Pacific Forum CSIS

Pacific Forum CSIS is a nonprofit, private, foreign policy research institute that operates as an autonomous arm of the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Pacific Forum is based in Honolulu, Hawaii and its focus is on the Asia-Pacific region. According to its website, "the thrust of the Forum's work is to help stimulate cooperative policies in the Asia Pacific region through debate and analyses undertaken with the region's leaders in the academic, government, and corporate arenas."^[1]

History

The Pacific Forum CSIS is one of the world’s leading Asia-Pacific policy research institutes and was one of the first organizations in the United States to focus exclusively on this region.^[2] Although once autonomous, the Pacific Forum is now an independent program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.^[3]

Leadership and Staff

Lloyd "Joe" Vasey (Rear Admiral USN Ret.) founded the Pacific Forum in the mid-1970s and served as CEO until 1990.^[4]

Amos Jordan served as the president of the Pacific Forum CSIS from 1990 to 1994. ^[5]

James Kelly served as the president of Pacific Forum CSIS from 1994 to 2001. ^[6]

Ralph A. Cossa serves as the current president of Pacific Forum CSIS.^[7] He also is senior editor of the Forum’s quarterly electronic journal, Comparative Connections.

Brad Glosserman is the current executive director at Pacific Forum CSIS.^[8] He oversees all Pacific Forum programs, conferences, and publications and also directs the Pacific Forum’s Young Leaders program. Glosserman is editor of Comparative Connections, the Pacific Forum’s quarterly electronic journal.

Carl Baker is the current director of programs and coeditor of Comparative Connections at Pacific Forum CSIS.^[9]

Joseph Nye chairs the Pacific Forum CSIS Board of Governors.

Young Leaders Program

In 2004, Pacific Forum CSIS launched the Young Leaders Program.^[10] Its mission is to enhance cross-cultural opportunities for young scholars and foreign policy professionals to improve their policy analysis skills at an early juncture in their careers.^[11] Over the years, the organization's network of Young Leaders has grown to nearly 1,000 Young Leaders from 56 countries.^[12]

Budget

Pacific Forum CSIS reports that its annual budget is $2.7 million.^[13] According to their website, this funding comes from grants by foundations, governments, corporations, and individuals.^[14]

CSIS Affiliation

Pacific Forum CSIS was founded as an independent think tank in 1975. The institute later merged with CSIS; providing CSIS with a physical presence in the Pacific.

References