Impact Hub

European University Viadrina EUV

Scientific Consortial Lead: Dr. Anne Holper
Scientific Project Management: Thomas Eißler
Managing Director: Dr. Christian Hochmuth
Lead Focus Area Mediation: Prof. Dr. Lars Kirchhoff
Senior Researcher, Special Expertise Diplomay: Else Keyers
Senior Researcher, Special Expertise Societal Dialogue: Laura Gerards Iglesias
Research Assistants: Greta Herzig, Zoe Rentmeister 

Free University Berlin/SCRIPTS Cluster

Lead Focus Area Democracy and Resilience: Prof. Dr. Thomas Risse
Senior Researcher: Tannas Michel
Senior Researcher: Dr. Gözde Böcü

Institut for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University Hamburg IFSH

Lead Focus Area Security: Prof. Dr. Ursula Schröder
Senior Researcher: Dr. Anne Lange 
Senior Researcher: Dr. Jessica Noll
Research Assistants: Carlos Apel, Samuel Alves Gaspar da Silvam 

 

Idea and Goal

The Impact Hub of the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder), the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy Hamburg (IFSH) and the Free University of Berlin/SCRIPTS is a research consortium that supports the German Federal Foreign Office in identifying and improving the impact conditions of its integrated peace engagement.

The consortium cooperates with the Federal Foreign Office and the Robert Bosch Foundation, which are jointly funding the collaboration with 2.1 million euros from the end of 2024 to the end of 2026. 

The Impact Hub brings together the complementary scientific and practical expertises of the consortium partners in the field of peace engagement (see the previous science hubs at the Federal Foreign Office Viadrina Mediation Hub, Security Sector Reform Hub of the IFSH, Rule of Law Promotion Hub of the FU Berlin).

In order to better understand the concrete impact conditions of Germany´s integrated peace engagement and to develop concrete options for improvement, the Hub accompanies exemplary engagements in West Africa, Western Balkans, Middle East and Ukraine and identifies particularly challenging cross-contextual impact obstacles. The aim is to improve the political decision-making basis for impact-oriented planning and management of engagement in highly complex conflict contexts.

The focus is on the Federal Foreign Office’s stabilization efforts in the areas of security, negotiation and mediation, and the promotion of democracy and resilience. Where there is a need to improve interplay with other instruments and levers, cooperation with other Federal Government departments, the Federal Chancellery, and local and multilateral partners is being adressed.

Guiding Guestions

Exemplary questions that the Hub addresses are:

• In view of today's geopolitical realities and extensive budget cuts: under what conditions can Germany's commitment to peace be effective?
• What exactly hinders effectiveness, what enhances it, and what can have harmful effects?
• Where can the leverage effects of different approaches and instruments be combined, and where must they be decoupled so that they do not sabotage each other, e.g., in dealing with autocratic regimes or non-state armed groups?
• How can the structural impact conditions be improved in cooperation with local actors, and what divisions of responsibility and roles between local, national, and international actors increase the overall impact of engagements?

Contributions Viadrina

The Viadrina team contributes its scientific and practical expertise in the areas of negotiation, mediation and dialogue, dilemma management, and nexus navigation to the hub.

It supports key players from the German Foreign Office and local and international organizations in identifying blockages, conflicting goals, dilemmas, and untapped leverage effects and, on this basis, developing new options for action.

Viadrina is responsible for the consortial lead and coordinates the hub's activities in the Western Balkans and Ukraine and contributes to activities in the Middle East and West Africa.

 

Context Working Packages 

Western Balkans
Coordination: EUV/Else Keyers
Contributions: Thomas Eißler, Greta Herzig, Anne Holper, Else Keyers, Lars Kirchhoff

Ukraine
Coordination: EUV/Anne Holper
Contributions: Gözde Böcü, Thomas Eißler, Laura Gerards Iglesias, Else Keyers, Lars Kirchhoff, Tetiana Kyselova, Julia Langbein (ZOiS), Gwendolyn Sasse (ZOiS)

Middle East
Coordination: FU-SCRIPTS/Tannas Michel & Thomas Risse
Contributions: Gözde Böcü, Tannas Michel, Lars Kirchhoff, Jessica Noll, Thomas Risse

Western Africa
Coordination: IFSH/Anne Lange & Jessica Noll
Contributions: Anne Lange, Jessica Noll, Claudia Wiehler (HD), Zoe Rentmeister