Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri)

Mission & Vision

Founded in Paris in 1979 by Thierry de Montbrial, the Institut français des relations internationales (Ifri) was created with a simple ambition: to give France an independent institution capable of understanding a changing world. Ifri is a nonprofit foundation officially recognized by the French government as serving the public interest (fondation reconnue d’utilité publique). As a non-partisan think tank, its mission is to equip policymakers, business leaders, journalists, and civil society with the tools needed to understand a rapidly changing international environment.

From the outset, Ifri also had a strong American connection. Thierry de Montbrial had studied at the University of California, Berkeley, drew inspiration from leading American think tanks, and the Ford Foundation supported the Institute in its early years. This transatlantic dimension has remained an important part of Ifri’s history and outlook.

It pursues its mission through original research, flagship publications such as the annual Ramses report and the journal Politique étrangère, as well as conferences and international gatherings that bring together policymakers, experts, business leaders, and representatives of civil society for dialogue on today’s most pressing international challenges.

For more than twenty years, the Americas Program has developed in-depth expertise on U.S. domestic and foreign policy. It serves as a natural bridge between Ifri and the United States, helping European decision-makers better understand the transformations underway across the Atlantic while bringing an independent European perspective to the transatlantic relationship.

This transatlantic dimension draws on the Institute’s full range of research capabilities, combining regional expertise (Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond) with thematic research units addressing the major issues shaping the international order, including security and defense, energy and climate, technology, geoeconomics, and space. This cross-cutting approach brings together different perspectives and sheds light on major international transformations in all their complexity. In doing so, Ifri contributes an independent European perspective while fostering dialogue among policymakers, researchers, and institutions across Europe, the United States, and beyond.

Actions Led

Ifri contributes to the understanding of international affairs through four main areas of activity:

• Independent research and analysis: Ifri conducts long-term research combining regional expertise with thematic analysis of the major issues shaping the international order. Its research covers the world’s main regions, including Europe, the United States and the Americas, Asia, Russia and Eurasia, the Middle East and Africa, as well as thematic areas such as security and defense, energy and climate, the geopolitics of technology, geoeconomics, and space.
• Publications and public policy analysis: Ifri researchers produce studies, policy papers, and analyses designed to inform public and private decision-makers and contribute to public debate, in pursuit of the public interest.
• Conferences and high-level dialogue: Throughout the year, Ifri organizes conferences, seminars, and closed-door roundtables bringing together policymakers, diplomats, business leaders, researchers, and experts from France and abroad. Ifri researchers are also regularly invited to provide testimony before parliamentary institutions, helping to inform public decision-making.
• International cooperation and outreach: Ifri draws on an extensive global network of research institutes, universities, experts, and decision-makers. Its researchers regularly conduct fieldwork, which is essential to their research and to developing their networks. They also participate in major international gatherings that bring together public and private decision-makers to address key global challenges. This international presence enriches the Institute’s research and helps bring an independent French and European perspective to international debates.

Ifri at a Glance:

50+ Researchers and fellows; 150+ Research publications each year; 120+ Conferences, seminars, and high-level events each year; 8,000+ Media mentions each year in France and internationally; 20+ Parliamentary hearings in 2026; 90 Corporate and institutional partners

Projects That U.S. Donors Can Support

Ifri is a fully independent research institution. With 83% of its funding coming from private sources, the Institute relies on the support of its partners and donors to preserve its independence and ensure the quality and long-term focus of its research.

Donor support can help fund:

• Independent scientific research on the United States and the Americas;
• Research publications and policy analysis disseminating knowledge on major international issues;
• Conferences, seminars, and public events fostering informed public debate;
• Research collaborations and exchanges with scholars and experts in the United States and Europe.

Through their support, U.S. donors contribute to Ifri’s public-interest mission: producing independent research, informing public debate and public decision-making, and fostering international dialogue.