China is partner, competitor, and systemic rival of the European Union. But also a political actor that needs to be understood on its own terms. The GIGA offers substantial expertise on Chinese political and economic development and the country’s role in regional and global affairs.

Many rural areas in the Global South are facing tremendous challenges including persistent poverty, demographic pressure, climatic change and an eroding resource base. Competition for land and resources affects the lives of rural populations in multiple ways.

Large parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East are being very seriously affected by the disease, and the states of the Global South are showing a wide variation in their reactions. Learn more how the GIGA contributes to addressing the worldwide repercussions of the pandemic.

The global digital transformation is changing how we live and work, as well as how states relate to each other. Our researchers are analysing new opportunities/ challenges of digitalisation in the Global South and instruments of foreign policy, such as digital diplomacy and cyber sanctions.

Russia's attack on Ukraine once again raises the question of the effectiveness of sanctions. Economic sanctions are a popular foreign policy tool for addressing a wide range of international challenges including conflicts, human rights violations, or terrorism. Learn more about GIGA's research on this topic.

The trade war between the US and China and the deadlocks in the World Trade Organisation are two examples of the current crisis of globalisation. We investigate how the world trade order is influenced by domestic concerns, international negotiations, and geo-economic competition.

We work on the politics of climate change. We investigate options to enable low and middle income countries to achieve lower-carbon trajectories without compromising economic development and poverty reduction and study the role of the Global South in international climate negotiations.

Authoritarian practices are not only used in non-democratic regimes. They can increasingly be found also in formally democratic states, as the examples of shrinking civic space, populism, and democratic backsliding show. Learn more about the GIGA‘s research and knowledge transfer on the topic.

To overcome war and violent conflicts, building and strengthening institutions for peace is crucial. This includes power-sharing governments, security sector reform and other processes. We investigate these and pay equal attention to institutions and processes that may obstruct peace.

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as the world’s economic and strategic centre of gravity, in which established and rising powers compete with each other. Learn more about the GIGA’s research, policy exchange and knowledge transfer activities on this mega region, focusing on the perspectives of governmental and non-governmental actors.

Democracy builds on common principles such as elections, division of power, and rule of law. In practice, democratic institutions often underperform due to executives overstepping powers, conflicts and power struggles causing stalemate in the policy process, and rule instability.

Religion is socially important and affects politics and socioeconomic developments in multiple ways. In recent years, religion has become increasingly contentious. Terrorist attacks, armed conflict and xenophobia have been making headlines. At the same time, religion can also contribute to peace.

Around 80 million people have been forcibly displaced by war or political violence worldwide. Several millions more have fled because of environmental disasters and socio-economic marginalisation. We focus on the background of this phenomenon in the regions of origin.

China is partner, competitor, and systemic rival of the European Union. But also a political actor that needs to be understood on its own terms. The GIGA offers substantial expertise on Chinese political and economic development and the country’s role in regional and global affairs.

Many rural areas in the Global South are facing tremendous challenges including persistent poverty, demographic pressure, climatic change and an eroding resource base. Competition for land and resources affects the lives of rural populations in multiple ways.

Large parts of Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East are being very seriously affected by the disease, and the states of the Global South are showing a wide variation in their reactions. Learn more how the GIGA contributes to addressing the worldwide repercussions of the pandemic.

This GIGA Forum discusses the recent wave of military coups in Africa in light of their implications for democracy in the region and for European foreign policy.

Under the banner of countering disinformation, autocratising governments in Asia have recently stifled civil society by either exploiting existing information laws or passing new ones. This contributes to the erosion of civil rights, restriction of information flows, and the deepening of autocratic rule.

Der Vortrag will die Dichotomien in der Weltpolitik von heute aufbrechen und Perspektiven für die Zukunft eröffnen. Es werden dabei sowohl mögliche politische Lösungen für den israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikt zur Sprache kommen als auch die andauernde und sich in der Folge des Gaza-Krieges verschärfende Antisemitismus-Debatte in Deutschland.

The GIGA China Series aims to foster a community of knowledge seekers interested in unravelling the complexities of China’s politics, society, and global impact. Speakers will present their current research findings on today’s China, ranging from domestic governance and societal trends to geopolitics and international relations.

The Franco-German Observatory invites key actors from the Indo-Pacific to present their vision of the region, how they conceive of it geo-strategically and the place of China, the US, and Europe within this framework. We look forward to debating questions of economic interdependence and independence, of trade and investment, and the expectations the countries of the Indo-Pacific might have towards the “West” in general, and Europe, in particular.

In the world’s largest democratic exercise, Indians elect a new parliament. We discuss the run-up to the elections, its likely outcomes, and potential repercussions for Indo-German relations.

This GIGA Forum explores the implications of the Gaza War for Israeli–Palestinian relations and its repercussions on neighbouring countries and the wider region. Is the Gaza War a prelude to a broader conflict, or can we envision prospects for de-escalation and lasting peace in the Middle East? Video now online.

The Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea are hitting one of the global economy’s most important trade routes. Following military intervention by the US, the EU is now also deploying warships. This GIGA Talk is dedicated to a conflict whose impact on the German economy can be felt directly.

In this GIGA Forum, experts tackle the pervasive issue of gender-based violence. Across the world, women suffer discrimination, domestic abuse, and disappearances daily. We shed light on the threats faced by women in their home countries and in exile, examining what Europe can do to better ensure women’s safety.

The GIGA China Series aims to foster a community of knowledge seekers interested in unravelling the complexities of China’s politics, society, and global impact. Speakers will present their current research findings on today’s China, ranging from domestic governance and societal trends to geopolitics and international relations.

Sanktionen bestimmen die Weltpolitik und sind gleichzeitig hochumstritten. Dieses Mittel westlicher Außenpolitik ist Gegenstand des neuen Buchs „Sanktionen: Mächtige Waffe oder hilfloses Manöver?“ von Christian von Soest. Wir möchten seine zentralen Argumente mit dem Publikum und unserem Panel diskutieren.

The publishing workshop is designed to provide African scholars with in-depth feedback on advanced research papers with the aim of facilitating their submission to Africa Spectrum, the Contemporary Journal of African Studies, or possibly another suitable journal that centres on the study of Africa, without any obligation to publish.

This GIGA Forum discusses the recent wave of military coups in Africa in light of their implications for democracy in the region and for European foreign policy.

Under the banner of countering disinformation, autocratising governments in Asia have recently stifled civil society by either exploiting existing information laws or passing new ones. This contributes to the erosion of civil rights, restriction of information flows, and the deepening of autocratic rule.

Der Vortrag will die Dichotomien in der Weltpolitik von heute aufbrechen und Perspektiven für die Zukunft eröffnen. Es werden dabei sowohl mögliche politische Lösungen für den israelisch-palästinensischen Konflikt zur Sprache kommen als auch die andauernde und sich in der Folge des Gaza-Krieges verschärfende Antisemitismus-Debatte in Deutschland.