German Institute of Global and Area Studies'
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German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg emerged from the German Overseas Institute (founded in 1964) after a restructuring process in 2006. The institute is the largest German and one of the largest European research institutes of Area Studies and Comparative Area Studies with about 50 researchers. GIGA defines itself as think tank directed at science, politics, economy, and a general public.
GIGA is a foundation based on civil law and is financed jointly by the Federal Republic of Germany (Federal Foreign Office) and the State of Hamburg (Department of Economy and Labor). In addition institutions like DFG (German Research Foundation), Volkswagen Foundation or Fritz Thyssen Foundation and other institutions (e.g. Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ) provide several research projects with third-party funds.
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[edit] Research
The main focus of research concentrates on political, economic und social developments in Africa, Asia, Latin America as well as North Africa, Near and Middle East. The research deals furthermore with developments in the North-South and South-South relations.
GIGA consists of the following four regional institutes:
- Institute of African Affairs (IAA)
- Institute of Asian Studies (IAS)
- Institute of Latin American Studies (ILAS)
- Institute of Middle East Studies (IMES)
Research at GIGA is organized in three Research Programmes: Legitimacy and Efficiency of Political Systems; Violence, Power and Security; Transformation in the Process of Globalisation. GIGA is part of a national and international research network and co-operates with universities and other research institutions, plus political foundations and associations.
[edit] Memberships
GIGA is a member of the Leibniz Association and of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). Moreover the Institutes are members in national and regional associations like AEGIS, EuroMeSCo, the Latin American Studies Associations or the European Alliance for Asian Studies.
[edit] Publications
GIGA publishes several types of scientific publications:
- The GIGA Working Paper Series circulates results of research as “work in progress” in the form of manuscripts even before its publication to push the scientific discussion.
- The series GIGA Focus offers short analyses regarding actual political, economic or social topics in Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Near East and global topics.
- Within the scope of GIGA Journal Family the regional institutes edit the following scientific journals:
- Afrika Spectrum
- Lateinamerika Analysen
- Südostasien aktuell - Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs
- Japan aktuell - Journal of Current Japanese Affairs
- China aktuell - Journal of Current Chinese Affairs
