A month after the start of the war, the situation in the Persian Gulf is still ever-changing. Through various media outlets, GIGA scholars are helping make sense of the developments, providing background information, and analysing the interests of the actors as well as the geopolitical and economic ramifications of the war in Iran.
Thies Niemeier joined GIGA as a Research Fellow in September 2025. In this interview, he talks about his research on individual sanctions, his motivation for joining GIGA, and what he hopes his work will contribute to research and policy.
The United States is preventing oil from entering Cuba. Without these shipments, Cuba will find itself in an existential crisis, and the socialist government will be forced to negotiate with the United States. Following his recent visit to Cuba, GIGA expert Prof. Dr. Bert Hoffmann shares his impressions and provides important political context.
Latin America has emerged as a strategic partner for the EU in its efforts to diversify imports of critical raw materials with a view to safeguarding the energy transition, mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities, and reducing structural dependencies in the digital, defence, and aerospace sectors.
AI is reshaping work: low-skilled jobs may disappear while high-skill roles concentrate in a handful of countries. Without new social safety nets and large-scale reskilling, billions risk being sidelined as AI overwhelmingly rewards those who already have power, infrastructure, and digital access.
Francisco Ahumada Lobos joined the GIGA Doctoral Programme in October 2025. The title of his dissertation is “More Sustainable Supply Chains: Instruments, Opportunities and Risks.” Get to know more about Francisco in this interview.
Das GIGA bietet zum nächstmöglichen Zeitpunkt eine Stelle als Bibliothekar:in (m/w/d) Zeitschriften- und Lizenzmanagement, Erwerbung und Erschließung. Es handelt sich bei dieser Position um eine unbefristete Teilzeitstelle (75%) im Team der Bibliothek des GIGA, Entgeltgruppe 9b TV-AVH.
Ahead of a Lula–Trump meeting, Brazil is pushing the US to scrap its punitive 50 per cent tariffs. Balancing autonomy and dependence, Lula is rallying state and business interests and pushing an EU–Mercosur deal, seeking to gain leverage through multilateralism and transcend the false US–China dichotomy.
Soumya Chaturvedi joined the GIGA as a Doctoral Researcher in October 2025. The title of her dissertation is: “Agency amid structural dependence: How systemic energy transitions shape the foreign policy of emerging powers”. Learn more about Soumya in this interview.
Syriens Übergangsregierung ringt um die Kontrolle über den Sicherheitssektor. Die Armee beendete Anfang 2026 weitgehend die kurdische Autonomie in Nordsyrien. Droht neuerliche Gewalteskalation? Wie schützt man Minderheiten? Welche Rolle spielen USA, Israel und Türkei? Und was kann Europa bewirken?
At the India AI Impact Summit in February 2026, Narendra Modi signalled India’s ambition to shape global AI governance. While access to AI technology and control over key models were discussed, issues such as rising electricity demand and potential job losses remained unaddressed, GIGA researcher Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra states in her comment.
You want to learn more about Chinese foreign policy and the role experts can exert on it? In this GIGA China talk, we will discuss with Sabine Mokry how the role of Chinese experts has changed under Xi Jinping and how, despite centralisation of political power, scholars and think tankers can still exert influence on foreign policy.
Explore six PEACEptions infographics that map the Pillars of Peace across diverse country contexts. In one glance, see how security, human rights, and conflict-transformation institutions interact—revealing where peace holds, where it frays, and what could strengthen it for the long term.
For nearly 30 years, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has endured violent conflicts fuelled by the illegal exploitation of natural resources. This panel will examine why peace processes have faltered and explore pathways to lasting peace. This seminar is organised by KAS scholarship holders in cooperation with the GIGA.
China’s Global Security Initiative projects its stability-focused security model abroad. How do East Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East perceive the GSI? What does this mean for the future of the international security order? And how should Germany and the EU best respond?
We have compiled some analyses and background information from our experts on the conference’s key programme topics, ranging from sanctions and power shifts in the Indo-Pacific to questions of global order and security policy.
Religion is crucial to understanding the violent clashes occurring between nomadic pastoralists and sedentary farmers over land and water in Nigeria. Neglecting this dimension prevents a holistic understanding of the crisis taking hold, hindering the development of effective and lasting solutions.
In Venezuela, the United States and the post-Maduro leadership are contesting what it means to “run the country.” But will there be a chance for a democratic opening? What impact will this have on the region? And will socialist Cuba survive losing its key ally and facing severe economic crisis? The key takeaways from the event are now online!
Nach langen Verhandlungen gab es in dieser Woche einen Durchbruch im Freihandelsabkommen zwischen Indien und der EU. Angesichts der jüngsten US-Drohungen mit neuen Zöllen und der stockenden Ratifizierung des EU‑Mercosur-Abkommens kommt die Einigung zur rechten Zeit. GIGA-Experte Dr. Johannes Plagemann ordnet die handelspolitische und geopolitische Bedeutung des Abkommens ein.
Social media is often blamed for a recent trend of protest failure. We look into the youth-led iterations occurring from Asia to Africa to Latin America in recent years, their ultimate outcomes, and how social media has served to inspire and connect protest movements across countries and continents.
In 2026, trade negotiations with the US and EU will need to be balanced by India with the demands of its BRICS presidency amid a shifting global order. Complex ties with China and the US, state elections, and tensions with the South Asian country’s diverse neighbours will test the ruling government.
With Maduro‘s arrest by US forces, Trump’s sanctions on President Petro, and crucial elections ahead, Colombia faces unprecedented challenges. This GIGA Talk examines how the peace process, drug trafficking, and US–Venezuela tensions will shape Colombia‘s political future and Germany‘s engagement with the country.
Mikael Hiberg Naghizadeh joined the GIGA as Research Fellow in September 2025. He holds a DPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford and completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School before joining GIGA. Get to know more about Mikael in this interview.
China and Venezuela’s long-standing alliance faces its toughest test yet after Maduro’s arrest. From oil-for-loans deals to digital surveillance and military cooperation, Beijing now risks losing influence as Washington moves to assert dominance over Caracas.
The GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies invites applications for a one-month visiting fellowship in Hamburg. The fellowship supports advanced research on Latin American politics and encourages scholarly exchange and collaboration.
