30 Years of IAF
12) Visiting Programs

IAF offers tailor-made visiting programs for high-ranking international delegations traveling through Germany. These programs provide opportunities to meet counterparts and engage in meaningful exchanges on leadership, democracy, and liberal values.
Bringing Global Decision-Makers Together
The visitor and information programmes offer politicians and civil society representatives from around the world a forum to exchange ideas and experiences in Germany and Europe. Current and future decision-makers from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom’s (FNF) project regions take part in a one-week programme, where they engage directly with German government officials, political parties, associations, think tanks, and other relevant institutions.
Dialogue on Issues that Matter
The goal of these tailored study tours is to provide our international partners with a meaningful platform to explore and discuss key issues in their fields. Topics often include local government and decentralisation, human rights policy, liberal economic reform, market-oriented governance, and democratic participation, among others. In addition to meeting German and European counterparts, participants benefit from dialogue with peers from their own regions, creating space for mutual learning and collaboration.
From Königswinter to Gummersbach and Beyond
These visitor programmes have a long tradition within the Foundation. Initially launched at the FNF headquarters in Königswinter, they provided the first structured opportunity for liberal exchange with international partners. In late 1997, the programmes were relocated to Gummersbach, and the first visiting programmes under the new structure took place in 1998. Nearly 20 years ago, the programme’s office moved to Potsdam, yet it remains an integral part of the International Academy for Leadership (IAF), continuing its legacy of fostering global liberal dialogue and training.