Strategic Studies in Developing Countries

In classical sense, strategy is an effort to get rid of uncertainty, a long term policy planning based on realistic evaluation, solid resources at hand, to achieve desired goals. Lawrence Freedman, in his book “Strategy-A History“ defines strategic approach as “an ability to look up from the short term and the trivial to view the long term and the essential, to address causes rather than symptoms, to see woods rather than trees.“

And the Strategic Research Centers are the governmental or non-governmental institutions to facilitate this effort. Their mission is to take the raw data and turn it into “Processed information“ eligible for application by executives.

In information age, humans can reach so much data, yet, especially diplomats, military and intelligence services get lost in the environment of “information pollution“. Add to this the Daily bureaucracy they have to deal with, they are not in the best position to read deeply, reflect and innovate doctrines or policies. Hence decision makers opt for powerful analyst brains and processed information of respectable think tanks.