Regional Expertise
In addition to their technical and thematic expertise, research staff at the Institute have knowledge of different regions and countries. This knowledge forms a pool of interdisciplinary expertise that spans different programmes and topics, and is focused on the following regions: international cooperation with Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Europe, South Asia, East Asia, and Latin America. Each regional site lists research contacts and provides more information on publications, current projects, events, research partnerships, networks and sector networks in and with the regions concerned.
The Institute also places particular emphasis on supra-regional knowledge production and evidence-based policy recommendations with emerging economies from the global South, and on cooperation between the G20 and Africa. To this end, a T20 Africa Standing Group was set up at the Institute’s initiative as part of Think T20 in May 2017. The network comprises over 30 leading think tanks from Africa and the G20 countries.
Africa
Africa is a diverse continent with many faces. The continent has experienced impressive economic growth. At the same time, conflict intensity has been on the rise again.
The Middle East and North Africa
The so-called 'Arab Spring' has brought movement into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region that had previously been stagnating in many ways.
Latin America
Latin America is considered the most democratic of all developing regions. However, in spite of economic growth and social development, the region is still characterised by high poverty rates and high levels of inequality.
East Asia
Even though most East Asian developing and emerging countries have made significant progress, they face tremendous challenges.
South Asia
South Asia continues to be the region with the largest concentration of poor people in the world.
Central Asia and Eastern Europe
While East Central Europe took a Western path, the long term perspectives for the other sub-regions remain uncertain even twenty years after the change.