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Opposition rebel groups have overthrown the Assad dictatorship in a very short space of time. GIGA expert Dr André Bank explains how this came about, what goals they are pursuing and what this means for Syria.

Whether regarding drugs, trade, or migration, Mexico has been repeatedly criticised, cajoled, and threatened by Trump on the campaign trail. On the eve of his inauguration, this GIGA Talk will highlight the challenges facing Mexico with a second Trump presidency and discuss its readiness to resist those pressures.

Nach fast 14 Jahren Krieg, in denen die Hoffnung auf Heimkehr für die meisten der 12 Millionen geflüchteten Syrer:innen nahezu erloschen war, hat der plötzliche Sturz des Diktators Bashar al-Assad Euphorie ausgelöst – nicht nur in Syrien, sondern auch in den Nachbarländern und weltweit.

Sixty years after the founding of the GIGA, historical legacies still drive the “one-way street” of research collaboration between Germany and Africa. Creative digital approaches, such as “big-team science,” are needed to accelerate joint knowledge creation with the continent.

In nur zehn Tagen haben aufständische Gruppen unter Führung der islamistischen HTS die Diktatur von Präsident Assad gestürzt. Syrer:innen weltweit feiern und eine Rückkehr scheint in greifbare Nähe gerückt. Doch wie sieht die Zukunft Syriens aus? GIGA-Expert:innen diskutieren. Video jetzt verfügbar.

This talk will discuss whether and how China-related power shifts have unfolded at the UN over the last two decades, focusing on the UN's three main pillars. It also covers UN relations with China’s Belt and Road Initiative and more recent Chinese attempts to promote the Global Development Initiative.

Donald Trumps Außenpolitik gilt als schwer vorhersehbar. Doch es gibt Parallelen zu rechtspopulistischen Führern weltweit. Von Erdoğan in der Türkei über Duterte auf den Philippinen und Orbán in Ungarn bis hin zu Modi in Indien: Die Außenpolitik populistischer Akteure ist berechenbarer als häufig angenommen.

Launching our report on Global Perspectives on Responsible Economic Statecraft we discuss how economic tools can be used to navigate geopolitical tensions, balance diverging interests, and contribute to more stability through forward-looking and proactive strategies.

The Indo-German 1.5 Track Strategic Dialogue was launched in the context of the intergovernmental consultations in Delhi in 2019. The exchange of think-tanks and diplomats is envisioned to become a pillar of the bilateral relations between both countries. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Indo-German 1.5 Track Strategic Dialogue will have to take place as a digital format.

The G20 summit in Brazil will take place at a crossroads in the global power dynamic. The traditional dominance of the rich nations is being challenged by a more united Global South, while diplomatic bridges need to be built to address pressing economic, political, and environmental issues.

Dr. Anna Fünfgeld receives the Arnold Bergstraesser Prize 2024 for her outstanding dissertation “No Power to Change? Energy Hegemony and Trasformismo in Indonesia.“

After the elections in the United States, uncertainty surrounds the future of sanctions and economic coercion in global security. In this GIGA Talk, experts will discuss the prospects for continued transatlantic collaboration, the evolving design of sanctions, and steps to bolster the international legitimacy of these tools.

Jan Rörden joined the GIGA as the Digital Research Officer in May 2024. He previously worked as Researcher at Fraunhofer ISI. Learn more about Jan, and his role at the GIGA in this interview.

In Hamburg, memories of the protests surrounding the 2017 summit of the G20 still resonate. Evaluating the Group’s 2024 meeting in Brazil, we discuss how it has evolved over the past few years and whether it can serve as the gold standard for global cooperation in an increasingly multipolar world.

Am 5. November 2024 finden in den USA Präsidentschaftswahlen statt. Ihr Ausgang wird vom Rest der Welt als eine Zäsur wahrgenommen, mit möglicherweise erheblichen Auswirkungen auch für Europa. Im Rahmen einer repräsentativen Umfrage haben das GIGA und die Universität Hamburg über 2.900 Menschen in Deutschland nach ihren Erwartungen, Wünschen und Sorgen im Hinblick auf einen Wahlsieg von Kamala Harris oder Donald Trump befragt.

The 2024 US presidential election will redefine America’s role in the Middle East. With US priorities being revisited, Europe must recalibrate its foreign policy in the region to safeguard strategic interests such as regional stability, energy security, and the management of migration flows.

The experts at this roundtable address the result of the US Presidential Election. Together with GIGA’s international guests, we unpack what it means for the world. How does the change in the highest US office influence the different world regions, and how do these view what lies ahead?

GIGA Senior Research Fellow Dr. Julia Grauvogel was part of a delegation that travelled to Ghana from 2 to 8 October 2024. The trip was organised by Hamburg’s Ministry for Science, Research, Equality and Municipalities under the leadership of Katharina Fegebank, the ministry’s head and Second Mayor of Hamburg. The delegation’s intensive talks opened promising avenues of future research cooperation. 

Have you always wanted to discuss current global events with an expert? Then our stand is the right place for you! Visit us at the Museum für Naturkunde during the Berlin Science Week.

President Marcos Jr. has been driving the digital transformation of the Philippines since 2022. Internet infrastructure and cybersecurity are undergoing improvements as part of an effort to position the country as a digital leader, with key collaborations involving Germany, Japan, and the World Bank.

The BRICS+ nations will soon come together in Kazan, Russia, for their 16th Annual Summit. Despite meeting in a country at war, old and new member states will work on initiatives for economic and political cooperation while aspiring ones will await a decision on the group’s further expansion.

Sanction evasion, economic and military collaboration, and narratives of resistance against a US-led liberal global order bind Russia and Iran together. To thwart their continued and intensified power projection, the West needs to strengthen ties with other key actors in the Middle East and Eurasia.

In Brazil’s mid-term elections on 6 October, all eyes will be on São Paulo, where polls show a three-way tie between the right’s “old guard” candidate, a young, extremist YouTuber, and the left-wing nominee, backed by President Lula. The result will be a harbinger for politics in post-Lula Brazil.

Public diplomacy looms large in the foreign policies of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Zooming in on these states’ engagement with the African continent, this GIGA Focus Middle East explores the role played by real and alleged non-state actors in autocratic public-diplomacy efforts.

The Colombian government's talks with the ELN were a central pillar of the government's "Total Peace" policy to end violence through dialogue and the rule of law. After a new ELN attack on 20 September 2024, the government suspended the talks indefinitely.

Syria is increasingly being presented by right-wing populist governments and parties across Europe as a supposedly “safe place” to which to deport and return refugees. GIGA experts Dr. André Bank and Dr. Christiane Fröhlich argue against this based on their respective in-depth analyses.

The violent escalation in most of Syria since 2023 and the continuation of the Assad dictatorship suggest that nowhere in the country is safe. Outlined are the key details to this. Any plans to forcibly return Syrian refugees from Middle Eastern and European countries should therefore be rejected.