As part of the AIA Colloquium, Pascal da Rocha examined the growing significance of state-led mediators in an increasingly fragmented international mediation landscape characterised by power politics. He focused on the question of why states of varying sizes and international standing – particularly those from the Gulf region – are increasingly assuming a similar role…
On Monday 9 November, a group of students from the Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) of the United Nations University visited the Academy. The United Nations University (UNU) is the academic arm of the United Nations, operating worldwide as a global network of research and training institutes. It conducts scientific research, promotes the…
On Thursday 5 November, the Academy took part in the NRW Science Dialogue Day at RWTH Aachen University, this time under the theme ‘Strengthening Leadership Programmes and their Networks in NRW’. This forum for exchange and dialogue was organised by the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in collaboration with the Charlemagne Prize Foundation.…
Our understanding of artificial intelligence can barely keep up with the constant stream of new developments. Above all, we know little about the specific impacts of AI on key areas of society and politics, both in Germany and in comparison with other countries. The online seminar featuring two Academy fellows, Dr. Tuhinsubra Giri and Dr.…
Delphine Deschaux-Dutard, a French political scientist and expert on European security and defence policy from the Université Grenoble Alpes, discussed with the Academy’s fellows the extent to which French and German rearmament policies can contribute to greater strategic autonomy for Europe. She explained that rising national defence spending does not necessarily lead to European strategic…
How capable is Europe of defending itself in the face of growing geopolitical tensions, and what role can Germany and France play in strengthening European security? These questions were the focus of the Franco-German strategic dialogue ‘Can we defend ourselves? Europe between Washington, Moscow and Beijing’, organised by the Academy in cooperation with the Institut…
On Tuesday, 20 October 2026, the Academy took its fellows on a tour of the Chancellor’s Bungalow. In addition to fostering scholarly networking and providing academic support, the Academy’s fellowship programme also aims to introduce our international guests to the culture and history of Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Chancellor’s…
As part of a Global Policy Dialogue, the Academy’s fellows discussed the reorientation of Germany’s foreign policy with security expert Phyllis Berry. Phyllis Berry served as National Intelligence Officer for Europe within the US intelligence and analysis community from June 2021 to March 2025. Prior to that, she worked, amongst other roles, as Director for…
The Academy of International Affairs NRW was once again represented this year with a stand at the United Nations Day event organised by the City of Bonn. The Academy’s team, along with our fellows Zarina Burkadze, Cécile Pélaudeix, Tuhin Giri and Pascal da Rocha, were once again able to exchange views with our partner organisations…
The American studies scholar and author Tobias Endler and Hendrik Ohnesorge, Managing Director of the Centre for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS) at the University of Bonn, discussed political developments in the US and their implications for Germany and Europe. The event was moderated by AIA Director Mayssoun Zein Al Din. The discussion…
To mark the fifth anniversary of the Academy of International Affairs NRW, a full-day symposium was held at the Grandhotel Steigenberger Petersberg in Königswinter to explore how Europe’s security needs to be rethought in the face of far-reaching geopolitical changes. The focus was on a comprehensive concept of security that goes beyond traditional military and…
How can Europe remain capable of acting in a world of growing geopolitical tensions without compromising its political and ethical principles? This key question was the focus of the panel discussion that opened the symposium marking the fifth anniversary of the Academy of International Affairs NRW. In front of an audience of nearly 100 people,…
On 17 September 2026, the UN Security Council held an Arria-formula meeting on freedom of navigation and maritime security. Chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the debate explored how the UN can better address maritime security challenges and ensure safe sea lanes. AIA Fellow Prof. Dr. Christian Bueger was…
On 15 September, International Day of Democracy, a public panel discussion was held under the title ‘Comprehensive Security: Strategies for Resilience in Democracies. A Comparison of Germany and Switzerland’. The discussion centred on the question of how democracies can become more resilient in the face of growing security, economic and societal risks. It became clear…
Tuhinsubhra Giri explained the far-reaching impact of AI on the world of work. This relates not only to the threat of job losses, but above all to changes in the nature of work, skills, sectors and forms of employment. He believes that overall employment levels may remain stable, whilst at the same time undergoing very…
AIA Fellows Yi hyun Kang and Tuhinsubhra Giri took part in a webinar organised by the Kenya-based NGO African Centre for Technology Studies as part of the United Nations Climate Change PCCB Network, which focused on how National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) can be implemented through better science communication. Many countries already have National Climate Adaptation…
Reimagining Global Cooperation through Climate Finance in Sub-Saharan Africa AIA Fellow Fadzei Chipato presented her research project on the significance of climate finance for climate justice, trust, and international cooperation, with a particular focus on Southern Africa. The starting point is the principle of “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities” (CBDR): Industrialized countries bear greater responsibility for…
On August 29, the AIA NRW Academic Board held its selection meeting. Once again this year, the Academy received a large number of excellent applications. This year’s call for applications focused on the topic of “Comprehensive Security.” The number of applications received nearly doubled compared to last year. We would like to thank all our…
To mark the 80th anniversary of North Rhine-Westphalia, business leaders and North Rhine-Westphalia’s Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Defense Sebastian Hartmann, Chairman of the German Bundestag’s Foreign Affairs Committee Armin Laschet, and Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall, discussed the state’s future role in the European security architecture.…
As part of the AIA Colloquium, Yi hyun Kang presented her latest observations on the use of artificial intelligence in the context of international climate diplomacy. She reported on her recently completed field research conducted during the 64th session of the subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC SB 64)…
Cécile Pelaudeix’s presentation at the AIA Colloquium addressed the growing importance of critical raw materials for the European Union and the policy challenges that arise from this. Due to geopolitical shifts, the energy transition, and the growing need for technology, demand for raw materials such as lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt, graphite, and rare earth elements…
Adiatu Aliru Abiodun deals extensively with the ambivalent role of European funding mechanisms in the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU). In his project presentation at the AIA Colloquium, he highlighted that the support instruments provided by the EU had on the one hand significantly contributed to supporting regional integration…
The academy was once again able to welcome a group of politically interested individuals from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Bonn office, for an exchange with the fellows. After a general introduction to the academy, the participants engaged in small group discussions on current global challenges. The basis for these discussions were the research projects of…
On Wednesday 17 June, Ryan Mulholland, a Senior Fellow at one of the US’s most renowned think tanks, the Centre for American Progress, visited the Academy for a discussion with AIA Fellows Ramya Vijaya, Filipe Mendonça, Anthony Acquah and Aliru Adiatu. The Fellows presented their various research interests. The discussion centred on political and social…
The Emile Durkheim Research Centre at the University of Bonn and the German Institute for Development and Sustainability (IDOS) organised an interdisciplinary conference on 12 and 13 June entitled “Climate Change as a Crisis of Nature?”. The timing of the event was deliberately chosen, as consultations are currently underway once again in Bonn to prepare…
To mark the end of her time as the first Early Career Researcher at the AIA NRW, Boyhun Kim presented the key arguments of her doctoral thesis, which she has just submitted to Ghent University in Belgium. She used the colloquium as an opportunity to practise her thesis defence in front of the fellows. Her…
As part of a panel discussion organised by AIA NRW in collaboration with the der Bonner Akademie für Forschung und Lehre Praktischer Politik (BAPP) and the Stiftung Bundeskanzler-Adenauer-Haus, political scientist Prof. Dr Gerlinde Groitl, historian Prof. Dr Friedrich Kießling and retired General Jörg Vollmer discussed the ‘turning point’ in security policy and its historical and…
On May 29, 2026, the panel discussion “Decentralizing Diplomacy: Subnational Perspectives on Inter-Regionalism across the AU, EU, and ASEAN” took place. Organized by Aliru Abiodun Adiatu and moderated by Christian Bueger, the participants discussed the growing importance of subnational diplomacy in relations between the AU, the EU, ASEAN, and other regional integration systems. The panel…
AIA NRW Fellow Filipe Mendonça presented his research project on Brazil’s foreign policy maneuvering room in the context of global power struggles—particularly in relation to the United States and China—at the AIA Colloquium. Drawing on a book he published on U.S. trade policy, he provided insights into his research. His key questions are: How has…
Christian Bueger gave a presentation as part of the AIA Fellow Colloquium. He began by providing an overview of his research interests and discussed how his research profile has evolved over time. He then focused specifically on one of his current projects, which centers on multi-national military gatherings (MMGs). Based on various invitations to such…
Ramya Vijaya presented her research project on the links between debt and good governance. Building on her previously published articles, which she had shared with the fellows in advance, the outlines of her planned book-length project on the topic began to take shape. She began by noting that a new phase of fiscal austerity has…
The interconnections between humanitarian development and the prospect for peace were discussed in a meeting held by the parliamentarian group on “Poland, Ukraine, Middle and East Europe, the Baltics”, who had invited AIA Associate Fellow Dr Mariia Levchenko to give an input, based on her research in Ukraine. With the Russian war against Ukraine continuing,…