The CSIS, which stands for Center for Strategic and International Studies, is a bipartisan, nonprofit policy research organization dedicated to advancing practical ideas to address the world’s greatest challenges.

Thomas J. Pritzker was named chairman of the CSIS Board of Trustees in 2015, succeeding former U.S. senator Sam Nunn (D-GA). Founded in 1962, CSIS is led by John J. Hamre, who has served as president and chief executive officer since 2000.

CSIS’s purpose is to define the future of national security. It is operated by a distinct set of values—non-partisanship, independent thought, innovative thinking, cross-disciplinary scholarship, integrity and professionalism, and talent development. CSIS’s values work in concert toward the goal of making real-world impact.

CSIS scholars bring their policy expertise, judgment, and robust networks to their research, analysis, and recommendations. The center usually organizes conferences, publish, lecture, and make media appearances that aim to increase the knowledge, awareness, and salience of policy issues with relevant stakeholders and the interested public.

CSIS has made a great impact when its research helps to inform the decision-making of key policymakers and the thinking of key influencers. CSIS members are continuously working toward a vision of a safer and more prosperous world.

CSIS is one of the world’s preeminent international policy institutions. It focuses on defense and security, regional study, and transnational challenges ranging from energy and trade to global development and economic integration. CSIS was named the top think tank in the United States as well as the defense and national security center of excellence for 2016-2019 by the University of Pennsylvania’s “Go To Think Tank Index.”

In 2020, the center's experts testified 18 times in front of Congress, were quoted over 350 times in major news outlets, and published over 850 written works. CSIS’s digital media channels reach an audience of hundreds of thousands every day, allowing the Center to expand its impact far beyond its headquarters.

According to csis.org