JoongAng partners with Chatham House

For the first time, the JoongAng Ilbo partnered yesterday with the Royal Institute of International Affairs, an influential global policy think tank based in London that tackles international policy issues, to launch the inaugural 2014 J Global-Chatham House Forum.

The British institute, better known as Chatham House, was founded in 1920 and emerged as a leading independent think tank following World War II, bringing together opinion and decision makers to engage the government and the private sector.

The Chatham House, which has strong ties with Asia and Europe, holds approximately 350 events annually, including workshops and conferences. This time, it is joining hands with the JoongAng Ilbo and JTBC to host the one-day forum on Northeast Asia.

“This is a particularly important moment for Chatham House to deepen its engagement with Korea, given the growing economic importance of the Asia-Pacific region and the pivotal role that East Asia now plays in international order,” Chatham House Director Robin Niblett said in his welcoming remarks at the forum, held at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul.

On the University of Pennsylvania’s annual Global Go To Think Tank Index, Chatham House has ranked as the No. 1 entity outside the United States for the past six years, and No. 2 worldwide for the past three years.

“This year’s inaugural J Global-Chatham House Forum focuses on the question of peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia, reflecting the fact that the region brings together many of these challenges - both old and new - to its future security and prosperity,” Niblett added.

“[The forum] can play an increasingly important role in fostering a strategic dialogue between those inside and outside the region who are committed to its future as a region of peace and cooperation.”

Prior to collaborating with Chatham House, the JoongAng Ilbo has hosted the J-Global Forum since 1996.

BY SARAH KIM [sarahkim@joongang.co.kr]