The Argentine organization CIPPEC has been named Latin America’s third best Think Tank, behind Brazil’s Getulio Vargas Foundation and Chile’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL). The results of the survey, run the University of Pennsylvania and covering 6.618 institutions globally, were unveiled today in more than 60 towns around the world.

In Argentina the results of the study were presented at the offices of CARI, itself distinguished in the survey. As many as eight Argentine bodies were ranked among the region’s best: CIPPEC, CARI, CLACSO, FIEL, CEDES, Fundación Pensar, Fundación Libertad and CEDLAS.

CIPPEC shares the podium with Getulio Vargas, founded in Brazil in 1944, and CEPAL, one of the five UN regional commissions established in 1948. “It’s a matter of great pride that after only 15 years CIPPEC shares this distinction with organizations of such prestige and repute”, said Fernando Straface, CIPPEC Executive Director.

Globally, in the category for best think tanks in social and economic policy, CIPPEC came out as the top Spanish speaking organization. Overall in global terms CIPPEC was ranked 44th.

The Argentine research bodies singled out in the survey met at the offices of CARI to assess the challenges awaiting Argentina in 2015 and to discuss the support their organization can provide in the design and implementation of public policies.

Among those attending were José María Lladós, CARI’s Academic Secretary; José Octavio Bordón, Chariman of CIPPEC’s International Advisory Board; Eduardo Levy Yeyati, President of the Board of CIPPEC; Laura Golbert, researcher at CEDES; Julián Amendolaggine, Director of CEDLAS; Daniel Ryan, Research Director at FARN; Alejandro Bongiovanni, Director of Public Policy at Fundación Libertad; Aldo Abram, Executive Director of Fundación Libertad and Progreso, and Miguel Braun, Academic Director of Fundación Pensar.

“The challenge is maintaining consistent visions on development issues that overcome short-termism”, said Levy Yeyati. For his part, Bordón affirmed: “Debating public policies is fundamental in Argentina; without such debate it is impossible to achieve medium or long term consensus.”

With 137 institutions, Argentina has the 7th highest number of Think Tanks in the world.

For the first time, in 2015 Argentina will host the regional Think Tank Summit, which each year brings together the region’s most prestigious research bodies to analyze challenges and share evidence and knowledge on public policy.

The event, scheduled for November, will be coordinated locally by CIPPEC and other Argentine groups and will convene Latin America’s most reputable institutions along with observers from other regions.