Representatives of Ukrainian think tanks visit Berlin: How do think tanks shape policy-making in Germany?
From 10 to 15 June 2019, six experts from Ukrainian think tanks, NGOs and research institutes took part in the study trip “Between research and politics: How do think tanks shape policy-making in Germany?” to examine the role of research and science-based policy advice in Germany’s political landscape. Furthermore, the study trip aimed to detect future cooperation opportunities between German and Ukrainian experts and to build on the network that has been established during former study-trips and other events.
After being welcomed at our institute by Ljudmyla Melnyk, Research Associate at the Institute for European Politics (IEP, Berlin) and Project Coordination of the project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC), the study trip participants had a chance to get to know the city of Berlin on a brief sightseeing tour. During the following intense day, the six Ukrainian researchers visited the German Association for East European Studies (DGO), the German Eastern Business Association, the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), and the German Council on Foreign Foreign Relations (DGAP). Primarily on the agenda: The modes of cooperation between think tanks and governmental actors.
On 12 June, the participants joined the PAIC conference: “Ukraine after the presidential and parliament elections: New government – new opportunities?”, which mainly focused on the domestic political climate in Ukraine, the foreign policy priorities of the Ukrainian government and possible steps to solve the conflict in Donbas.
During the last two days, the participants visited institutions like the Heinrich Böll Foundation (HBS), where they learned about political foundations as a major anchor of think tank activity in Germany, as well as the Scientific Service of the German Bundestag, the Zentrum Liberale Moderne (LibMod), the grassroots think tank Polis180 and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). Our guests had the chance to find out more about the role of German research organisations and think tanks in the consultation of political stakeholders, the format and working methods of a grassroots think tank and a parliament’s in-house scientific service as well as the importance of successfully communicating research results.
Equipped with new impressions and knowledge about role of research and science-based policy advising in Germany, the Ukrainian experts departed the day after, now being part of the PAIC community.
The study trip was organised within the frame work of the project “Platform for Analytics and Intercultural Communication” (PAIC) which aims at supporting of the Ukrainian think tank landscape and fostering the exchange between German and Ukrainian think tanks. The project is implemented by the Institute for European Politics (IEP, Berlin) in cooperation with the International Renaissance Foundation (IRF, Kyiv), the Ilko Kucheriv Democratic Initiatives Foundation (DIF, Kyiv) and the think tank-initiative „think twice UA“ (Kyiv) and with the kind support of the Federal Foreign Office.