Deadline: 30-Jun-2026
The ifa Research Award on International Cultural Relations supports young academics whose research examines soft power, international cultural relations, and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy. The award promotes academic reflection, interdisciplinary exchange, and practical relevance in cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy, cultural policy, and intercultural cooperation.
Eligible candidates must be nominated by a recommending professor and must have completed a doctoral or master’s thesis within the last two years, no earlier than April 30, 2024. Selected award winners receive public visibility for their research and may have their work published in the ifa publication series “Culture and Foreign Policy”, subject to publisher review.
What is the ifa Research Award on International Cultural Relations?
The ifa Research Award on International Cultural Relations supports young academics working on research related to soft power, international cultural relations, and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy.
The award is designed to encourage academic innovation and strengthen critical reflection on how culture, education, civil society, diplomacy, and international cooperation shape global relations.
It also helps bring ifa’s international expertise into German and international debates on cultural policy and global engagement.
Main Purpose of the Award
The main purpose of the award is to foster academic research that advances understanding of international cultural relations and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy.
The award aims to:
- Support young academics
- Promote research on soft power
- Strengthen Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy
- Encourage interdisciplinary exchange
- Advance international cultural relations research
- Connect academic work with cultural policy practice
- Promote new perspectives in cultural diplomacy
- Support public debate on culture and foreign policy
- Increase visibility for high-quality research
Key Research Themes
The award supports research across a wide range of topics linked to culture, diplomacy, international relations, and policy.
Eligible research themes include:
- Soft power
- International cultural relations
- Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy
- German and European cultural policy principles
- Foreign arts policy
- Foreign language policy
- Civil society and democracy
- Civil society in international relations
- Intercultural dialogue
- Culture and conflict prevention
- Peace research
- Cultural exchange
- Cultural cooperation
- Cultural heritage
- Protection of cultural assets
- Science diplomacy
- International academic cooperation
- International university cooperation
- Cultural diplomacy
- Public diplomacy
- Nation branding
- Security and international cultural relations
Who is Eligible?
Applicants must be young academics whose work has been nominated by a recommending professor.
The submitted academic work must be either:
- A doctoral thesis, or
- A master’s thesis
The thesis must have been completed within the last two years and no earlier than April 30, 2024.
Academic Requirements
Applicants must meet specific academic quality requirements.
For doctoral theses:
- The thesis must have received at least magna cum laude.
For master’s theses:
- The thesis must have obtained the second-highest grade or an equivalent academic assessment.
A professor’s recommendation is mandatory for the nomination.
Research Requirements
The submitted work must independently and academically examine one or more relevant themes.
The research should address:
- Soft power
- International cultural relations
- Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy
- Cultural diplomacy
- Public diplomacy
- Intercultural practice
- Cultural policy relevance
- International cooperation
The work should also advance the concepts it examines and show practical relevance or applicability.
Practical Relevance Requirement
The award values research that goes beyond theory and contributes to real-world cultural policy or intercultural practice.
Submitted work should demonstrate relevance to:
- Cultural policy
- Cultural institutions
- Foreign cultural relations
- Intercultural practice
- International cooperation
- Public diplomacy
- Academic or university cooperation
- Civil society engagement
- Cultural heritage protection
Award Benefits
The award provides visibility, recognition, and publication-related support.
Award benefits may include:
- Public presentation of the award winner
- Publicity for the selected research
- Presentation through a public lecture
- Presentation through a podcast
- Presentation through a short video
- Other suitable presentation formats
- Coverage of printing costs for publication
- Possible publication in the ifa series “Culture and Foreign Policy”
- Open access availability through Nomos Verlag, subject to publisher review
Flexible Research Presentation Formats
The award allows winners to present their research in formats suited to the topic and career stage.
Possible formats include:
- Public lecture
- Podcast
- Short video
- Public discussion
- Other appropriate knowledge-sharing formats
This flexibility helps make academic research more accessible to wider audiences.
Publication Opportunity
The award may support publication of the selected work in the ifa publication series “Culture and Foreign Policy”.
Printing costs for the publication are covered.
The publication is made available through open access by Nomos Verlag, subject to review by the publisher.
Key Concepts Explained
Soft Power
Soft power refers to the ability of a country, institution, or actor to influence others through attraction, culture, values, ideas, education, diplomacy, and cooperation rather than force or coercion.
International Cultural Relations
International cultural relations involve cultural exchange, dialogue, cooperation, and interaction between societies, institutions, artists, academics, civil society actors, and governments across borders.
Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy
Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy refers to the use of culture, education, language, academic exchange, and civil society cooperation as part of international engagement and foreign policy.
Cultural Diplomacy
Cultural diplomacy uses arts, heritage, language, education, exchange, and cultural cooperation to build relationships and mutual understanding between countries and communities.
Public Diplomacy
Public diplomacy refers to engagement with foreign publics to communicate ideas, build trust, influence perceptions, and strengthen international relationships.
Science Diplomacy
Science diplomacy connects research, academic cooperation, innovation, and international relations to address shared challenges and build cooperation across borders.
Nation Branding
Nation branding refers to how countries shape international perceptions of their identity, culture, values, strengths, and global role.
How the Award Works
Young academics do not apply independently without nomination.
A recommending professor must nominate the candidate and support the submission.
The nominated thesis must meet the academic, timing, quality, and thematic requirements.
Selected award winners receive recognition and opportunities to share their research with academic, policy, and public audiences.
How to Apply
Applicants should prepare a nomination package through a recommending professor.
Suggested Application Steps
- Confirm that the candidate is a young academic.
- Confirm that the thesis is a doctoral or master’s thesis.
- Check that the thesis was completed no earlier than April 30, 2024.
- Ensure the thesis was completed within the last two years.
- Confirm the required grade threshold has been met.
- Identify how the thesis addresses soft power, international cultural relations, or Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy.
- Demonstrate the academic independence and originality of the research.
- Explain the practical relevance for cultural policy, institutions, or intercultural practice.
- Secure a recommendation from a professor.
- Submit the nomination according to the award requirements.
Assessment Considerations
Submissions may be considered based on academic quality, policy relevance, originality, and contribution to the field.
Assessment may consider:
- Academic quality of the thesis
- Relevance to international cultural relations
- Relevance to soft power
- Relevance to Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy
- Originality of the research
- Interdisciplinary value
- Practical applicability
- Contribution to cultural policy debates
- Relevance to institutions or intercultural practice
- Strength of the professor’s recommendation
- Suitability for publication or public presentation
Expected Results
The award is expected to support new academic perspectives and strengthen public debate on culture and foreign policy.
Expected results may include:
- Greater visibility for young academics
- Stronger research on international cultural relations
- New insights into soft power
- Better understanding of cultural diplomacy
- Stronger links between research and policy practice
- Expanded interdisciplinary exchange
- Public access to high-quality research
- Contribution to German and international cultural policy debates
Why It Matters
International cultural relations are increasingly important in diplomacy, democracy, security, education, peacebuilding, and global cooperation.
Research on soft power and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy helps explain how culture, education, language, civil society, heritage, and academic exchange influence international relationships.
The ifa Research Award helps young academics contribute to these debates while connecting scholarly work with practical cultural policy and intercultural engagement.
Tips for Strong Nominations
A strong nomination should clearly show why the thesis matters for international cultural relations and cultural policy.
Candidates and recommending professors should highlight:
- Strong academic quality
- Clear research question
- Original contribution
- Relevance to soft power or cultural diplomacy
- Practical application to cultural policy
- Interdisciplinary value
- Connection to institutions or intercultural practice
- Clear explanation of policy relevance
- Strong grade performance
- Timely completion of the thesis
- Strong professor recommendation
The nomination should avoid presenting the research as purely theoretical if its practical relevance is not clearly explained.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants and nominators should carefully check the award requirements before submission.
Common mistakes include:
- Submitting a thesis completed before April 30, 2024
- Submitting a thesis older than two years
- Applying without a professor’s recommendation
- Submitting work outside the award’s thematic scope
- Not meeting the required doctoral or master’s grade threshold
- Failing to show practical relevance
- Not explaining the connection to Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy
- Providing a weak link to soft power or international cultural relations
- Submitting research that lacks independent academic analysis
- Ignoring the policy, institutional, or intercultural applicability of the work
FAQ
What is the ifa Research Award on International Cultural Relations?
It is an award supporting young academics whose research explores soft power, international cultural relations, and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy.
Who can be nominated?
Young academics who have completed a qualifying doctoral or master’s thesis within the required timeframe can be nominated by a recommending professor.
Is a professor’s recommendation required?
Yes. A recommendation from a professor is mandatory.
What thesis completion date is required?
The doctoral or master’s thesis must have been completed within the last two years and no earlier than April 30, 2024.
What academic grades are required?
Doctoral theses must have received at least magna cum laude. Master’s theses must have obtained the second-highest grade or an equivalent result.
What topics are eligible?
Eligible topics include soft power, international cultural relations, Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy, cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy, civil society, democracy, intercultural dialogue, peace research, cultural heritage, science diplomacy, academic cooperation, and nation branding.
What does the award provide?
The award provides visibility for the winner and their research, flexible public presentation opportunities, and possible publication support in the ifa series “Culture and Foreign Policy”, subject to publisher review.
Conclusion
The ifa Research Award on International Cultural Relations supports young academics whose work advances understanding of soft power, international cultural relations, and Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy. By promoting academic excellence, interdisciplinary exchange, public visibility, and policy relevance, the award strengthens research that connects culture, diplomacy, education, civil society, and international cooperation.
Strong nominations will demonstrate a high-quality thesis, clear thematic relevance, practical applicability, recent completion, required academic achievement, and a strong professor’s recommendation.
For more information, visit ifa.