Search FREN
Cercle de Réflexion Stratégique Abidjan Contact

Home › About › The Circle

Think tank · Association · Volunteering

An open space for geopolitical reflection

The Strategic Reflection Circle “Abidjan” brings together researchers, practitioners and citizens on a voluntary basis around one conviction: understanding strategic issues should not remain the privilege of a few closed circles.

Join the Circle
Support the Circle

Mission

Making strategic culture accessible

The great transformations of our time, from the reshaping of the international order and Sahelian destabilisation to competition for resources and the battle of narratives on social media, directly affect the lives of West African citizens. Yet they are rarely debated in public, or debated without method.

The Circle’s mission is to create a rigorous, accessible and free forum for debate, where people learn to tell fact from opinion, long-term trends from passing events, and real risk from manufactured fear.

Its main instrument is the quarterly Afterwork: an end-of-day meeting, open to all, devoted to one strategic question and led by invited speakers.

Who leads

Dr Sylvain N’Guessan

Dr Sylvain N’Guessan directs the Institut de Stratégies Abidjan and chairs the Strategic Reflection Circle “Abidjan”.

A doctor in political theory with three master’s degrees in defence, geopolitics and safety, he has led studies, advisory assignments and training in some twenty countries across Africa and Europe for twenty-six years. He is the author of Ivoire Géopolitique. Désir de puissance (2024) and La sécurité économique de la Côte d’Ivoire face à la menace terroriste (2023).

Read the full biography   Word from the director

Dr Sylvain N’Guessan, directeur de l’Institut de Stratégies Abidjan

Status

A non-profit association driven by volunteers

The Circle sells no services. Its activities are made possible by the commitment of its members and the support of partners.

Legal form

A non-profit association under Ivorian law, run by volunteers and funded through partnerships and voluntary contributions.

Free access

All panels and conferences are free to attend, subject to simple registration.

Funding

Institutional partnerships, sponsorship and volunteer contributions. See our funding policy.

Governance

Clear rules to guarantee independence

A think tank is only credible if people know who runs it, who funds it and how decisions are made. We make this public.

BodyRoleMembership
General assemblyAdopts the strategic direction, approves the accounts and the annual activity report.All active members of the Circle.
PresidencyRepresents the Circle and guarantees compliance with its independence charter.Dr Sylvain N’Guessan, founding president.
Executive boardProgrammes the sessions, manages day-to-day operations and partner relations.Appointed by the general assembly from among active members.
Scientific councilValidates themes and ensures the quality and pluralism of contributions.Academics and practitioners from the expert network, invited by the presidency.

Charter

Four non-negotiable principles

Independence

No partner determines the content of the panels or the conclusions of speakers.

Pluralism

Reasoned disagreement is an asset: we compare interpretations rather than align them.

Accessibility

Free access is a deliberate choice: strategic knowledge is a common good.

Transparency

Funding sources and activity reports are published every year.

Help keep strategic debate alive

Volunteers, researchers, students and professionals: the Circle needs a wide range of skills to organise, document and share its work.

Join the Circle
Become a partner