Public Engagement

At IAS, we consider public engagement to be a key element of science communication. Through public engagement, we share our research findings and facilitate dialogue with members of the public. Our aim is to connect our immediate local environment in Bayreuth with our extensive international network, particularly our partnerships in Africa. Our goal is to facilitate a dialogue both within and beyond the university, fostering a more nuanced understanding of the world. To achieve this, we have developed a variety of formats.

IAS-Baraza@FZA

Our latest format is the IAS-Baraza@FZA. Baraza is a term derived from Kiswahili and widely used across East Africa to denote a space for communal dialogue. It encapsulates the spirit of this initiative: an open, conversational and intellectually vibrant gathering. With IAS-Baraza@FZA, we aim to bring together scholars from our immediate community and beyond to discuss recently published monographs that align with FZA's core thematic focus: Society, Technology, and Ecology in Africa.

Bayreuther Stadtgespräche (Bayreuth City Talks)

The Stadtgespräche (City Talks) have been taking place regularly at the Iwalewahaus, next to the Margravial Opera House in the heart of Bayreuth, since July 2014. They aim to strengthen the connection between the city and the university. One City Talk that took place in 2023, for example, highlighted colonial legacies within the city of Bayreuth. The event examined how Bayreuth's industrial history was connected to colonial goods such as sugar and coffee, and the role of the transatlantic slave trade in the city’s wealth.

Workshops

In line with our firm belief in diversity and a discrimination-free environment, we have developed and conducted several diversity workshops. In collaboration with the City of Bayreuth, we invited members of the municipality and university administration to a workshop called “Vielfalt am Arbeitsplatz” (Diversity in the Workplace) in 2025. Here, participants were able to discuss the challenges that diversity presents in their day-to-day work, and explore possible solutions with diversity expert Prof. Dr. Lorenz Narku Laing. Another workshop, titled “Afrika im Bayreuther Alltag” (Africa in Bayreuth's Everyday Life), organised by Ibrahima Sene in 2024, explored the historical connections between Bayreuth and Africa. The focus was on how colonialism has shaped the city’s past and contemporary society. The workshop brought together scholars and activists to critically examine Bayreuth’s colonial entanglements.

Weingartener-Afrikagespräche

We have also organised the Weingartener-Afrikagespräche in the past, in collaboration with the Academy of the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. In 2025, for instance, the Weingartener-Afrikagespräche took place under the title “Raw Materials Policy in and Around Africa: Challenges and Opportunities”. Participants discussed ways to make the extraction of raw materials more environmentally friendly, for example. They also discussed how Africa can extract its own raw materials in a sustainable and responsible manner to secure its own and the world's supplies, while simultaneously protecting the interests of its people and the environment. Additionally, they explored the role of the circular economy in promoting the more efficient use of raw materials and minimising waste.