International academic cooperation does not take place in an apolitical environment. In recent years in particular, the influence that crises and conflicts – and their associated geopolitical tensions – can have on international cooperative relationships between universities has become clear.

Foreign academic policy framework conditions influence the practical organisation of international academic cooperation while, conversely, international research and academic exchanges form an important action level in terms of foreign policy and make a substantial contribution in this field.

The term “science diplomacy” describes this reciprocal relationship. KIWi focusses on two levels of science diplomacy:

1. “Diplomacy for Science”: We are committed to ensuring that foreign policy and diplomacy support and promote science and international academic cooperation in the best possible way. The freedom and autonomy of science form the basis for this.
2. “Science for Diplomacy”: We strengthen the area of scientific cooperation as an important dimension of foreign policy and international relations. Scientific networks are able to keep exchange and communication channels open precisely where political dialogue reaches its limits.

KIWi supports and promotes dialogue and exchanges between science, politics and society on issues of science diplomacy from both of these perspectives. KIWi offers individual advice on current science diplomacy and foreign science policy issues as well as topic-specific dialogue and publication formats.

Individual consulting in the field of science diplomacy

Experts at KIWi are available to advise German universities on foreign science policy issues related to international scientific cooperation by offering their thematic and regional expertise. Please use our contact form for this purpose.

We can provide support for:

• Questions on (foreign science) policy framework conditions and their effects on practical international cooperation.
• Choosing suitable funding instruments in the context of science diplomacy and maintaining cooperation under complex framework conditions, e. g. through support programmes for scientists and students who are at-risk or have refugee status. 
• Dialogue and exchanges with science diplomacy stakeholders from the fields of politics and society as well as national and international networking in this field.

Topic-specific dialogue and exchange formats

The KIWi Policy Talk format allows the DAAD to encourage dialogue on foreign science policy. Here, representatives from the worlds of science and politics exchange views on current subjects and challenges facing international scientific cooperation. They discuss issues such as the tensions between academic freedom and legal regulations in international cooperation and analyse the implications of the National Security Strategy for international academic cooperation in high-level panel events. The KIWi Connect and KIWi Lab event formats create additional spaces for peer-to-peer exchanges of experience on practical issues of cooperation under (geo-)politically complex framework conditions. Positions on sensitive aspects of international scientific cooperation are exchanged with experts in a protected space.