Young DGAP

Founded in 2008 by Arend Oetker, Young DGAP is a platform for students and young professionals to explore a wide range of foreign policy issues and debate developments of global concern.

Its more than 900 members hail from throughout Germany. In addition to its headquarters in Berlin, Young DGAP has six regional branches: Baden-Württemberg, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Saxony. Hosting around 120 events per year, the platform is run “by its members for its members” to create compelling opportunities to engage with experienced foreign policy practitioners from the fields of politics, academia, culture, and industry.

Through a variety of innovative event formats – including Ambassador Briefings with hosts such as China, USA, or Russia, which provide access to intimate off-the-record debriefs; or Fish Bowls, which illuminate the work of key decision-makers such as the Federal Ministry of Defence’s group on cybersecurity – our discussions aim to challenge and inspire.

The Young DGAP has a Mentoring Program, which has successfully matched over 200 Young DGAP members with professionals from DGAP’s extensive network. Since 2018, it also has a Fellowship Program. This initiative gives young people – who have been chosen through an application process – the opportunity to work closely with the DGAP research program to create events and develop ideas. 

The Young DGAP has established specialized working groups. These are aimed at members with interests in specific areas, such as climate policy, security policy, democracy, and the MENA region. In these groups, members can exchange ideas and share and discuss research results.

Young DGAP has grown steadily over the years and is a success story. In order to give the organization more structure, to formalize the structures that have grown and to adapt them to the size of the organization, committed members, regional leaders and the board of Young DGAP have come together to form a task force. In a year-long process, this task force developed a governance document. This document was coordinated with the management and the board of the DGAP and serves the transparent and sustainable further development of the Young DGAP. 

Contacts

Young DGAP Office
 
Young DGAP Steering Committee
Young DGAP Regional Team

Capital Forum

Alma Gretenkord
gretenkord@junge.dgap.org 

Sena Staufer
staufer@junge.dgap.org 

Dr. Joseph Verbovszky
verbovszky@junge.dgap.org  

Regional Forum Baden-Württemberg

Iven Schwerdtfeger
schwerdtfeger@junge.dgap.org

Laurent Weißenberger
weissenberger@junge.dgap.org

Regional Forum Frankfurt 

Charlotte Krische
krische@junge.dgap.org

Jonathan Lessing
lessing@junge.dgap.org

Jasmin Macha
macha@junge.dgap.org

Regional Forum Hanseatic Cities

Lina Grob
grob@junge.dgap.org

Leena Harmuth
harmuth@junge.dgap.org 

Bennet Woyciniuk
woyciniuk@junge.dgap.org 

Regional Forum Munich

Natalia Valeria Müller
n.mueller@junge.dgap.org

Svenja Bounin
bounin@junge.dgap.org
 
Regional Forum NRW

Marcel Aksoy
aksoy@junge.dgap.org 

Gregorios Kudunelis
kudunelis@junge.dgap.org  

Xenia Schöder
schoeder@junge.dgap.org 

Regional Forum Saxony 

Matti Otten
otten@junge.dgap.org  

Young DGAP Fellowship

Fellows of the Young DGAP develop their own policy project within the framework of their fellowship in cooperation with a thematic focus of the research institute of the DGAP.  Through their affiliation with the (Young) DGAP, they have the opportunity to help shape the debates there and to appear externally as the face of the Young DGAP, e.g. by organizing and participating in panel discussions or by giving keynote speeches. The fellowship can serve as a springboard to make one's expertise known to a larger professional audience and to gain experience in think tank work. A fellowship at DGAP offers a variety of opportunities to deepen one's knowledge in the field of foreign policy and to expand one's network in politics, academia, and civil society. In all of this, one can draw on the experience, expertise, and networking of the DGAP Research Institute. More information about the current fellowship cycle here.

Our Fellows 2023/24
 

Contact person

Volle Welt Voraus - der Junge DGAP Podcast

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