Annual Report - Chatham House

4
CORE RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
At a time of growing uncertainty and instability, the
Institute continues to be a focus for leading-edge
thinking, research and analysis on key international
developments. Our five core research programmes,
which have brought expertise and insight to major
issues of interest and concern, continue to exemplify
the strengths of Chatham House.
European Programme
The European Programme expanded during the year
with the arrival of Mariana Tsatsas as an Associate
Fellow working on European institutions and the
bilateral relations of the UK. Julie Smith became
(almost) full-time Programme Head from January 2002,
having taken leave from the University of Cambridge.
Two significant publications during the year were The
New Bilateralism: The UK’s Relations Within the EU,
by Julie Smith and Mariana Tsatsas, and Spreading the
Costs of Asylum Seekers: A Critical Assessment of
Dispersal Policies in Germany and the UK, by Christina
Boswell (published by the Anglo-German Foundation).
The programme also convened a series of seminars on
‘Insiders and Outsiders in the New Europe’ to present
work in progress, which will lead to a publication in
late 2002.
The programme held a large number of seminars on
issues associated with EU enlargement, and a series
of seminars on the future of NATO in conjunction with
International Affairs and the Centre for Studies in
Security and Diplomacy at the University of
Birmingham. We also organized a variety of bilateral
and multilateral workshops in partnership with sister
institutes from other European countries and the
United States.
Contact: Laura Hamilton
E-mail: lhamilton@riia.org
International Economics Programme
The International Economics Programme undertakes
research into key themes including financial
development, growth and poverty alleviation, and
international trade.
Its seminar series has provided opportunities for
government, industry, academia and non-
The Royal Institute of International Affairs — Annual Report 2001-2002
governmental organizations to share their expertise.
Distinguished speakers have included Professor
Jeffrey Frankel from Harvard University, Professor
Charles Goodhart from the LSE, Boris Fedorov, the
former Russian Finance Minister, and Dr Heizo
Takanaka, Minister of State for Economics and Fiscal
Policy, Japan. The programme has also been a forum
for information and debate on the WTO ministerial
meeting in Doha.
The July conference entitled ‘The
Economics of Essential Medicines’
stimulated intense discussion on
making essential medicines available
in developing countries. Issues
included the impact of Trade-Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS), health service delivery, and
research and development. A volume based
on the conference, edited by Brigitte Granville, will be
published by the RIIA in summer 2002.
At this year’s Tokyo Club Foundation for Global Studies
T5 meeting in Paris, Brigitte Granville and Carol
Leonard presented their paper entitled ‘The Digital
Divide, Local Learning and Innovation in the Developing
World: The Remarkable Case of Pharmaceuticals’.
The programme is one of five leading research
organizations to take part in this annual meeting.
Contact: Joann Fong E-mail: jfong@riia.org
Middle East Programme
At a time of increased violence and uncertainty in
the region, the Middle East Programme (MEP) has
responded to unfolding developments, especially
the impact of 11 September, the intensification of the
Israeli—Palestinian conflict and the regional
implications of the ‘war on terrorism’. The programme’s
briefing seminars engaged the corporate sector in a
series of debates and we are preparing research on the
future of Iraq and the reaction of Saudi Arabia. MEP
fellows have contributed numerous interviews and
articles to the media.
Among policy dialogue projects, the programme
continued its focus on relations with Iran at a seminar
in Tehran and introduced a new venture on improving
relations with Libya. Another new project, ‘Rethinking