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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.

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