The GIGA

The GIGA works with perspectives, concepts, and experiences from different world regions. It stands for research that is global in content, reach, and structure. As a member of the Leibniz Association, we are committed to the Leibniz principle of “theoria cum praxi”: science for the benefit of society. Read more

With its global approach, the GIGA analyses how political, social, and economic transitions originate, and how they unfold across the world and within Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Our research combines in-depth area expertise and cutting-edge comparative methods. The overarching themes are accountability and participation, peace and security, globalisation and development, and global orders and foreign policies.

On the basis of our research, we actively engage with academic, political, and societal stakeholders in Germany, at the European and international levels, and in the regions of the Global South. Research-based policy exchange and knowledge transfer are essential elements of our mandate.

Our Information Centre fosters a unique and rich library collection on Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and global issues. It ensures open access to research results and research data and provides services to the academic community and other audiences.

The GIGA is jointly funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (Ministry of Science, Research, Equalities and Districts), and the other federal states. Third-party funding from competitive procedures accounts for approximately 25 per cent of our total annual budget of currently 13 million Euros. The GIGA is a foundation under the civil law of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. The GIGA is certified as equivalent to a Certified Public Charity.

We build on a rich history of over 50 years of research on Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Middle East. The GIGA emerged in 2006 after the restructuring of the German Overseas Institute, which was founded in 1964. We have a long-standing record as a trusted source of world-class social science research on the Global South and global developments, and are deeply rooted in Hamburg, in Germany, and within the international scientific community.

The GIGA has always been an integral and respected part of Hamburg’s scientific landscape. Described by Hamburg’s former First Mayor Olaf Scholz as a valuable institution for the city, we are committed to contributing to the further strengthening of Hamburg’s position as an international hub of knowledge. To foster our exchange with policymakers in the capital, we operate an additional office in Berlin. Contact us