Global Diplomacy Lab

From an early age, Dirk Brengelmann has had a keen interest in the political and economic foundations of our global system, which is why he applied to the Federal Foreign Office after working in international banking for a few years. Apart from several bilateral positions, for example as German Ambassador to Brazil and the Netherlands, his professional life has mainly comprised of multilateral posts, including in NATO. Brengelmann has found the multilateral sphere very enriching, especially since it entails working with people from different countries to achieve common goals. He has also come to believe during his career that public-private partnerships such as the Global Diplomacy Lab are particularly well suited to linking people with different professional and cultural backgrounds.

After his retirement from the diplomatic service in 2021, Brengelmann took up a teaching position at the Institute of Political Science at University of Bonn, also serving as Senior Fellow at the University’s Centre for Advanced Security Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS). His main focus is on security policy and multilateralism. He advises the Bonn Academy for Research and Teaching of Practical Politics as a member of the Board of Trustees. In the International Commission on Missing Persons, Brengelmann serves on the Board of Commissioners out of personal conviction and has been particularly active in its Ukraine project. As of 1 March 2023, Dirk Brengelmann is taking over the role of Dean from Ruprecht Polenz, who has decided to retire.