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GIGA Global Approach to Scholarship

The German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) / Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien conducts social-science research with real-world relevance on Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East, and on global developments. The GIGA is committed to a global approach to scholarship, which works with perspectives, concepts, and experiences from different world regions. The institute is dedicated to providing policy advice based on high-quality research. With this mandate – its research and knowledge transfer – the GIGA aims to achieve both academic and societal impact.

The GIGA stands for research that is global in content, reach, and structure.

Graph of the global approach at the GIGA
© GIGA

Global in content

With its global approach to scholarship, the GIGA analyses how political, social, and economic transitions originate, and how they unfold across the world and within the regions. We balance our commitment to rich empirical detail with keeping a close eye on how these details add up to the bigger picture. The institute’s research (1) combines in-depth area expertise and cutting-edge comparative methods (“Comparative Area Studies”), (2) covers different levels of analysis – global, regional, national, local, and (3) applies and develops innovative theoretical and empirical approaches, engaging with ideas and practices from different parts of the world.

Global in reach

The GIGA achieves high global visibility by disseminating its research via high-impact journals and publishing houses, thereby taking on an intellectual leadership role. Our various events and open-access publications bring together leading academics and practitioners for dialogue and exchange. We contribute to the further development of Hamburg as a hub of knowledge, address the media and the general public, and make the results of our research readily available to a global audience. On the basis of our research, we advise policymakers and actively engage with academic, political, and societal stakeholders in Germany, at the European and international levels, and in the regions of the Global South.

Global in structure

The GIGA comprises researchers from the fields of Political Science, Economics, and related disciplines, striving for interdisciplinarity within the social sciences and beyond. We collaborate with leading institutions and researchers worldwide. The institute has a long-standing tradition of working not only on but with the regions. We are active in the regions we study via Research Platforms, established and new networks, and research stays. Our Information Centre fosters a unique and rich library collection on Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and global issues. Dedicated to outstanding research, doctoral education, and outreach, the GIGA attracts excellent minds from all over the world. We provide an inspiring institutional culture that promotes equal opportunity, family friendliness, and diversity.