We convene and co-host dialogues with:
Foreign ministries and diplomatic missions
Track 1.5 meetings that bring officials and independent experts together.
Think tanks and universities
Bilateral dialogues between research institutions, often under a memorandum of understanding.
International organisations
Regional consultations and roundtables linked to a programme or report.
Foundations
Dialogue series on a theme, supported over a year or more.
Each dialogue is designed around its purpose and its participants:
Bilateral think-tank dialogues
Regular exchanges between IPDS and a partner institute on the relationship between two countries.
Closed expert roundtables
Small discussions held under the Chatham House Rule, so participants can speak freely.
Regional dialogues
Meetings across Central Asia, South Asia, the SCO and ASEAN on shared questions such as connectivity and trade.
Delegation visits and study tours
Programmes of meetings in Islamabad for visiting delegations, or for IPDS delegations abroad.
Conferences and forums
Larger public meetings, including the Islamabad Diplomacy Forum.
Outcome documents
A summary of discussion and recommendations, shared with participants and, where agreed, with officials.
—Inclusive participation, balanced across countries, institutions and perspectives, with women participants in every dialogue.
—Confidentiality where it is needed: discussions can be held under the Chatham House Rule and outcome documents agreed before release.
—Nonpartisan convening: IPDS does not take sides in the issues under discussion.
—Follow-through: every dialogue ends with agreed next steps.
Typical formats are below. Timeframes are indicative and are confirmed in the proposal; fees are quoted on proposal.
Expert roundtable
Half a day to a day, 12 to 25 participants.
Six to eight weeks to prepare
Bilateral dialogue
One or two days, alternating between the two countries.
Two to three months to prepare
Dialogue series
Several meetings over a year on one theme, with a final report.
Twelve months
Outcome report
Summary and recommendations from a meeting.
Within three weeks of the meeting
1
Enquiry
Tell us what you need through the enquiry form. A member of the team replies to arrange a short conversation.
2
Scoping conversation
We discuss the question, the audience, the timeline and any constraints, and suggest the format that fits.
3
Written proposal
A short proposal sets out the scope, method, team, deliverables, timeline and fee. Nothing starts until it is agreed in writing.
4
Delivery
The work is carried out by the relevant IPDS centre, with editorial review by the Research Desk before anything is delivered.
5
Follow-up
We present the findings or run a debriefing, and agree any follow-on work.
Recent dialogues and research partnerships:
IPDS is an independent, nonpartisan institute. These commitments apply to every engagement:
—IPDS keeps full editorial control of anything published under its name. Findings are not agreed with, or changed for, the organisation that commissioned the work.
—Commissioned work can stay confidential to the organisation that asked for it. If it is published, the commissioning organisation is named.
—IPDS does not lobby or campaign on behalf of any government, company or organisation.
—We decline work that would conflict with our nonpartisan mandate or with existing commitments, and we tell you early if we cannot take a project on.
Use the enquiry form to tell us what you need, when you need it and who it is for. A member of the team will reply to arrange a short scoping conversation.
You may also be interested in Media and Public Diplomacy or Commissioned Research.
