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In the world’s largest democratic exercise, Indians elect a new parliament. We discuss the run-up to the elections, its likely outcomes, and potential repercussions for Indo-German relations.

The outcome of India’s 2024 national elections will define its future course as a democracy. Examined are the key factors and trends likely to influence India’s politics and policies in the coming years.

Sometimes, people belonging to different religions do not get along well. In 2022 we travelled to Sierra Leone and Togo where interreligious relations were very peaceful. This comic depicts some examples of how to make interreligious peace: celebrating together, collaborating, being friends, and respecting each other despite differences.

The GIGA seeks to hire two Student Assistants (m/f/d) to support the Land Matrix team (http://www.landmatrix.org) or a research project in Senegal affiliated with the Land Matrix for 10 hours per week for at least 6 months, remuneration: EUR 12.41 per hour. Currently, the majority of work can be performed remotely.

Opposition politician Bassirou Diomaye Faye has won the presidential election in Senegal with an absolute majority. In this interview, GIGA researcher Martin Acheampong explains what the new head of state stands for, the condition the country is in ahead of Faye’s turn at the helm, and what the election result means for West Africa.

The GIGA seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d) Globalisation and Development. Applications are invited for a full-time position, with an initial contract of three years and the possibility of another three years. The successful applicant should start as soon as possible. The position is designed for further professional qualification as defined in § 2 WissZeitVG (Academic Fixed-Term Con-tract Act). The salary is commensurate with EG 13 TV-AVH / TVöD.

The unification of the opposition under María Corina Machado is an unprecedented political challenge for the regime of Nicolás Maduro. To eliminate candidates and splinter the opposition, the regime weaponises the judiciary and persecutes political enemies, making free and fair elections unlikely.

The GIGA seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (m/f/d) at the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies. Applications are invited for a full-time position, with an initial contract of three years. The successful applicant should start as soon as possible. The position is designed for further professional qualification as defined in § 2 WissZeitVG (Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act). The salary is commensurate with EG 13TV-AVH / TVöD.

“Purification” of the higher education and “jihad of knowledge” have assisted the Iranian government in advancing its military, cyber-based, and nuclear capabilities. This paper reviews these strategies and evaluates their outcomes.

In recent years, many Asian countries have experienced a remilitarisation of state and society. This GIGA Focus traces the military’s increasing influence over politics, society, and the economy in the region, and highlights its adverse effects for democracy, development, and regional stability.

The GIGA seeks to hire a Student Assistant (m/f/d) to support the research project “Monitoring System and Transfer Platform Radicalisation (MOTRA),” funded by BMI and BMBF, for up to 10 hours per week, starting as soon as possible for 6 months with the possibility of extending the contract. The student assistant will be required to be physically present in Hamburg. Currently, the remuneration is gross € 12.41 per hour.

Swantje Schirmer, Alumna of the GIGA Doctoral Programme, is an Alliance Referee for Quality Management 4EU+ University Alliance / Heidelberg University. In this interview, she gives insights into her current job and time as a doctoral researcher at the GIGA.

Anti-fake news lawfare is deepening government control over civil society, undermining information integrity and civil society’s democratic rights. Patterns to this legal repression and related pushback strategies in South and Southeast Asia are examined, as the forerunners of global developments.

In this GIGA Forum, experts tackle the pervasive issue of gender-based violence. Across the world, women suffer discrimination, domestic abuse, and disappearances daily. We shed light on the threats faced by women in their home countries and in exile, examining what Europe can do to better ensure women’s safety.

The GIGA seeks to appoint a Research Fellow (75%). It is a 75% position, with a contract of 2 years, preferably starting on 15 August 2024. The position is designed for further professional qualification as defined in § 2 WissZeitVG (Academic Fixed-Term Contract Act). The salary is commensurate with TV-AVH / TVöD EG 13.

Jorge Rincón Barajas and Anna Fünfgeld recently defended their dissertation! Learn more about Jorge’s and Anna’s PhD journey in the graduate interviews below.

The Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea are hitting one of the global economy’s most important trade routes. Following military intervention by the US, the EU is now also deploying warships. This GIGA Talk is dedicated to a conflict whose impact on the German economy can be felt directly.

The GIGA China Series aims to foster a community of knowledge seekers interested in unravelling the complexities of China’s politics, society, and global impact. Speakers will present their current research findings on today’s China, ranging from domestic governance and societal trends to geopolitics and international relations.

Das GIGA bietet im Verwaltungsteam möglichst zum 1. Juni 2024 eine Stelle als Personalsachbearbeiter:in (m/w/d). Es handelt sich bei dieser Position um eine unbefristete Vollzeitstelle, Entgeltgruppe 9a TV-AVH / TVöD.

In African societies, celebrations of religious diversity exist alongside (violent) religious extremism. What determines whether interreligious relations are peaceful or contentious? What can we learn from positive examples, and what role does religious extremism play in interreligious peace?

This GIGA Forum explores the implications of the Gaza War for Israeli–Palestinian relations and its repercussions on neighbouring countries and the wider region. Is the Gaza War a prelude to a broader conflict, or can we envision prospects for de-escalation and lasting peace in the Middle East?

In Sudan’s protracted war, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo’s Rapid Support Forces outmanoeuvred Abdelfattah Al-Burhan’s Armed Forces through sabotage, new weapons, and broader networks. But as regional actors and local militia hijack the war’s original power-struggle, frontlines and command chains shattered.

On 14 February 2024 Indonesia voted for a new president and a new parliament. GIGA expert PD Dr. Andreas Ufen analyses the election results and explains in an interview what challenges they pose for the country’s democracy going forwards.

In Guatemala, President Bernardo Arévalo took office on 15 January 2024, raising hopes of democratic reform. Still, an entrenched elite has continuously distorted the independence of the judiciary. Not only are elections highly contested; democracy itself is on the line. Can Guatemala turn the tide?

Olena Osypenkova officially joined the GIGA Doctoral Programme in October 2023. The working title of her dissertation is “The Role and Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation in the Middle East and North Africa (Focusing on Cases of Syria and Libya).” She holds a master’s in political science from the Institute of Political Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Learn more about Olena in this interview.

Democracy will remain strained in Africa, with crucial elections in 2024. Conflict risks may arise alongside the further waning of Western influence. Economic growth will continue, but also structural socio-economic challenges too. Western policymakers should address migration and decarbonisation.

The expert panel will analyse the contributions that India’s G20 Presidency has made to the revival and reform of multilateralism and explore how these ideas can be developed further under the Indo-German partnership. This event is part of the G20-T20 outreach process, Task Force 3 LiFE, and the GIGA’s T4T project.