James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy

James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy

Formation	1993
Type	Public policy think tank
Location	Houston, Texas, U.S.
Director	Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian
Budget	$6.76 million (2012)
Website	bakerinstitute.org

The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, often shortened to Baker Institute, is an American think tank on the campus of Rice University in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1993, it has become a notable center of public policy research. It is named for James Baker, former United States Secretary of State and Secretary of the Treasury. The institute's founding director, Edward P. Djerejian, is the former United States Ambassador to Israel and Syria and Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. The institute's board of advisors include William Barnett (Chair), Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright and Rice University's President David Leebron. The institute employs scholars and researchers from a variety of backgrounds.

The institute concentrates on the public policy questions of the day. It is an integral part of Rice University, and the university's faculty and students are involved in its research programs and public events. The institute is located on the Rice campus in James A. Baker III Hall, which also houses the School of Social Sciences (including the departments of Economics and Political Science).

The institute is non-partisan and tries to bridge the gap between theory and practice in public policy. Its current research includes: Arab media and politics, conflict resolution, drug policy, energy, health economics, homeland security and terrorism, international economics, religion and culture, science and technology policy, space policy, tax and expenditure policy, the Americas Project (Latin American policy), the Transnational China Project (Chinese culture and policy), urban studies, and the U.S.-Mexico Project (issues about the U.S. border with Mexico).

The institute hosts events with national figures, which are available on their website via streaming technology. It is supported mainly by donor contributions.

The institute is a sponsoring organization for the Iraq Study Group.

From 1995 through 2001, the Baker Institute awarded the Enron Prize for Distinguished Public Service.

Research Programs

"Center for the Middle East"

"The Baker Institute Center for the Middle East provides policymakers, scholars and the general public with comprehensive analyses of issues, events and trends across this critical region with important implications for U.S. policy and global stability. The center encompasses research programs addressing key policy areas including Syria, Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, the political economy of the Gulf, the role of women in the countries of the region, and the implications of the “Arab Awakening.”

The Center for the Middle East builds on the Baker Institute’s long engagement with the Middle East region and provides support for research, lectures, conferences, and affiliations with other experts and organizations confronting policy challenges in the Arab world. The center offers a nonpartisan voice relying on data-driven research and direct engagement with decision-makers in the United States and in the region.

The Center for the Middle East also collaborates with the Baker Institute Center for Energy Studies as well as Rice University academics studying the history, politics and societies of the Middle East. As a meeting point for different academic disciplines and viewpoints, the center aims to foster informed, policy-relevant dialogue about often divisive issues and the future of the region.

The center’s team of fellows, scholars and research staff is led by Baker Institute founding director Edward P. Djerejian, a former U.S. ambassador to Syria and to Israel, as well as assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs."http://bakerinstitute.org/center-for-the-middle-east/about-center-middle-east/

• Conflict Resolution
• Drug Policy
• Center for Energy Studies
• Health Economics
• Information Technology Policy
• International Economics
• Kelly Day Endowment on the Status of Women and Human Rights in the Middle East
• Latin America Initiative
• Public Diplomacy
• Religion and Public Policy
• Science and Technology
• Space Policy
• Tax and Expenditure Policy
• Transnational China Project

Lecture Series

• Chevron Excellence in Leadership Energy Lecture Series
• Robert A. Mosbacher Global Issues Series
• Shell Distinguished Lecture Series
• Civic Scientist Lecture Series

Key people

• Secretary of State James A. Baker III (Honorary Chair)
• Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian
• George Abbey
• Dr. Allen Matusow
• Dr. Samih Al-Abed
• Joe Barnes
• Robert Bazell
• Andrew Bowen
• Dr. Douglas Brinkley
• Dr. Christopher Bronk
• Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
• Erika De La Garza
• Dr. John W. Diamond
• Dr. Elaine Howard Ecklund
• Dr. Russell A. Green
• Gary J. Hale
• Dr. Yair Hirschfeld
• Dr. Vivian Ho
• Dr. Peter Hotez
• Dr. Mark P. Jones
• Dr. Nathan P. Jones
• Dr. Hagop M. Kantarjian
• Dr. Aynne Kokas
• Dr. Jim Krane
• Marta Lagos
• Dr. Neal Lane
• Dr. Steven W. Lewis
• Dr. Michael Maher
• Dr. David R. Mares
• Elena Marks
• Dr. D. Michael Lindsay (former)
• Dr. William Martin
• Dr. Kirstin Matthews
• Dr. Kenneth B. Medlock III
• Dr. John Mendelsohn
• Dr. Francisco Monaldi
• Dr. José Antonio Ocampo
• Dr. Tony Payan
• Dr. Maude Rowland Cuchiara
• Dr. Luis Rubio
• Dr. Marwa Shalaby
• Dr. Deepak Srivastava
• Dr. Ronald L. Sass
• Dr. Robert M. Stein
• Dr. Constantino Urcuyo
• Dr. Dagobert Brito
• Dr. Daniel Cohen
• Dr. David Cook
• Dr. Robert Curl
• Dr. André W. Droxler
• Dr. Mahmoud El-Gamal
• Dr. S. Malcolm Gillis
• Dr. Peter R. Hartley
• Dr. Rachel Kimbro
• Dr. Moramay López-Alonso
• Dr. Ussama Makdisi
• Dr. Caroline A. Marisello
• Dr. Peter Mieszkowski
• Dr. Nicolas Shumway
• Dr. Richard Smith
• Dr. Ronald Soligo
• Dr. Richard Stoll
• Dr. Diana Strassmann
• Dr. Ted Temzelides
• Dr. Dan Wallach
• Dr. Sarah Whiting
• Ron Witte
• Dr. George Zodrow

External links

• James Baker Institute official website
• Baker Institute Blog: Insight and Analysis from the Fellows of the Baker Institute
• Rice University Official Website
• The Baker Institute Energy Forum
• Behind the Bipartisan Drive Toward War
• Baker Institute for Public Policy page at Sourcewatch