Transfer for Transformation – Knowledge Exchange with Global Reach (T4T)

Transfer for Transformation – Knowledge Exchange with Global Reach (T4T)

  • Transfer for Transformation (T4T) is an application lab. T4T will innovate in the practice of knowledge transfer through consequent target-group-integration and novel access strategies. It will also advance the scholarship on the subject by analysing the effectiveness and impact of different types of knowledge transfer.
    Leibniz Association, 2022-2025


    Team

    Tillmann Josua

    IT Application Manager IT Security Officer


    Your Questions, Our Expertise: Advancing Knowledge Exchange Together

    Welcome to Transfer for Transformation (T4T)’s online survey! Following a successful pilot during the German Reunification Festival in Hamburg, we're excited to present "Your Questions, Our Expertise," a survey designed to advance knowledge exchange between us and you. Your perspective is crucial in shaping discussions on international affairs. We invite you to contribute your thoughts, helping us gain a deeper understanding of the diverse interests and concerns of the public in Germany, the Global South, and worldwide.

    Take a moment to share your views by participating in "Your Questions, Our Expertise".

    Survey

    By engaging with your viewpoints, we hope to not only inform our research but also contribute to a lively public exchange of ideas. Thank you for being a vital part of "Your Questions, Our Expertise" as we advance knowledge exchange together!

    GIGA Focus Middle East | 5/2024

    Syria Is Not Safe: A Look to Its Regions

    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.

    GIGA Focus Africa | 3/2024

    South Africa’s Watershed Election: The Dawn of Coalition Politics

    In a historic election, the African National Congress lost its absolute majority for the first time since the democratic transition in 1994. Amid a profound domestic crisis and significant international challenges, South Africa’s political landscape will fundamentally change.




    Logo of the Leibniz Association

    Research Questions

    How governments make use of scientific findings, and whether electorates accept policy measures, depends to a substantial degree on the exchange between scholars, policy-makers, media, and the public. The GIGA’s application lab Transfer for Transformation (T4T) is thus guided by one central question: Why, and under what conditions, are some forms of knowledge transfer more impactful than others?

    Contribution to International Research

    Laboratory-style formats (“real-world laboratories”, “social innovation labs”, etc.) have gained increasing importance in the Social Sciences over the past years. They are characterised by the interaction of actors from different spheres, engaging in the co-design, co-creation, and co-evaluation of knowledge with the aim of finding innovative solutions to real-world problems. Bergmann et al. (2021) describe labs „as a research approach that (1) aims to contribute to societal transformation, (2) uses experiments as core research method and (3) transdisciplinarity as core research mode, (4) has a long-term orientation and seeks scalability, and transferability of the results while (5) building on learning and reflexivity.“ Schneidewind et al. (2018) add that „from a structuralist perspective, a real-world laboratory is a research infrastructure in which interpretive schemes and norms as well as allocative and authoritative resources are mobilized for real-world experiments.“

    To the benefit of policy and global public, with the application lab Transfer for Transformation we want to methodically lower thresholds and actively reduce asymmetries in knowledge dissemination through visualisation, translation, open access, and multistakeholder outreach. Our close collaboration with the Federal Foreign Office (FFO) and partners in the Global South will advance the use of scientific findings in addressing policy challenges. Both our scholarship on the issue and our practical experiences will contribute to the further refinement of the concept of applications labs.

    Research Design and Methods

    Using our expertise in political and economic transformations in the Global South – and the impact and feedback loops they generate globally – the work is guided by three strategies:
    First, T4T builds further on our staff exchange with the Federal Foreign Office, systematically expanding our target-group orientation into full-fledged target-group integration. Research autonomy will be maintained, while offering early response to policy needs.
    Second, T4T facilitates exchange with the public and reduces (also North-South) asymmetries in knowledge dissemination. The focus will be on three areas: a) making information accessible in multiple languages, b) facilitating access through non-textual formats and visualisations, and c) engaging in multistakeholder outreach.
    Third, besides innovating in the practice of knowledge transfer, the project contributes to scholarship on this subject. The importance of this dimension cannot be overemphasized. As is evident time and again – and also in the current pandemic – some academic advice seems to be more readily accepted by practitioners than others. The GIGA already has some evidence of what works, which it has in recent years been illustrating through “impact stories” in its various reporting processes. As T4T systematises the GIGA’s transfer activities, it will simultaneously build a repertoire of knowledge also on “impact”. This Transfer strategy 3 will bring together the experiences and results of Transfer Strategy 1 and 2, and develop possible (transferable) generalisations. Within the framework of T4T, the effectiveness of our outreach with regard to visibility, to international reach, to acceptance of the offers made, and integrating our target groups into our knowledge exchanges, will continuously be documented, evaluated, and duly updated when needed.

    T4T Co-LABorate Series | 2025

    Global Perspectives on Responsible Economic Statecraft

    With insights from more than 30 global experts 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. Download the report in this page.

    GIGA Focus Latin America | 6/2024

    Brazil G20 Summit 2024: The Global South Takes Centre Stage

    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.

    Cooperation Event | 24/05/2023

    Insights on the Transfer for Transformation Project and the How-not-to guide for International Relations

    Transfer for Transformation: How Not to Bridge the Gap between Academia and Policy, Online Event Organisers: Bridging the Gap, German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) Prof. Dr. Amrita Narlikar (Speaker)

    A reflection on academic exchange with the policy world. Experts of international relations discuss worst and best practices for publicly engaged scholarship, drawing on the centenary special issue of International Affairs, a “how not to guide” for international relations, co-edited by Prof. Amrita Narlikar.

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