Roundtable: Diplomacy in a Polarized World

July 7th | 5:00 PM (please arrive a few minutes early)

lecture hall at Hermann-Hetder. 6

No registration required – just come by!

Panel discussion with Q&A

Duration: max. 2 hours

In a time of intensifying global divisions, between democracies and autocracies, national interests and global challenges—diplomacy is under pressure. What tools and principles remain effective in polarized environments? Can inclusive, climate-conscious, and ethically grounded diplomacy offer a way forward when multilateralism is in crisis?

This roundtable brings together experts from diplomacy, research, and policy to discuss the future of international cooperation across five interconnected themes:

• Diplomatic Practice in a Polarized Environment

• Gender, Diversity, and Inclusivity in Foreign Policy

• Climate Diplomacy and Environmental Security

• Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding

• Migration and Global Governance

We are pleased to welcome three distinguished speakers:

Dr. Ramin Moschtaghi

Dr. Ramin Moschtaghi is Deputy Head of Division for Basic Questions of Remuneration at the German Federal Foreign Office and formerly served as Counsellor in the Unit for Gender Equity and Diversity. With over two decades of experience in diplomacy and international law—including postings in Ankara, Ottawa, Brussels, and Berlin—he brings deep expertise on human rights, diversity, and multilateral negotiation. At the panel, he will address how inclusive diplomacy can navigate polarization both within states and on the international stage, and how questions of identity and equity intersect with global engagement.

Raquel Munayer

Raquel Munayer is a consultant in the Climate Diplomacy and Security Programme at adelphi, where she coordinates the Climate Diplomacy knowledge platform and the @ClimateDiplo Twitter channel. Her work focuses on the geopolitical dimensions of climate change, with a particular interest in how food systems—simultaneously victims, drivers, and potential solutions—shape global environmental security. At the roundtable, she will discuss how climate diplomacy can foster cooperation in times of nationalist competition, and how narratives of justice, resilience, and food security can help depolarize climate-related negotiations.

Dr. Stefan Rother

Dr. Stefan Rother is currently a Guest Researcher at the Chair of International Relations at the University of Hamburg. He also remains a Privatdozent (PD) at the University of Freiburg and a Fellow at the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute (ABI). A political scientist by training, his work focuses on transnational migration, global governance, social movements, and non-/post-Western theories of international relations. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Southeast Asia and participated in global forums such as the UN, ILO, WTO, ASEAN, and the GFMD. At the roundtable, he will speak to the potential of inclusive, civil society–driven approaches to migration diplomacy in an increasingly polarized international environment.

The roundtable will take place on July 7th at 5:00 PM. Please arrive a few minutes early to ensure a prompt start. The discussion will run for a maximum of two hours and include an opportunity for audience questions at the end. No registration is required, just come by and join the conversation!!!