Following up on last week’s list of Top Think Tanks and Social Science Research Institutes in Europe, this post is dedicated to top institutions in the United States. Although the U.S. is home to hundreds of research institutes, focusing on a vast array of disciplines and issues, there is a certain degree of consensus regarding which are the most respected. In the list below, we chose to highlight top think tanks working in the broad areas of politics, economics and international relations.

Whether you’re looking for a summer internship, your first postgraduate job or a change in career, gaining experience in a think tank or research institute is always a good way to go. While some think tanks engage in highly specialized research on specific topics, many span a broad range of issues, particularly in the fields of politics, economics and international relations. We’ve decided to dedicate three distinct blog posts to top think tanks around the world, beginning with this list of European institutions. Keep an eye out for upcoming posts on U.S. and Latin American institutions.

Over the past few weeks we’ve posted lists of Top Summer Schools in Economics and Top Summer Schools in Business and Management. While we are happy to promote the many great programs out there, we also understand that wading through the sea of options might leave you feeling a little overwhelmed.

Following up on last year’s Valentine’s Day post Would you Date an Economist?, this year we’ll tackle the next step: how to predict the potential success of your relationship – using game theory. Once again, we’ve compiled a list of authors, researchers and scholars who have attempted to crack the code of love using numbers and logic.

In this report, which was just released on the INOMICS website, we offer a detailed look at the interests and experiences of economists in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. With the participation of over 300 economists from these three countries, we gathered a broad range of data in response to questions regarding fields of specialization, international mobility, job market preferences, top employers and many other issues. While nearly a third of survey respondents were PhD candidates, researchers made up another significant portion of participants (20%) and other respondents included professors, consultants, analysts, lecturers and others.

On Wednesday, January 29, INOMICS released the Economics Job Market Report 2013 (UK and Ireland). This report, based on the findings of the Economics Job Market Survey conducted in 2013, introduces the reader to various aspects of the job market in economics, business and finance, concentrating primarily on the academic field.

It is no secret that Summer Schools are among the most visited types of Announcement on INOMICS. As many PhD and Masters students aim to be awarded external funding or need to go through complex bureaucratic procedures inside their own institutions before they can attend, their decision about which Summer School(s) to attend often needs to be made several months ahead.

INOMICS is probably the best-known and most reputable tool for finding academic conferences, especially for events focusing on economics and finance-related disciplines. While the majority of new users still find out about INOMICS through word of mouth, a much faster growing part of users lands on INOMICS when searching for specific conferences on Google.

Econ Job Market in the UK & Ireland: the new INOMICS Report is available for free download.

Even though many (especially young and less experienced) job candidates attend interviews with an anticipation of being assessed, in reality the assessment always happens in both directions. And the more that a talented applicant has to offer, the pickier he or she can be when making a final decision.

The Christmas break is approaching and all university departments are getting busy finalizing their end-of-year work. For busy marketers and conference organizers a Christmas break might seem not to be the best time of the year to promote their courses and conferences to a wider audience. However, our experience at INOMICS confirms that it is not exactly true. Of course, much depends on your target audience: but while for many December 25th will be almost certainly dedicated to family commitments, for many the days before and after Christmas represent one of the few times of the year that they can actually spend searching more deeply for information in their field of interest, especially with regard to extra training and conferences.

 There are many reasons why institutions and individuals engage in conference organization, be it an international congress or a local workshop on a specific area of economics or finance. In academia, it is a great way to publicize your research work, to educate a wider public about a certain issue or simply to bring together experts from the same field and share the state of research. In business, it is the ultimate way to expand a network, market your company and often pave the way to future clients. Regardless of the type of institution, all conference organizers face the same challenges, especially when organizing an event for the first time.

Pursuing an academic career is very different from working in the private sector in many ways, including in terms of the application and recruitment process, even before you start in your first job!

Yesterday INOMICS released the Economics Job Market Report 2013 (Worldwide Overview). The report contains insights about the academic job market, compiled from answers from almost 2,500 economists and recruiters from all over the world who completed a survey earlier this year. The findings of the report include salaries, recruiters’ and candidates’ employment preferences, regional disparities, skills & specializations most in demand and other general trends in the economics job market.

If you're interested in attending a summer school this year, now is the time to start planning. Once you've selected a  school to attend and been accepted, here are some of the ways that you can make the most out of your summer school experience.

There are many great summer programs our there, but wading through the sea of options might leave you feeling a little overwhelmed.

Since its foundation by Portuguese colonists, Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, has experienced an important immigrant flow. Over time, the Brazilian government has influenced this flow by implementing policies that support the needs of the economy. If during the first half of the 20th century governmental policies targeted low-skilled immigrants for work in the agricultural sector, in the last quarter of the century the government aimed to attract highly skilled immigrants to the country. The new trend was marked by the adoption of a new immigration law in 1981, which introduced new processes for visas and work permits and created a number of obstacles for low skilled migration.

In the light of global demographic changes, universities increasingly have to look for lead sources from abroad. Traditionally, exhibiting at study fairs has been the most common way to attract students internationally. However, technology is moving fast and in recent years a number of effective marketing channels for universities have developed online. Some course marketers still argue that study fairs are the only way to establish personal contact with the students, but a comparison of the benefits of both channels gives the best illustration of their effectiveness.

In September the recruiting season gathers pace, a fact that candidates today know well. Last year, the number of people visiting the INOMICS job listing pages increased by 28% in the eight weeks from the start of July to late September. The rush increased even more in October, with a rise of 20% in just one month. Every institution has their own policies and guidelines for faculty hiring, but still there is a set of best practices which in many cases is applicable regardless. We explored examples of best practice for academic recruiting (before the interview stage) and put together a list of them to help INOMICS customers find the best match for their positions.

With the summer vacation period drawing to a close, many graduates are now exploring their options for further education. Users on the INOMICS platform at this time of year are actively seeking graduate opportunities, whether Master's Programs, PhD positions or supplementary courses for the coming academic year.