From University Library To World Top University Affiliated Think Tank: A Research On Transformation And Development Of Hoover Institution At Stanford University

Hoover Institution is short for Hoover Institution on War, Revolution, and Peace, which is the first University Affiliated Think Tank in America. Hoover Institution has ranked in the top four in the Global University Affiliated Think Tank in 2015.Hoover funded the Hoover Institution in 1919, its main tasks were to analyze the cause of the outbreak of World War I and reveal the consequence of war. Hoover Institution as a collection center of Stanford University in the early period, whose tasks were to collect, arrange and classify materials of war. We could do research by using the materials. The pattern of cold war formed between the United States and the Soviet Union after World War II, leading to a sharp rise in demand for public policy of the United States. In the meantime, Think Tanks also developed rapidly. These factors were important for Hoover Institution's transformation from a library to a Think Tank. Hoover Institution completed its transformation by increasing researchers and research areas, improving the management system and coordinating the relationship with the university and so on. In the transformation period, Hoover Institution based on public policy research as main contents, advised government on public policy field, developed research projects and promoted of research results actively. Since the 1990 s, with the expansion of public policy in demand and fierce competition between Think Tanks, Hoover Institution by innovating ideas, exploring new research areas and perfecting its own system entered the world top Think Tanks successfully.Hoover Institution has accumulated rich experience such as precision position of Think Tanks, a high level of researchers and symbiotic interaction with the university in the course of the transformation and development. The experience gained in the process is of great importance to China in constructing and developing of University Affiliated Think Tank. We should learn our lessons from the experience.