Dr. Samantha Ruppel, a research associate at the Rhineland-Palatinate Peace Academy and executive director of the Working Group for Peace and Conflict Research (AFK), is a new member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA). The ceremonial induction of the new members took place during the AGYA Annual Conference, which was held in Bonn from October 21 to 23, 2026, in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). During the conference, Samantha Ruppel was elected co-spokesperson for the working groups“Dynamics of Transformation”and“Arab and German Education.”

Founded in 2013, AGYA is the world’s first bilateral Young Academy. It is based at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) in Cairo, and promotes collaboration among outstanding early-career researchers from Germany and the Arab states. Members work in Arab-German tandems and thematic working groups on joint research projects in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary manner, addressing topics such as the dynamics of transformation, health and society, energy, water and the environment, or shared cultural heritage. Admission is granted through a competitive selection process.

In addition to the general assembly and working group meetings, the conference in Bonn featured public events with high-ranking representatives from academia, politics, and science policy, who discussed prospects for future Arab-German cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation.

Membership is of particular interest to the field of peace and conflict studies: academic cooperation across political and cultural boundaries can build trust and keep channels of communication open, especially in regions and times marked by conflict. As an approach within science diplomacy, it thus constitutes a contribution to civil conflict management in its own right.

Dr. Samantha Ruppel, a research associate at the Rhineland-Palatinate Peace Academy and executive director of the Working Group for Peace and Conflict Research (AFK), is a new member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA). The ceremonial induction of the new members took place during the AGYA Annual Conference, which was held in Bonn from October 21 to 23, 2026, in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR). During the conference, Samantha Ruppel was elected co-spokesperson for the working groups“Dynamics of Transformation”and“Arab and German Education.”

Founded in 2013, AGYA is the world’s first bilateral Young Academy. It is based at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (BBAW) and the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) in Cairo, and promotes collaboration among outstanding early-career researchers from Germany and the Arab states. Members work in Arab-German tandems and thematic working groups on joint research projects in an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary manner, addressing topics such as the dynamics of transformation, health and society, energy, water and the environment, or shared cultural heritage. Admission is granted through a competitive selection process.

In addition to the general assembly and working group meetings, the conference in Bonn featured public events with high-ranking representatives from academia, politics, and science policy, who discussed prospects for future Arab-German cooperation in higher education, research, and innovation.

Membership is of particular interest to the field of peace and conflict studies: academic cooperation across political and cultural boundaries can build trust and keep channels of communication open, especially in regions and times marked by conflict. As an approach within science diplomacy, it thus constitutes a contribution to civil conflict management in its own right.