Generation Think

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n the anti-Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, student protest was a potent tool calling for social justice with the ability to shape the world in a very real way. Fast-forward to 2014, and many politically engaged students have found a new way of trying to make their voices heard.

The student think tank movement has sprung up around the country and internationally in the last five years. In a world where

students are often characterised as lazy and politically ignorant

this movement provides an important counterpoint by enabling students to engage in a wide variety of issues and even debate and discuss with experts in different fields.

It provides a more proactive form of student politics, adding to and broadening student political engagement from the well-developed reactive protest tradition. The movement aims to bridge the gap between students’ new ideas and new policies, encouraging them to develop their own responses to the way the world works in order to formulate a truly student-led politics.

It does this through events such as talks from experts and debates between specialists, where

students are able to have their voices heard by key decision-makers

. Not only this, but students are also given the opportunity to have an input into the movement’s attempts to shape policy agendas through writing in the journals that they produce – for example Warwick Think Tank’s METIS journal, and partnerships with ‘real-world’ think tanks such as IPPR, in the ippr@universities project.

Student think tanks equip students with valuable skills: current affairs knowledge and awareness, the ability to discuss new ideas, and the knowledge of how to do so with experts in the field, as well as writing skills should they wish.

Founded in 2009, Warwick Think Tank was the first ever student-run think tank, and since then many others have been
founded across the country. Previously their ability to change the policy agenda had been limited by their isolation and relatively little- known status.

But a new group, Generation Think, is now acting as a network between student think tanks, bringing together the movement and acting as a focal point. Generation Think also helps existing think tanks with events, proposals, sponsorship, and collaboration while also providing resources and advice for those who want to set up their own think tank.

Formerly known as Campus Policy, the rebrand of the group starts here, at Warwick, the birthplace of the movement, and aims to reflect the new generation of student politics.