The GIGA on Instagram

Trump’s ultra-aggressive claim to South America as the US’s exclusive zone of influence changes the region’s political coordinates. The GIGA analyzes the ongoing stand-off in Venezuelan, the role of China, Latin America’s upcoming elections and other key events and trends to watch in 2026.

Africa enters 2026 at a crossroads: entrenched autocrats clash with Gen Z protests, debt crises threaten major economies, Western retreat meets Chinese and Russian expansion. Yet African states will seek to leverage critical minerals and strategic partnerships to assert agency amid global rivalries.

Indonesia is emerging as a vital German and European partner. Yet under President Prabowo Subianto, concerns about autocratisation are mounting. This event explores Indonesia’s political shifts, civil society resilience, and what democratic backsliding means for Germany’s strategic-partnership choices.

Europe plays a limited role in Gulf investments and the geopolitical considerations behind them. International mediation is urgently required in Gaza and Sudan. Lebanon and Syria are threatened by fragmentation. We present ten things set to inform events in the Middle East and North Africa in 2026.

On the situation in Venezuela: Our experts shed light on the background and analyse current developments, international reactions, and consequences for the region.

Discover how China makes use of its own international organizations to shape global norms. In this GIGA China talk, we will discuss with Eva Seiwert how formats such the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS have evolved since their creation and what role they play in China-US global competition.

The GIGA Focus Series offers concise analysis of current political, economic, and social developments in our study regions as well as globally. With its concrete policy recommendations, the GIGA’s flagship policy paper is aimed in particular at political decision-makers.

How is good research practice upheld in everyday academic work at the GIGA? Ombudspersons André Bank and David Kuehn support colleagues with guidance, integrity, and confidential advice on research conduct and collaboration, helping to sustain a shared culture of responsible research.

Explore how people across Cameroon, Colombia, the Philippines, South Sudan, Tunisia, and Venezuela describe peace in their own words. The interactive cloud shows terms by frequency and reveals full quotations on hover, making local meanings and shared themes visible at a glance.

A great achievement for the GIGA and for the Hamburg metropolitan area as a centre for scholarship: The Leibniz Association Senate has decided to fund GIGA researcher Dr. Julia Grauvogel in the framework of the Leibniz Programme for Women Professors, greenlighting the research project “Ending External Interventions: Success, Failure and Exit Dilemmas.”

We are pleased to have Oliver Schramm as GIGA’s new Diplomat in Residence and Fellow, who joined us in August 2025 and will be with us for three years. We asked him a few questions to learn more about his background, career experiences, and insights on his current work and engagement with GIGA.

What is life like in Syria nearly a year after the end of the Assad dictatorship? Dr. André Bank shares his impressions from Damascus: children selling chewing gum; a transitional government struggling for recognition between Moscow, Washington, and Ankara; floppy disks coming into play; and civil society emerging as a source of hope.

From e-commerce platforms to AI, digital technologies have the potential to make Africa’s agricultural value chains more efficient, transparent, and interconnected. However, widespread implementation requires collaboration between the private and public sectors.

The US military buildup along Venezuela’s coast has raised expectations that Maduro’s regime will collapse under pressure. However, this would probably not result in a democratic transition. Even if Maduro is forced to step down, a change of guard within the regime remains the more likely scenario.

A survey conducted in August 2025 found that the majority of people living in Germany support a foreign policy towards Gaza and Israel that is guided by international law and seeks to uphold universal human rights. Details on our findings and their implications are outlined and discussed.

This GIGA Talk explores how people and politicians across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East view today’s major conflicts — perspectives often missing from European media. Our panelists discuss how history, regional dynamics, and strategic priorities shape these diverse interpretations of events.