Student-led think tank secures big partners and recruits contributors

“I know it will sound cliché, but the idea came to me one night in 2022, in my room,” says Hugo, who has a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s in International Relations, both from UU. “I was thinking that I missed a place where students and young graduates could come together and reflect. A place where we would gain historical insight into the political and sociological debates of our time.” 

Hugo wrote a brief founding note proposing a transdisciplinary, student-led think tank to discuss current topics such as security, disinformation, climate change, diplomacy, and technology. Then, he sent the text to two friends, who immediately said: “Count me in.” 

The trio started talking to other students and teachers to get the ball rolling. Three years later, GA! Think Tank organises an annual symposium and several other events, publishes its own magazine and podcast, and has secured partnerships with big knowledge organisations and even ministries. The think tank became an official NGO (stichting) last year.

Hugo (left) with some of the students who supported his idea of founding a think tank. Photo: courtesy of GA!

The first event they organised was a Student Insight Night in 2022, in which students could share their own research. “A lot of students are making interesting points in their papers and theses, and the only one who reads them is the teacher. We wanted to give them the opportunity to talk about it,” says Hugo. The first gathering was at a café, but as the audience grew, it moved to more formal spaces on campus. Once there, it made sense to start organising expert nights as well.

“We then thought that a good think tank must have a magazine, something to distribute to outside organisations to showcase our work,” Hugo recollects. These first initiatives were all self-funded, but today, GA! Think Tank takes donations and produces each edition of the magazine in partnership with one or several organisations.

The latest magazine, for example, is themed “Dutch resiliency” and was made in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Housing and Social Planning and Kiem, a department within the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. In addition, the student authors featured in the magazine will debate representatives of different ministries in an event.

“Convincing people that this was a good idea and they should work with us was the hardest part,” says Hugo. “Doing so with little budget only made it more challenging. But I’m a passionate worker. I didn’t mind putting in the hours.”

“Now, we’re entering an exciting new era, as we’ve scored our first international partnerships. We’re talking to partners in Spain, Germany, Belgium, and the Czech Republic,” Hugo says with a smile. To support this expansion, GA! has recruited a new board of ten members and is now seeking students from diverse fields eager to share their insights with the world through writing or podcasting.

Photo: courtesy of GA!