▁the ▁Hamburg ▁business ▁community . ▁It ▁was ▁initially ▁the ▁um bre lla ▁organisation ▁for ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Asian ▁Affairs , ▁the ▁German ▁Orient ▁Institute , ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Latin ▁American ▁Affairs ▁and ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁African ▁Affairs . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁inst itute ▁adopted ▁the ▁name ▁" G IG A ▁German ▁Institute ▁of ▁Global ▁and ▁Area ▁Studies "; ▁as ▁of ▁ 1 ▁May ▁ 2 0 2 0 , ▁the ▁name ▁was ▁changed ▁into ▁" G erman ▁Institute ▁for ▁Global ▁and ▁Area ▁Studies " ▁(" for " ▁instead ▁of ▁" of ", ▁and ▁the ▁ac ron ym ▁" G IG A " ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁name , ▁but ▁is ▁still ▁used ▁as ▁an ▁ac ron ym ). ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁de cade ▁of ▁this ▁century ▁the ▁German ▁O verse as ▁Institute ▁under w ent ▁a ▁transformation ▁that ▁saw ▁the ▁previously ▁relatively ▁autonom ous ▁regional ▁instit utes ▁un ited ▁as ▁the ▁G IG A ▁German ▁Institute ▁of ▁Global ▁and ▁Area ▁Studies / Le ib n iz - Institut ▁für ▁G lob ale ▁und ▁Reg ionale ▁Studien ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Only ▁the ▁German ▁Orient ▁Institute ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁part ▁in ▁the ▁fusion . ▁However , ▁the ▁G IG A ▁had ▁already ▁h ired ▁many ▁of ▁its ▁employees . ▁ ▁The ▁G IG A ▁collabor ates ▁with ▁numerous ▁ren owned ▁univers ities , ▁research ▁instit utes ▁and ▁expert ▁associations ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁It ▁is ▁represented ▁on ▁the ▁bo ards ▁of ▁various ▁academic