AIA Fellow Karolina Kluczweskas research deals with the geopolitical reorientations taking place in post-Soviet Eurasia, particularly concerning the impact of massive shifts in Russia on Central Asia. It investigates actors and rationalities of the ongoing geopolitical reorientation, as well as formal and informal practices characterising this process. In her presentation at the AIA colloquium she…
At the panel discussion held in Dortmund, experts explored the parallels between two of the world’s most emblematic post-industrial regions: Germany’s Ruhr region and the U.S. Rust Belt. Despite geographic distance, both have faced similar challenges—declining industry, community disruption, and a widespread loss of future prospects. John Austin (AIA NRW Fellow), Emily Adams (Chancellor Fellow…
Chiung-Chiu Huang presented a research paper she is currently writing at the AIA Fellow Colloquium. She focused primarily on the theoretical framework of the paper and also gave insights into her case studies. At the center of her considerations is the “International United Front” strategy, which she believes is crucial to understanding China’s foreign policy…
Addressing Economic Inequalities to Strengthen Democracies As part of the AIA Fellow Colloquium, John Austin gave insights into the work of his Heartlands Transformation Network. At its core, John and his colleagues are grappling with two questions: What is behind the rise of polarizing anti-system and ethno-nationalist movements that threaten our democracies? What can be…
Together with AIA Fellow John Austin, Senior Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College, the Academy was a guest of the NRW-USA Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Düsseldorf State Parliament. After a brief introduction by our Director Mayssoun Zein Al Din, the members of parliament, moderated by Chair Angela Freimuth, discussed with John Austin…
Tâmara Andrade, German Chancellor Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and Guest researcher at IDOS visited the Academy to engage with the Fellows on the cross-cutting theme of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). In a very interactive session, she first addressed theoretical and conceptual foundations, and shared some insights from her current project…
Together with a delegation of Fellows and AIA employees, we visited IDOS with our Fellow Mariia Levchenko. Mariia gave valuable insights into her research on structured dialogue processes during a brown bag lunch. She gave an overview of the theoretical foundations and empirical effectiveness of dialogue-based interventions. She critically examined the question of how social…
Transformations of gender roles and practices in a transnational migration context Over coffee and cake, sociologist and anthropologist Rustam Samadov gave a talk on “Masculinities of Tajik labor migrants: Transformations of gender roles and practices in a transnational migration context”. He presented the extensive field research he conducted in Russia and Tajikistan as part of…
AIA Fellows Mariia Levchenko and Bernhard Stahl organized a workshop on silence and dialogue in international relations. After Elisabeth Schweiger (University of Sterling, UK) first reflected on the analytical implications of silence in foreign policy from a theoretical and conceptual perspective, Bernhard Stahl, Sebatian Glassner and Julius Bonaventura (University of Passau) elaborated on this in…
AIA Early Career Researcher Bohyun Kim presented her PhD project at the colloquium. She compares the hydrogen strategies of the EU and South Korea. Both share the view that the hydrogen economy is an important element on the way to achieving climate neutrality goals. But the approach differs significantly. In contrast to various studies, which…
There is no doubt that Russia and China are already shaping global politics to a large extent and will continue to do so throughout the 21st century. It is obvious that relations between the two powers are often described in abbreviated form as a friendship between autocracies that are directed against the Western community of…
After many politicians long assumed that economic globalization would bring peace and prosperity, we are now seeing increasing tensions in international trade policy. Measures sold by governments as protection for domestic industry mean that many companies are faced with higher costs for imported materials and goods. Increasing protectionism and the tendency to seal off entire…
Bernhard Stahl, Professor of International Politics at the University of Passau, presented his research project on the silencing of mass crimes in foreign policy, which he has been researching since 2018, at the AIA Colloquium. He is examining this topic from a fundamental perspective, with a particular focus on German and British foreign policy. He…
Fasting holds deep significance across many religions, promoting empathy, mutual respect, and understanding of different beliefs. These reflections by our director, Mayssoun Zein Al Din, followed a dinner hosted by Federal Minister Cem Özdemir at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture in Berlin. In a world marked by geopolitical tensions and societal insecurity, fostering…
Science does not only take place in the famous ivory tower, but scientific findings and technologies often have a direct impact on everyday life. Therefore, good communication is essential for modern science. Only clear and unambiguous communication enables the general public to better understand complex topics so that people can make informed decisions. This applies…
International politics in many ways will be affected by the second Trump administration and its policies, whether in geopolitical terms or with regard to the rise of authoritarian tendencies. To discuss different scenarios, on Friday, March 7, 2025, the Academy invited its current, future and associate fellows to a meeting on The World After Trump…
The “Kölner Forum für Internationale Beziehungen und Sicherheitspolitik e. V.“ visited the academy. This research network from the Rhineland aims to bring young and talented researchers from the field of international relations in the humanities and social sciences into an active and constructive exchange with each other and to strengthen their skills. With this in…
As part of the Munich Security Conference, our Director Mayssoun Zein Al Din chaired a side event with a high-level panel on the topic of ‘Beyond Conflict. Evaluating Paths and Obstacles to Sustainable Peace in the Middle East’. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Miqati (2021 – 2025), Armin Laschet, Vice President…
Mariia Levchenko’s research deals with the instrument of national peace dialogues from both a theoretical and a practical perspective. During the research colloquium, she first discussed the theoretical and methodological framekworkv of national peace dialogues in the light of the relevant literature.
Cooperation event AIA NRW/Society for Rhenish History The event “Region meets International Politics”, which the Academy organized together with the “Gesellschaft für Rheinische Geschichtskunde” and the Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR), focused on the diverse network of relationships between the local and international levels as part of the Academy’s annual theme “Translocalism and Sub-national Diplomacy”.
Keeping up with and responding to technological developments in an increasingly digitalised world has become a challenge for national governments as well as bodies such as the EU, not least with the new US administration taking office in early January 2025. While EU member states have benefited from technological advancements made by American, Chinese, and…
The second meeting between the Parliamentary Group NRW-Turkey and AIA NRW fellows took place on December 19th at the NRW state parliament in Düsseldorf. Associate Fellow Dr Inci Öykü Yener-Roderburg shared her insights, based on her field study of the political engagement of Turkish diaspora groups, including external voting during the last national elections in…
At AIA, Chelsea Haramia’s groundbreaking research focuses on preparing humanity for the profound moment when we might discover extraterrestrial life or technology. In a recent interview, Dr. Haramia shared her insights into post-detection planning, emphasizing the ethical and global challenges of responding to such a discovery. Central to her work is the importance of gauging…
The vastness of space has always been a source of fascination, but as humanity’s reach expands into the cosmos, so do the challenges we face. Associate Fellow Günes Ünüvar’s work sheds light on pressing questions: Is there a risk of being hit by falling satellites? What threats does space debris pose? And why should we…
The European Union reflects its aspiration to achieve sovereignty in critical areas of policy and technology, with space emerging as a central domain. As geopolitical tensions rise and global competition for technological dominance intensifies, European space initiatives—such as Galileo, Copernicus, and the future IRIS2—demonstrate the strategic significance of space policy for fostering technological innovation, enhancing…
The article based on an interview with our director, Mayssoun Zein Al Din, conducted by journalist Martin Wein, explores the role of the Academy of International Affairs NRW in Bonn as a new and significant player among global think tanks.
The AIA NRW and its Fellows were delighted to welcome 25 Master’s students from the second year of the new “Strategy and International Security” (MSIS) program at the University of Bonn, which is led by our Academic Board member Ulrich Schlie.
This year, the AIA was represented for the first time with a stand at the city of Bonn’s annual United Nations Day. Many organizations, associations and institutions from international Bonn presented themselves here. We would like to thank the City of Bonn for the excellent organization, our partner institutions and all interested citizens with whom…
On October 10, the Academy was visited by Dr Ranjana Kaul, Partner at Dua Associates, Law Offices, New Delhi, India and Dr Nayoung Youn, Senior Researcher in the Policy Team of the Korean Aerospace Research Institute. These two Asian legal experts on the subject of space policy and the rule of law are currently on…
On Thursday, October 1, Serap Güler, member of the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag, visited the Academy.
Our Associate Fellow Vivek Anand shares his best practices in sub-national diplomacy.
The Geopolitics of Outer Space The German Political Science Association (Deutsche Vereinigung Für Politikwissenschaft – DVPW) organized its 29th Annual Academic Convention at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen. The overarching theme was “Politics in times of Polycrisis”.