Each GIGA scholar belongs to one Regional Institute and is a member of at least one Research Programmes. The area expertise fostered through the Regional Institutes is key for the creation of the GIGA’s context-sensitive, empirically grounded knowledge. It builds on close collaboration with partners in the target region at the GIGA’s research platforms and beyond, intensive field research, engagement within area-specific professional networks and associations, and an internal culture that promotes innovation and exchange. It is this knowledge that puts the GIGA out front when it comes to discovering new developments and future research topics early, integrating perspectives from the regions systematically, and applying state-of-the-art comparative research.
All four Regional Institutes play important roles in their respective area studies communities. The GIGA is proud to host the secretariats of the Association for African Studies in Germany (VAD) and the German Association for Asian Studies (DGA). GIGA senior staff hold key functions as board members in German, European, and international associations. The GIGA, either as an institution or through its employees, is involved in the following area-specific networks and associations:
Africa:
African Studies Association in Germany (VAD), Africa–Europe Group for Interdisciplinary Studies (AEGIS)
Asia:
German Association for Asian Studies (DGA), European Alliance for Asian Studies (Asia-Alliance)
Latin America:
German Association for Latin American Studies (ADLAF), Asociación Latinoamericana den Ciencia Política (ALACIP), European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR Standing Group Latin American Politics), Consejo Europeo de Investigaciones Sociales de América Latina (CEISAL), Red Euro-Latinoamericana de Gobernabilidad para el Desarrollo (RedGob)
Middle East:
German Middle East Studies Association for Contemporary Research and Documentation (DAVO), Euro-Mediterranean Study Commission (EuroMeSCo)
Supraregional:
European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI)
The role of the Regional Institutes in the area studies communities is further emphasised by the international reputation of the journals of the GIGA Journal Family, which are published in cooperation with SAGE under the auspices and ownership of the each respective Regional Institute. All four journals are fully open access, as the GIGA with its Global Approach is committed to contributing to the scholarly exchange between the continents and to the reduction of global asymmetries in knowledge production and access.
