In an increasingly condensed and rapidly changing world, ifa offers research-based knowledge at the interface of culture and foreign policy. In so doing, ifa strives to discuss and document international cultural relations and cultural aspects of global structural change. The aim is to scientifically accompany foreign cultural policy, to develop new concepts of dialogue between science, culture, politics and the media, and to make visible the potentials that think tanks, the politically active, scientists, libraries and interested parties have to offer.
Special emphasis is placed upon:
The Cultural Policy Forums function both as a dialogue format and as a knowledge lab. They offer opportunities for global exchange of knowledge and experience between practitioners, academics and politicians. The topics are current social issues, global challenges and historical-political/(inter-)cultural education.
In this way, the work on international relations is based on research and negotiated transcultural knowledge through dialogue.
The International Cultural Relations Research Alliance (ICRRA) network, which is currently being set up, brings together international and scholarly institutions on the initiative of the ifa, which sees itself as a bridge builder between practical cultural work, scholarly reflection, policy advice and the media.
The ifa provides books, journals and full texts on foreign cultural policy and information on conferences and networks.
The ifa Library has about 440,000 volumes and 700 international journals on topics of international cultural relations and foreign cultural and educational policy.
Since 2021, the publication series 'Culture and Foreign Policy', founded by the ifa and the publisher Nomos Verlag, features dissertations, scholarly studies and collections of articles that examine issues at the interface between culture and foreign policy.
The Research Award on Foreign Cultural Policy is given to scientists for outstanding doctoral theses that investigate issues at the interface of culture and foreign policy.
The Research Programme 'Culture and Foreign Policy' supports the Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy scientifically, provides impulses for foreign cultural policy measures and connects cultural actors to AKBP issues.
The Research Programme Martin Roth Initiative accompanies the protection initiative programme and contributes to the documentation of the impact of protection programmes in general.
Founded in 2004, the Academic Council on Culture and Foreign Policy (WIKA) organises workshops and colloquia particularly addressing the issues of the theory and practice of international cultural exchange.
