On 29 November 2021, James McGann died suddenly. He was the founder and creator of the global Think Tank Ranking at the University of Pennsylvania.
James McGann has worked relentlessly for the independence and impact of think tanks. He created a global network with regional branches to enable continuous exchange among them. For us at the German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), his think tank ranking has been an important instrument for better understanding our own outreach. The ranking will be paused in 2022 and maybe 2023 for a methodological overhaul, to preserve Jim McGann’s heritage and continue his work.
In January 2021, DIE has been ranked third among the world’s most renowned development policy research institutes in the Top International Development Think Tanks category of the Global Go To Think Tank Index Report for the second time in a row.
News of James McGann’s death: https://www.gotothinktank.com/meet-the-director
