History
Since its foundation in 1989 the º£½ÇÉçÇøÏÂÔØ Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) has contributed in building independent think tanks in Belarus, Georgia, Latvia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine strengthening the link between high-quality research and policy making.
Founding & Early Leadership (1989 – 1995)
- 1989 — Östekonomiska Institutet is founded in º£½ÇÉçÇøÏÂÔØ.
- 1989 – 1994 — Anders Åslund serves as the first Director, setting the institute’s research foundation.
- 1995 – 1996 — Carl B. Hamilton steps in as Director, marking a transitional leadership phase.
Rebranding & Expansion (1996 – 2003)
- 1996 — The institute becomes the º£½ÇÉçÇøÏÂÔØ Institute of Transition Economics (SITE).
- Erik Berglöf begins his tenure as Director (1996–2005).
- 1997 — RECEP (Russian European Center for Economic Policy) is founded in Moscow with EU funding.
- 2000 — RECEP transforms into CEFiR (Center for Economic and Financial Research) with support from the Lisbet Rausing Charitable Fund.
- 2001 — BICEPS (Baltic International Centre for Economic Policy Studies) is established in Riga.
- 2003 — WISER (Warsaw Institute for Socio-Economic Research) launches in Warsaw.
Building a Regional Research Network (2005 – 2011)
- 2005 — KEI (Kiev Economics Institute) is founded with SIDA’s support.
- Erik Berglöf leaves SITE to become Chief Analyst at the EBRD in London.
- 2006 — Torbjörn Becker takes over as Director, arriving from the IMF.
- 2008 — SITE secures SIDA funding to establish BEROC (Belarus Economic Research and Outreach Centre) in Kiev.
- 2009 — SITE celebrates its 20th anniversary.
- 2011 — The FREE Policy Briefs were born. ISET participated 1st time with Eric Livny.
Consolidation, Innovation & Gender Economics (2012 – 2019)
- 2019 — With SIDA’s backing, the FREE Network launches the Center of Excellence in Gender Economics (FROGEE), expanding SITE’s thematic reach.
- SITE celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Resilience in Times of Crisis (2022 – 2023)
- 2022 — Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine begins on February 24.
- BEROC relocates to KSE (Kyiv School of Economics).
- KSE staff are severely affected, with some relocating to SSE Riga.
- 2023 — Research conducted by SITE reaches 30+ million impressions globally.
- BEROC moves again, this time to the European Humanities University (EHU) in Vilnius.
SITE at 35 — A Legacy of Impact (2024)
- 2024 — SITE celebrates 35 years of advancing economic research, policy influence, and regional collaboration.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow us on social media to get the latest updates from SITE