so important? How to evaluate a think tank? What do think tanks look like in other regions? Why do Hong Kong’s think tanks develop at such a slow pace? What are the solutions to these problems? This paper answers all these questions. We studied the relevant literature, compared the situations of different regions, and conducted interviews. In the end, we summarized the key factors that enable the ecosystems of think tanks: Talents, Finances, and Impact. These three factors affect one another and form a cycle (as we call it, a ‘think tank ecosystem’). After diagnosing the problems of Hong Kong’s think tanks, in section 6, we propose seven suggestions that require the Hong Kong government’s top-down actions and the support to local think tanks. It is inevitable for the Hong Kong government to tackle the problem of insufficient policy research, and they have no excuse not to face it after the shift of the election regime. By solving the issue at the micro and macro level, with supply and demand in mind, we believe Hong Kong can address its weaknesses and form a healthy think tank ecosystem in the near future.