Internationalisation Advisory Group draws positive conclusions

Internationalisation Advisory Group draws positive conclusions

At its final meeting, the advisory group praises the international expansion of ARL activities

Between 2020 and 2022, the internationalization of the ARL was strategically advanced through special funding for which Leibniz institutions can apply. At the same time, an advisory group was established to provide consultative support to the ARL Executive Committee and the Headquarters over several years. The advisory group consisted of ten Academy members with extensive international experience.

As internationalisation has since become an integral part of the Academy’s work, the activities of the advisory group also came to an end. The final meeting took place on 12 December 2025.

At the concluding meeting, the participating advisory board members reached a very positive overall assessment. They emphasised that, within a short period of time, the ARL had implemented the process of internationalisation with impressive momentum and tangible impact, and above all continues to pursue it on a sustained basis. The ARL’s commitment to the international opening of its academic work was explicitly acknowledged.

Particular recognition was given to the knowledge and communication platform arl-international.com. The freely accessible and professionally edited content published on this platform—especially the ARL Country Profiles—is regarded as a valuable resource, particularly for university teaching and comparative research. Since January 2022, the Country Profiles have been accessed more than 240,000 times. These high download figures demonstrate that these profiles are visible well beyond the Academy and its network and are actively used.

At the same time, the members of the advisory group stressed that the ARL’s inter- and transdisciplinary approach should be further strengthened internationally. Cross-border dialogue between planning practice and academia in particular represents significant added value for the international planning community, comparative analyses and mutual learning. While this is not easy to achieve, the ARL is uniquely positioned to facilitate this deeper form of professional and personal exchange through its networks.

It was recommended that the ARL should continue to engage in regular exchange with external experts in the future in order to dynamically further develop and continuously reflect on its internationalisation strategy.

The ARL Headquarters and the members of the Executive Committee from 2020 to 2025 would like to thank all members of the Internationalisation Advisory Group for their intensive collaboration, numerous suggestions and valuable impulses.

Members of the Internationalisation Advisory Board

• Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörn Birkmann, University of Stuttgart
• Prof. Dr. Huib Ernste, University of Zurich
• Dr. Thiemo W. Eser, Ministry of Energy and Spatial Planning
• Prof. Maroš Finka, Comenius University Bratislava
• Prof. Dr. Christina von Haaren, Leibniz University Hannover
• Dr. Andrea Maria Hartz, agl | Hartz Saad Wendl | Landscape, Urban and Spatial Planning
• Prof. em. Dr. Klaus R. Kunzmann, Technical University of Dortmund
• Dr. Maria Lezzi Lauper, until 09/2025 Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE)
• Prof. Dr. Peter Schmitt, Stockholm University
• Prof. em. Dr. Barbara Zibell, Leibniz University Hannover