The Hungarian Institute of International Affairs (HIIA) is a non-profit economic organization with the ownership of the Hungarian State, which functions as a think tank and serves research purposes. Being a state-owned economic organisation, the HIIA belongs to the wider work environment of the Hungarian Prime Minister. The exercise of ownership rights and duties is carried out by the Political Director of the Prime Minister.
During the public policy activity of the Institute, its main aim is to support the strategic decision-making in the Hungarian foreign policy. To achieve this incentive, the Institute conducts active research activity, prepares analyses and regular background materials not public to decision-makers, and through its domestic and international network it carries out a vivid information gathering activity.
The Institute also conducts academic activity, under which its researchers, analysts and research fellows are present in the domestic and international academic scene with their mainly public analyses, studies and policy papers.
The Institute publishes Hungary’s sole professional journal on foreign policy, it is called Külügyi Szemle. Whereas the HIIA’s annual academic publication in English is the Foreign Policy Review.
Over its public relations activity, the HIIA aspires to be an actor that is active in shaping the domestic academic life in connection with foreign policy, including the reach of the wider public sphere. The Institute usually organize open public round table discussions, background conversations, debates, workshops and conferences both in English and Hungarian language several times a week, while it is working as an exclusive venue for the forums and public presentations of the government’s high representative guests.
The HIIA is an active member and participant of several international organizations, networks and academic cooperations, but our Institute also plays a proactive role in co-organizing conferences and round table discussions abroad, providing speakers and being involved in international networks and think tanks.