ITES was formed as a public establishment at the initiative of the country's president, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and acts under the oversight of the Presidency of the Republic. ITES's mission is to carry out research, studies, analyses, and forecasting regarding short- and longer-term horizons for a wide range of issues related to various national and international phenomena that may affect the process of development of Tunisian society. These issues cover the political, economic, social, and cultural fields. Among other things, the institute is a meeting place for exchange among those with different skills, experiences, and technical capabilities and a structure for building understanding and consensus among the intellectual elite on the important questions and serious challenges facing the country.