“Foreign policy is a reflection of domestic politics and domestic conditions. And to that extent, obviously, it's going to affect what's going to happen in terms of Germany's position in the world.”
This quote by TraCe Visiting Fellow Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel is from her contribution to the panel discussion at the Policy Talk hosted by the DAAD Kompetenzzentrum Internationale Wissenschaftskooperation (KIWi) on March 4, 2025.
Under the title “After the election: What’s at stake for Germany in international academic exchange?”, Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel took part in a discussion with international experts from the USA, Brazil, Poland, and Austria on the implications of the February 2025 German federal elections for international academic exchange.
Following the opening speech by the DAAD President, the participants addressed several key questions, including how international partners view the results of the German federal election, to what extent new political priorities might lead to a realignment in German science and academia, how universities and research institutions can remain resilient despite multiple challenges, and what global allies expect from Germany with regard to academic freedom and research security.
The entire event, which was held in English, was recorded and is available on the DAAD website.
Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel was a TraCe Visiting Fellow at Marburg University from January to March 2025.