Germany and China are planning a big expansion of joint research and investment in green technologies, including production of electric cars in China and development of carbon-capture systems. A series of business and inter-governmental agreements were signed between the world’s two largest exporters in Berlin on Tuesday.

At Deutsche Welle's fourth annual Global Media Forum, BBG Executive Director Jeffrey Trimble outlined how international media can support global development and human rights. The forum, held June 20-22 in Bonn, Germany, brought together participants in the fields of journalism, politics, culture, business, and development from around the world.

Germany will ease restrictions on foreign doctors and engineers seeking work in the country in a bid to plug a yawning gap in the labour market of Europe’s top economy. Education and Research Minister Annette Schavan told the daily Passauer Neue Presse that the centre-right government would this week approve a draft law aimed at attracting thousands of professionals from abroad.

The University of Indonesia (UI) signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate with universities in four European countries: France, Germany, Italy and Spain. University official Devie Rahmawati told Antara news agency that the deal was aimed at establishing cooperation on education, research, cultural diplomacy, lecturer and student exchanges as well as increasing foreign student exchange.

Seven years later, Jankowski’s vision of a collaborative cultural exchange between the sister cities is finally about to become a reality, as the Jakarta-Berlin Arts Festival kicks off in Germany on Saturday.

United States Senator Olympia J. Snowe met with two foreign exchange students from Germany..."When aligned with our public diplomacy efforts, these programs can help build trust and prepare the next generation of leaders to work together on the shared challenges of the 21st century.”

Guerrilla Diplomacy’s central argument, in its most highly distilled form, is that if development has in large part become the new security in the age of globalization, then diplomacy must displace defence at the centre of international policy.

Gates... spoke of NATO turning into a “two-tiered alliance” where the very few... take on the “hard power” combat assignments. Meanwhile, a majority limits itself to “soft power” work such as delivering humanitarian and development aid and, at most, to participating in peacekeeping missions.