Publications

Recent pro-Palestine mobilisations in Tunisia restate the relevance of symbolic repertoires in the articulation of political discourses and in the reactivation of social movements. Culture and representation are once again sites of contention. Through aesthetic action in the public space, activists and artists are denouncing cultural colonialism and subalternity.

This article examines the link between grassroots peacebuilding and resilient local structures in the Global South, focusing on northern Ghana. While bottom-up approaches promote participation, findings reveal that civil society-led efforts have struggled to establish lasting peace infrastructure.

Vietnam's remarkable integration into global value chains (GVCs) has been fueled by the expansion of over 300 Special Economic Zones (SEZs)—and this paper sheds light on their true and overall very positive impact on local labor markets.

The project „Religion for Peace: Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace“ explored ways to build and maintain peace between different religious groups. This illustrated summary presents key findings and highlights what we learned about interreligious peace, challenges involved, and ideas about what can be done to put interreligious peace together.

Africa’s digital transformation is accelerating, amid growing global competition. This study explores how the EU, China, and the US are striving to shape Africa’s digital future—focusing on infrastructure, innovation, and governance—and offers recommendations for stronger EU–Africa cooperation.

This paper examines the concept of freedom in Islam, focusing on the Islamic doctrine of retreatist Salafism in Tunisia. Within Salafist Islam, freedom means strict adherence to religious purity and devotion. In contrast to Western conceptions, this religious movement frames freedom and subjection as intertwined conditions.

This widely cited and currently most-read article in Mediterranean Politics provides a concise overview of how the Arab uprisings changed repression in Arab states on the one hand. On the other hand, it points to lacunae in existing repression research and lines out several approaches and themes that are becoming relevant in researching repression in the MENA and beyond.

The 2025 Paris AI Summit marked a shift from global to national AI strategies. This paper explores India’s and Singapore’s AI governance, offering insights for the EU, with a focus on Germany, on cooperating with these emerging AI powers to advance ethical, sustainable AI.

People tend to seek out others who are like them. This preference for similarity can result in divided societies as people burrow deeper into like-minded groups. So, in the interest of social cohesion and peace, what would encourage people to engage with others across social divides?

Do war economies thwart postwar transformations and peacebuilding? This paper reveals a complex relationship shaped by political regimes and state capacities. It suggests that postwar countries can strengthen democratic institutions and state presence, rather than being inherently doomed by their war economies.

Kenya's rise as a digital leader in Africa showcases the power of digital leapfrogging in driving growth and innovation. This study explores Kenya's dynamic digital ecosystem, sectoral impacts, and key policies, offering insights on data governance, digital trade, and EU-Kenya collaboration, with Germany playing a leading role in digital cooperation.

The GCC countries are undergoing major economic and digital transformation beyond hydrocarbon export, requiring top-tier infrastructure and global tech collaboration. China has emerged as a key partner in this shift. This paper explores this partnership and potential cooperation with Germany and other European economies.

Academic freedom in the Maghreb has been deteriorating for the past decade. This paper documents the range of violations of academic freedom in Algeria, Libya, Mali, Morocco, and Tunisia and provides recommendations for universities and governments in their international cooperation.

This policy report examines the Nabas Wind Farm on Panay Island, Philippines, to explore the trade-offs between accelerating renewable energy projects and safeguarding the livelihoods of local communities.

This report synthesises cutting-edge research on labour standards in global supply chains. Authored by researchers from the Research Network Sustainable Global Supply Chains, it examines the impact of global supply chains on decent work, sectoral variations, and the implications of evolving due diligence regulations.

Current consumption patterns in the Global North are unsustainable on environmental, social, and economic levels. An experimental study involving 2,161 German consumers examines whether emotionally primed information about sustainability aspects of cocoa production influences their willingness to pay for sustainable products.

Energy transitions should prioritize justice, ensuring universal and reliable energy access at an affordable price for lower-income groups. Our analysis focuses on the significant expansion of wind and photovoltaic energy in Brazil’s northeastern state of Ceará from 2012 to 2022.

This special issue advances debates on status in international relations by integrating novel empirical research with innovative theoretical perspectives. It moves beyond traditional power-centric views, highlighting social and relational dimensions of status-seeking as a foreign policy practice.

Recent pro-Palestine mobilisations in Tunisia restate the relevance of symbolic repertoires in the articulation of political discourses and in the reactivation of social movements. Culture and representation are once again sites of contention. Through aesthetic action in the public space, activists and artists are denouncing cultural colonialism and subalternity.

This article examines the link between grassroots peacebuilding and resilient local structures in the Global South, focusing on northern Ghana. While bottom-up approaches promote participation, findings reveal that civil society-led efforts have struggled to establish lasting peace infrastructure.

Vietnam's remarkable integration into global value chains (GVCs) has been fueled by the expansion of over 300 Special Economic Zones (SEZs)—and this paper sheds light on their true and overall very positive impact on local labor markets.

The project „Religion for Peace: Identifying Conditions and Mechanisms of Interfaith Peace“ explored ways to build and maintain peace between different religious groups. This illustrated summary presents key findings and highlights what we learned about interreligious peace, challenges involved, and ideas about what can be done to put interreligious peace together.