The GIGA on Instagram

Across the Americas, child labour policies vary. Business interest groups push for legalisation; working children’s organisations seek regulation to secure worker protections; the ILO calls for prohibition. Social policy strategy and children’s participation are essential to addressing the issue.

Does the fall of Assad in Syria mean the end of the drug known as Captagon? No. While the Islamist interim government has destroyed drug laboratories and pills, demand for cheap drugs remains strong in Syria and in its neighbouring countries. Captagon production and smuggling are transnationalising.

South Korea’s 2024 self-coup attempt marked its gravest democratic crisis in decades. The brief imposition of martial law exposed deep flaws in civil–military relations and elite polarisation – yet also revealed the surprising resilience of Korea’s democratic institutions.

How can we balance economic development opportunities with fair labour conditions and environmental responsibility in global supply chains? Join us and our international guests on the occasion of the Hamburg Sustainability Conference to explore the key dilemmas and solutions for more sustainable trade. 

Samuel Siewers joined the GIGA as Research Fellow in De-cember 2024. He is in the final stages of his PhD studies at the Chair of Development Eco-nomics at the University of Göttingen and will continue his work as a Postdoc at the GIGA. Learn more about Samuel in this interview.

The Faculty of Business and Economics at the University of Göttingen and the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) invite applications for a temporary professorship with civil servant status (three years initilly) effective at the earliest possible date. The Professorship (f/m/d) will be in Development Economics with a focus on Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia. The post holder will actively participate in knowledge transfer activities at the GIGA.

AI governance is shifting, with national priorities outweighing global coordination. To uphold its leadership in rights-respecting and innovation-friendly AI, the European Union must strengthen its domestic capabilities, expand international partnerships, and assert its regulatory influence.

Donald Trump has repeatedly blamed Mexico for economic and societal problems in the US. Yet he has also spared Mexico from tariffs, directed most of his ire elsewhere, and even praised Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, who has been credited for skilfully handling Trump’s demands and threats. What is her approach, and what can be learned from it?

Analysing over 2.8 million “tweets” from Chinese and Russian accounts, we find that Chinese accounts proactively shape narratives to reinforce internal stability, whereas Russian accounts exhibit reactive spikes during critical events, utilising divisive narratives to exacerbate polarisation in Western democracies.

The GIGA seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d) in Comparative politics with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Applications are invited for a full-time position, with an initial contract of three years. The successful applicant should start as soon as possible. Potential research areas include autocratisation and democratisation, domestic politics and/or institutions, external actors, comparative political economy, the comparative study of conflicts, questions of misinformation or repression, and the political challenges arising from digitalisation. We expect the candidate to outline a corresponding research agenda.

Trump’s disruptive policies could inadvertently provide the impetus to bring Europe and Latin America closer together. With smart policies, the incoming German government can leverage shared interests for a renewed partnership.

In summer 2025, the city-twinning of Hamburg and Dar es Salaam will celebrate its 15-year anniversary. What opportunities can such a partnership offer for North–South cooperation in the context of changing geopolitical power relations?  

GIGA researchers Theodora Benesch and Julia Köbrich supervised a training programme for younger people in Togo that promotes interreligious dialogue. An accompanying research project investigates the effect of the programme on social cohesion. More on that in this news item. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic erupted five years ago, fears grew that accompanying emergency measures would lead to excessive power concentration and increased trends of democratic backsliding. A GIGA research project is investigating these developments, with some team members interviewed here. 

The AUKUS security pact between Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom aims at providing greater security and stability in the Indo-Pacific. But can it really work? Explained is the exact nature of this pact and in highlighting the risks and challenges for all parties involved.

The panel analyses the characteristics, causes, and consequences of drug trafficking and drug policy in the Middle East, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and West Africa. The discussion contextualises the challenges of transatlantic drug trafficking, teases out commonalities and differences, and provides comparative insights.

The panel analyses the characteristics, causes, and consequences of drug trafficking and drug policy in the Middle East, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and West Africa. The discussion contextualises the challenges of transatlantic drug trafficking, teases out commonalities and differences, and provides comparative insights.

Dr. Hana Attia has been appointed Junior Professor of Security Policy and Peace at Leuphana University Lüneburg. A joint appointment with the GIGA, she returns here as a Research Fellow and will continue her work on economic sanctions. We warmly congratulate her and look forward to our further cooperation! 

Germany is facing important foreign policy decisions: How can the new government best interact with the Global South between democratic crisis, power competition, and ongoing economic interests? In this GIGA Forum, experts analyse challenges, opportunities, and possible strategies here. 

As conflicts reshape the MENA region, the new German government must balance diplomacy, security, and economics. From Syria to the Gulf, explored are Germany’s strategic options on leveraging EU cooperation, managing authoritarian shifts, and driving energy transitions for long-term stability.

Rethinking development policy: dismantling it would be fatal - it serves German interests and secures global goods. But “business as usual” is not enough: coordination and genuine partnerships with the Global South are necessary. Europe must create a more effective, multilateral offer.

Geopolitical rivalry with China, the collapse of Russia as a trading partner, and the radical paradigm shift in US foreign policy under Trump evince a core truth: Germany needs reliable partners in the Global South. How can the incoming government best respond? Four trends to note are outlined.

Germany has spoken. While a new government is being formed, GIGA researchers analyse the upcoming challenges and opportunities for German foreign policy with a view to the Global South. In the coming weeks, they will give their assessments and recommendations in a special topical set of issues of the GIGA Focus series. Learn more about the topics here.  

Elianne Shewring joined the GIGA as a Doctoral Researcher, in November 2024. The title of her dissertation is: “From autocracy to democracy: a comparative analysis of the digital control mechanisms employed by China, Iran, and Israel". Get to know more about Elianne in this interview.

Ariel Hernandez joined the GIGA as a Research Fellow, working in the project T4T in July 2024. He has previously held positions at The New Institute in Hamburg and the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Bonn.

Kontinuierliches Monitoring politischer Einstellungen und der Wahrnehmungen aktueller gesellschaftlicher Zustände in Deutschland geht weiter im Verbundprojekt „Monitoringsystem und Transferplattform Radikalisierung“ (MOTRA) von Universität Hamburg und GIGA. Bis 2028 gefördert durch BMBF und BMI.

The 29th webinar of the Franco-German Observatory of the Indo-Pacific, hosted by the CERI, features Dr Kelly A. Grieco of the Stimson Center in Washington. She will speak about the integration of defence Industries and US hegemony. Is an Indo-Pacific military-industrial complex in the making?