About Us

The German Development Institute / Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) is one of the leading think tanks for global development and international cooperation worldwide. It is located in the UN City of Bonn. DIE’s work is based on the interplay between Research, Policy Advice and Training. DIE is building bridges between theory and practice.

Research at DIE is theory-based, empirically driven and application-oriented. It provides the basis for the consulting activities of the Institute. DIE develops policy-relevant concepts, advises ministries, governments and international organisations, and refers to current policy issues. The training programmes of the Institute for university graduates and young professionals are integrated into the research and advisory process.

The DIE has about 130 employees, two thirds of them work as researchers. The Institute is headed by the Board of Directors with Dirk Messner as Director, Imme Scholz as Deputy Director and Gabriele Kahnert as Head of Administration.

DIE’s institutional agreement ensures the principle of scientific independence of the Institute. The shareholders of the Institute – the Federal Republic of Germany (75 %) and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (25 %) – appoint the Board of Trustees of the DIE.