The division's work is focused on social and political transformation, domestic and regional conflicts, as well as questions relating to external and security policies in Africa and the Middle East.
The Arab-Israeli conflict, political Islam, as well as German, European and US-American policies towards the region, security in the Eastern Mediterranean
Industrial and resource policy in Southern Africa, global value chains, sustainability in the platinum supply chain, political economy in Southern Africa
Political transformation, elite change and social mobilization in the Maghreb states, intra-regional relations in the Maghreb, German and European policies towards the Maghreb states. Current focus: authoritarian resilience in the Maghreb, migration policies in the Maghreb and Maghreb-EU migration cooperation, "turn to Africa" of the Maghreb states.