Institute for International Political Studies
The Institute for International Political Studies climbed 42 positions in a single global ranking to emerge as Italy's leading think tank. That 2015 assessment came from the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania. It placed ISPI third worldwide among institutes designated as ones to watch. A separate measure put it fourth globally among think tanks with annual budgets below five million dollars. What built an organization capable of standing alongside much larger institutions? And what does it mean to house Italy's oldest policy institute inside a palazzo that has accumulated centuries of its own history?
ISPI's activities were officially launched on the 27th of March 1934. The founders came from the Universities of Milan and Pavia. They were young scholars who recognized the strong international presence that characterized Italy during those years. Their models came from abroad. London's Royal Institute of Foreign Affairs and New York's Foreign Policy Association had both demonstrated what organized research on international affairs could look like. The founders proposed to give Italy something comparable: a center dedicated to the study of foreign politics.
ISPI's editorial output began in 1934, the very first year of its existence. Sustaining rapid development required a substantial source of funds. That search led to a pivotal meeting in February 1935 with Alberto Pirelli, the second son of the founder of the Pirelli company. Through Pirelli's efforts, a concession was obtained from Mussolini to place the Institute's headquarters in Palazzo Clerici, a landmark building in the heart of Milan.
The Second World War imposed an inevitable interruption. Military occupation and the uncertainties of the liberation period halted normal operations. ISPI resumed its activities in 1949. From 1950, it organized annual postgraduate courses for those aiming at diplomatic careers. Others came seeking positions in international economics and politics.
Located in a district known in the 17th century as the Contrada del prestino dei Bossi, Palazzo Clerici first belonged to Battista Visconti. Around 1653, the Clerici family bought it. They were silk merchants and bankers from the shores of Lake Como, and the palace eventually bore their name.
The Austrians who governed the Duchy of Milan entrusted its internal administration to the Clerici family. That responsibility called for a suitably grand residence in the city. Under Clerici stewardship, the palace became one of the most sumptuous and lavishly decorated buildings in Milan. In 1740, Giorgio Antonio Clerici commissioned Giambattista Tiepolo to fresco the main room. That painted ceiling remains one of the palace's defining features.
After Giorgio Antonio's death, the palace passed to a secondary branch of the family. Archduke Ferdinand of Austria lived there during 1773-1778, waiting for Palazzo Reale to be completed. Several rooms acquired names during those years that they still carry, including the Boudoir and Maria Theresa's bedroom.
After Napoleon's fall, the building was ceded to the Austrian government. In 1862, it became the seat of the Court of Appeal. In 1942, Palazzo Clerici was handed to ISPI. The Institute has occupied it uninterruptedly since then. Its analysis on international affairs has been produced from a building whose known history stretches back to the mid-17th century.
Ispi-Relazioni Internazionali, the Institute's quarterly journal, publishes completed research project findings alongside previews and synopses. A companion series, Policy Brief, distributes shorter analysis on specific international questions. ISPI is an impartial scientific benchmark on international issues. Its audience spans political figures, business operators, public administrators, international bodies, and non-governmental organizations.
Centers for Asia, Cybersecurity, Europe and Global Governance, and Business Scenarios anchor ISPI's research structure. Others address the Middle East and North Africa, Radicalization and International Terrorism, and Russia together with the Caucasus and Central Asia. Dedicated programs run for Africa, Energy Security, Latin America, Migration, and Transatlantic Relations. Country Desks for India and Iran maintain focused ongoing analysis.
Political, economic, legal, historical, and strategic expertise all feed into ISPI's analysis, drawn from both academic and non-academic specialists. An ever-growing network of think tanks, research centers, and universities across Europe and beyond sustains and extends that reach.
The Global Go to Think Tank Index Report placed ISPI first among Italian think tanks in fifteen distinct categories. Among those were Top Defense and National Security, Top International Economics, and Best Policy Study or Report. ISPI ranked fourth globally in the Best Managed Think Tank category. For conference programming, it placed seventh worldwide in the Best Think Tank Conference category; the Rome Med Mediterranean Dialogues was the specific event cited. ISPI also ranked seventh in the Best Think Tank Network category. Across the full index, the Institute appeared in the worldwide top ten in seven distinct categories.
From 2013, ISPI has served as Italy's representative at the T20 Summits. This is the official forum that convenes the most prominent think tanks from each G20 country.
In 1950, ISPI began organizing in-depth seminars on international themes. Those seminars gained official weight in 1969. A formal agreement with Italy's Foreign Ministry converted the coursework into a year-long preparation program for the competitive diplomatic examination. Students aiming at positions in international organizations and non-governmental bodies attended alongside those targeting the foreign service.
By 1999, this educational work had expanded into a formal master's degree in international affairs. ISPI now offers two active master's programs: the Master in Diplomacy and the Master in International Cooperation, the latter focused on development and humanitarian emergencies. Five active diploma programs cover geopolitics, global security, humanitarian intervention, European affairs, and international development cooperation.
The Winter and Summer School programs have run since 2000. More than 130 short intensive courses have been offered through those programs. They have drawn a cumulative attendance of more than 4,500 students and young professionals from Italy and abroad. Subjects have ranged from development and cooperation to electoral assistance, human rights, and democratization.
ISPI also works with the Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Institute to develop training modules for a professional course aimed at serving diplomats. The Institute's educational role does not end when someone enters the diplomatic corps.
Common questions
When was the Institute for International Political Studies founded?
ISPI was founded on the 27th of March 1934, making it the oldest think tank in Italy. Its founders were young scholars from the Universities of Milan and Pavia.
Where is the Institute for International Political Studies headquartered?
ISPI is headquartered in Palazzo Clerici, a historic building in the center of Milan. The palazzo has housed the Institute since 1942 and contains a room whose ceiling was frescoed by Giambattista Tiepolo in 1740.
How did ISPI secure its headquarters at Palazzo Clerici?
ISPI secured the use of Palazzo Clerici through a concession from Mussolini arranged by Alberto Pirelli in 1935. Pirelli was the second son of the founder of the Pirelli company. The building was formally handed over to ISPI in 1942.
How does ISPI rank among think tanks globally?
In the Global Go to Think Tank Index Report, ISPI climbed 42 places to become the top-ranked think tank in Italy and placed first in fifteen distinct categories. It ranked third worldwide among think tanks to watch and fourth globally among institutes with annual operating budgets below five million dollars.
What graduate programs does the Institute for International Political Studies offer?
ISPI offers two active master's degrees: the Master in Diplomacy and the Master in International Cooperation, the latter focused on development and humanitarian emergencies. It also runs five active diploma programs covering areas including geopolitics, global security, humanitarian intervention, European affairs, and international development cooperation.
How many students have attended ISPI's Winter and Summer School programs?
More than 4,500 students and young professionals from Italy and abroad have attended ISPI's Winter and Summer School programs since 2000. More than 130 short intensive courses have been offered through those programs.
What is the history of ISPI's headquarters Palazzo Clerici in Milan?
Palazzo Clerici was acquired by the Clerici family, silk merchants from Lake Como, around 1653 and became one of the most ornate residences in Milan. In 1740, Giorgio Antonio Clerici commissioned Giambattista Tiepolo to fresco the main room. The palace passed through several owners, including Archduke Ferdinand of Austria who lived there from 1773-1778, before ISPI took possession in 1942.