Consul General Preeti V. Shah, U.S. Consulate General in Düsseldorf, welcomed our Fellows Chisomo Banda, Chiung-Chiu Huang, Chelsea Haramia, Inna Supac, and Anna Shpakovskaya, for an in-depth exchange focused on international research cooperation and the value of shared global standards.

The meeting fostered a rich interdisciplinary dialogue on timely global issues, including the shifting dynamics of diplomacy, security policy, youth initiatives, and global governance.

The participating Fellows brought expertise from a wide range of academic disciplines. Chisomo Banda focuses on international youth initiatives, with particular attention to youth perspectives and global mobility. Chiung-Chiu Huang is a political scientist specializing in international security and East Asian regional politics. Chelsea Haramia works in philosophy, with an emphasis on ethics and long-term global planning, particularly in relation to existential risk. Inna Supac conducts research in international relations and security studies, exploring questions of neutrality and regional stability in Eastern Europe. Anna Shpakovskaya investigates China’s subnational diplomacy and its implications for China-Europe relations, especially in the German context.

Together, the Fellows demonstrated how academic research can inform policy and contribute meaningfully to international cooperation.

We extend our sincere thanks to Consul General Shah for her warm hospitality and for hosting such a thoughtful and forward-looking conversation. Dialogues like this help bridge scholarship and diplomacy, laying the foundation for a more secure and collaborative global future.