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”.
On Friday, 13.09., our Fellows had the unique opportunity to meet members of our Academic Board. During a lively debate hosted by our director, Dr. Mayssoun Zein Al Din, the Fellows talked about their research projects at AIA and discussed the fellowship programme. The board members appreciated to be able to link faces to files.
Albert Ahenkan and Samuel Anuga presented their research project on the European Union’s Green Deal (EGD) to promote the transition to renewable energy in the context of EU-Africa relations on September 19. Amidst global and regional geopolitical shifts and the urgent need for environmental sustainability, the two fellows are investigating how the EGD acts as…
A group from the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Personnel Management visited the academy on September 17, 2024. The 45 participants were given an overview of the academy’s profile and activities. This was followed by an exchange with the AIA Fellows Chelsea Haramia, Mariia Levchenko and Raúl González Muñoz, who presented their respective research projects.
On 9 September 2024, the fellows working on the topic of outer space went on an excursion to the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques (FHR) in Wachtberg. There was a lively exchange between the scientists working there and the fellows on their respective research projects. The visit concluded with a tour…
As part of the AIA colloquium, Abiodun Egbetokun gave insights into his research project, in which he is looking at Chinese direct investment in Africa. This research is not only interesting from an economic perspective, but also provides exciting political science and general cultural insights. After all, the approach deliberately chosen by China to place…
In his research colloquium held on 22nd of August, Güneş Ünüvar discusses the growing impact of (private sector) activities in outer space. He is particularly interested in the increasing number of satellites accumulating in Earth’s orbit, which has caused a significant rise in space debris and poses serious risks of pollution and accidents. Ünüvar’s research…
Last week, the tri-annual Global International Studies Conference was convened for the 7th time, drawing attention to the theme of International Relations in a World of Flux: Understanding Continuity, Change and Contestation. The University of Warsaw, Poland, hosted the meeting of around 500 International Relations scholars from around the globe, bringing together experts in all…
In her research project, AIA Fellow Tamirace Fakhoury, Associate Professor of International Politics and Conflict Studies at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in the USA, is examining refugee policy in the Middle East, with a particular focus on displacement in Syria as a case study.
A group from the Bundeswehr’s Cochem Medical Support Center visited the Academy on 3 July 2024 to learn about fundamental issues of international politics. In small groups, they had the opportunity to talk to AIA Fellows Chelsea Haramia, Reza Hasmath, Raul Gonzalez and Samuel Anuga about their respective research projects.
How does the Chinese population view the European Union? AIA Fellow Prof. Reza Hasmath was able to collect demographically representative data on the Chinese mainland in the first quarter of 2024 and presented the results of his research at the AIA Fellow Colloquium.
Associate fellow Nene-Lomotey Kuditchar talks about his outlook on world politics from Ghana. With many different conflicts and crises that are regarded as a new era of geopolitics, tensions between Western states and rising powers such as China are palpable. Alliances, competition and cooperation simultaneously shape world politics where states and regions try to find…
Two of our current research fellows, Albert Ahenkan and Samuel Weniga Anuga, presented their joint project on Weaponized Interdependence and Renewable Energy Transitions in Africa-Europe Relations: Impact of the EU Green Deal on 18th of April at Bonn‘s IDOS (German Institute of Development and Sustainability).
A guide by our Associate Fellow and Fact-checker Szilárd Teczár With the elections for the European parliament coming up in June, official media channels as well as social media platforms are important sources of information for voters on which to base their decisions.