Knowledge Production in German Peace and Conflict Research & in Security Politics
In this project, the participating researchers use case studies (Afghanistan and Somalia) to examine the production of peace and security policy knowledge in Germany and East Africa on participation in interventions in intra-state wars with military or financial means. This is because the role of intervention-relevant knowledge in German foreign policy has not yet been researched. The project aims to find out in which form knowledge from peace and conflict research is reflected in institutional security policy knowledge, how scientific and political knowledge production are interrelated and can be better brought together. The results will then be used to develop recommendations for action for academia, policy advisors and government institutions.
The project is a collaboration between the Universities of Bremen, Kiel, and Erfurt, with each hosting a professor and a postdoctoral researcher:
- University of Bremen: Prof. Dr. Klaus Schlichte and Dr. Jude Kagoro (Institute for Intercultural and International Studies – InIIS).
- University of Kiel: Prof. Dr. Dirk Nabers and Dr. Frank Stengel (Political Sociology).
- University of Erfurt: Prof. Dr. Sophia Hoffmann and Dr. Amelie Harbisch.
The research aims to identify factors shaping security policy knowledge, assess how insights from peace and conflict studies influence institutional policymaking, and explore the relationship between academic and political knowledge production. Findings will inform recommendations for academia, policy advisors, and government institutions.
Project members
Klaus Schlichte, Jude Kagoro
Field Research
As part of the KNOWPRO initiative, several field research trips have been conducted in Kampala (Uganda), Nairobi (Kenya), and Mogadishu (Somalia). These trips included interviews with officials from the U.S., U.K., and EU embassies in Mogadishu, as well as representatives from the United Nations, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, and the Head of the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). Additionally, discussions were held with Ugandan military personnel, Somali local politicians, business leaders, local ATMIS staff, and officers from the Somalia National Army (SNA).
Publications
2024— “Can the AU’s achievements in Somalia survive global geopolitical, security and economic competition?” The Pan Africa Review 29 March 2024 https://panafricanreview.com/can-the-aus-achievements-in-somalia-survive-global-geopolitical-security-and-economic-competition/
Project-related activities & events
On January 9, 2025, the Institute for Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS) at Bremen University, in collaboration with Makerere University Uganda, Cavendish University Uganda, and Erfurt University, organized a joint workshop at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda.
Titled "Who Knows What on Somalia?", the workshop was part of the KNOWPRO research project, which examines the Uganda People’s Defence Forces’ (UPDF) intervention in the Somalia conflict since 2007. The event aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the conflict in Somalia, facilitate constructive engagement, and assess the consequences of prolonged military intervention.
The workshop brought together academics, senior military and police officers, civil society organizations, politicians, students, and journalists.
November 2024: Talk, “The Complex Cocktail of Foreign Intervention in Somalia: A scrutiny of the endless war against the Al-Shabaab”, Erfurt University.