We are hosting a parliamentary meeting on the topic of “Banning Destructive Anti-Satellite Tests: Necessity and Possibility.” The aim of the event is to promote professional exchange between members of the Bundestag and other interested parties from academia, politics, and industry. In keeping with the topic, we are particularly pleased to welcome members of the German Bundestag’s Aerospace Parliamentary Group to this meeting. Our fellow Adam Bower, Senior Lecturer of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews and one of the leading experts in this field, will open the event with a keynote speech. In his keynote, Adam Bower will address the challenges posed by the accumulation of space objects and the development of anti-satellite weapons (ASAT). On the one hand, humanity is highly dependent on satellite-based services, but on the other hand, these services threaten the security and sustainability of space activities. He advocates a global ban on tests with weapons that specifically destroy satellites in orbit – especially in light of increasing geopolitical tensions and scepticism about a future multilateral security policy. According to Bower, a ban on further kinetic ASAT tests would eliminate a significant source of space debris and reduce future risks for all spacecraft operators. He will argue why he considers such a ban not only necessary but also possible. Info: Adam Bower Associate Fellow AIA NRW; Senior Lecturer, University of St Andrews Profile Adam Bower was co-founder and director of the Centre for Global Law and Governance and is a member of the steering committee of the Institute for Legal and Constitutional Research. He is a member of the St Andrews Centre for Exoplanet Science, a fellow of the Outer Space Institute, a global network of transdisciplinary space experts, and a member of the management team of the Scottish Council on Global Affairs. He researches the development of international norms and laws and their impact on the containment of forms of armed violence.

The role of culture for the prestige and relative status of countries is well-known. While that kind of soft power remains difficult to measure in terms of its actual influence on international politics, cultural diplomacy is an established instrument of states’ foreign policy. The dominance of Western culture has long been contested, as Indian cinema, Japanese kawaii culture and the Korean Wave, to name but a few, have gained traction, not only in Asia but also in other parts of the world, including the West. This has boosted the visibility of some key states and elevated their global status. With the return of the Korean mega group BTS to the stage in the near future, for example, another economic boost is expected, and South Korea is projected to experience gains in tourism and investment. Thus is has notably benefitted from its soft power. Studying select cases such as South Korea and as well as discussing insights from culture diplomacy actors of European countries like Germany and Great Britain and others, the experts at this event will debate the potential of cultural diplomacy in influencing foreign policy and draw on the idea of soft power to explore strategies for the future. The experts include Dr Dongho Han (Korea Institute for National Unification, Seoul), who will talk about the role of public diplomacy regarding Korean reunification, Dr Natalia Grincheva (Lasalle University, Singapore), who will present her data that forecasts the impact of the Korean Wave, and many other experts in the field of soft power and cultural diplomacy. From data-based projections of soft power to traditional approaches of cultural diplomacy, the lessons that can be learned have interesting implications for diplomacy and foreign policy more generally. The event is open to students, academics, policymakers, cultural and economic stakeholders, and the wider public interested in contemporary approaches to soft power and culture politics. Programme

This year’s International Security Forum Bonn (ISFB) brings together top experts and practitioners to tackle pressing questions about transatlantic relations and the future of European security. Under the patronage of Nathanael Liminski, Minister for Federal, European and International Affairs and Media and Head of the State Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia, the forum—organized by CASSIS with partners like AIA NRW and the Institut Français NRW—will run from October 29–31. Highlights include high-level discussions on “Ruptures Waiting for Responses” and a Bonn Future Lab exploring the security, economic, and governance dimensions of space. The event blends expert panels with hands-on workshops, aiming to generate forward-looking strategies for Europe and Germany.