Richard von Weizsäcker Forum

    Festival of Ideas

    The world in conversation. You’re invited. Discover our public event.
     

    5 and 8 October 2026 in Berlin

    Richard von Weizsäcker Forum panel discussion
    Festival of Ideas, Weizsäcker Forum

    Academy Talks

    Eight talks, eight minutes each. Join us for back-to-back speakers as they provide insight into often overlooked aspects of complex topics. 

    Someone giving a presentation
    Festival of Ideas, Weizsäcker Forum

    Round Tables

    Experts are welcome to join round table discussions with our Richard von Weizsäcker Fellows.

    Richard von Weizsäcker Fellows at a round table discussion
    Festival of Ideas, Weizsäcker Forum

    Panel Discussions

    Our panels reframe hardened debates and offer insight from a variety of perspectives. 

    Richard von Weizsäcker Fellows on stage at a panel discussion

How can we build partnerships across borders and divides? This question guides this year’s Festival of Ideas at the Robert Bosch Academy.

The festival opens the Academy’s Richard von Weizsäcker Forum, welcoming the public to the Robert Bosch Stiftung at Französische Straße 32 in Berlin. Academy Talks, panel discussions, and round tables offer opportunities to engage directly with international experts. 

Under the theme Forging Partnerships and Building Alliances, join around 100 international leaders from politics, academia, culture, business, and civil society to challenge assumptions and explore cooperation across divides. We look forward to welcoming you.

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Round Table

Beyond colonial legacies: Can Africa and Europe build a partnership of equals?

Africa and Europe are bound by deep historical ties that continue to shape political, economic, and cultural relations today. While recent years have seen renewed efforts to redefine this relationship, questions of power, trust, and representation remain central to building truly equitable partnerships.

This session explores how Africa and Europe can move beyond the legacies of colonialism towards a more balanced and forward-looking relationship. How can both continents foster partnerships based on mutual respect, shared interests, and co-created solutions? What role can they play together in addressing global challenges such as climate change, migration, technological transformation, and sustainable development?

Speakers

  • Oby neu zugeschnitten.jpg
    Obiageli Ezekwesili

    Obiageli "Oby" Katryn Ezekwesili is an economic policy expert and Senior Economic Advisor at the Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI). She served as Vice President for Africa at the World Bank and as Nigeria's Minister of Education, and was a candidate for the presidency of Nigeria in 2019. She co-founded the #BringBackOurGirls and #RedCardMovement campaigns.

  • Jakkie Cilliers
    Jakkie Cilliers

    Jakkie Cilliers is Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Head of the African Futures and Innovation program at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, which he founded. He is also an Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria. His work covers African security, long-term forecasting, and defense policy.