Our work
An ideal vision of the future that ADAN is working towards
THIS. IS. ADAN.
Making diversity visible
An ideal vision of the future that ADAN is working towards: making diversity visible and creating a nuanced picture of Afro-Germans, Africans and the African continent.
Become a memberAt least a third of Germany's listed companies have a Person of Colour as CEO, high political offices are held by people from every part of our society, and a Black chancellor leads the country. Many successful Black scientists, doctors and lawyers shape the direction our society takes. All of them are role models for younger generations, and through their visibility they ensure that we live diversity as a society.
Our vision is to empower BPoC and their supporters to become the best version of themselves, so that within their own sphere they can help dismantle the structural disadvantages BPoC face and contribute to the development of the African continent.
A platform for exchange and networking
Formats
Through a range of offerings and events, ADAN helps create a nuanced picture of Afro-Germans, Africans and the African continent. At the same time, we make diversity visible in German society. Through regular activities such as our GetTogethers, we provide a platform for exchange and networking. ADAN members and Africa-minded students, professionals, trainees and academics can take part in a wide range of events. You will find an overview of our activities and the next dates near you here: Calendar
ADAN GetTogether
Our GetTogethers are the chance to meet new people and get to know ADAN.
Find out moreADAN Inspires
At ADAN Inspires, members and guests share their personal journeys and career paths.
Find out moreADAN Academy
Members and external experts share their specialist knowledge exclusively with us.
Find out moreADAN Book Club
An ADAN community building event.
Find out moreADAN Science Club
With the ADAN Science Club we have created a platform for Black people in the natural sciences to meet and network.
Find out moreADAN Fireside Chat
When ADAN invites you to a fireside chat, things get interesting.
Find out moreADAN Book Club
For every BookTalk we choose a book and announce it through our channels well in advance, so participants have enough time to read it before we meet. The shared discussion is then at the heart of every BookTalk.
Our BookTalks usually take place three times a year, once each in Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin. The date and venue are shared via Slack, our WhatsApp group and Instagram. We believe in the particular value of meeting in person, so our events are designed first and foremost to be held on site. Now and then we create additional opportunities for exchange and networking through online events.
The focus is on books by Black, African and Afro-diasporic authors. We are interested in questions of identity, empowerment, coming to terms with history, philosophy and social change, or simply in entertaining stories that move, inspire and open up new perspectives.
How our meetings work
Our BookTalks take place on Saturdays from 1 pm in a relaxed setting, for example in community spaces, libraries or restaurants. Allow around three hours. Since many participants travel a long way and the conversations often carry on beyond the official programme, our meetings are usually open-ended.
You need neither to have finished the book nor to be perfectly prepared, though you should expect spoilers. With a playful icebreaker and a moderated discussion we create a setting in which everyone can take part. Afterwards there is plenty of time for open conversation, new encounters and personal exchange.
When we are not meeting in a restaurant, we also provide a small selection of snacks and drinks.
Book Club goodies
For every book we design an individual ADAN Book Club bookmark, which registered participants can take home as a keepsake.
Between BookTalks
The community stays active between meetings too. Through our Slack channel we regularly share book recommendations, thoughts on current reads and inspiration for future BookTalks.
Come along
Whether you are an avid reader, an occasional one or simply curious about good conversation, you are welcome at the ADAN Book Club.
We look forward to seeing you.
Questions?
Contact the Book Club by email at: bookclub@ada-netzwerk.com
Networking
ADAN GetTogether
Meet familiar faces, get to know new people, exchange ideas, have fun and get to know ADAN along the way: our GetTogethers are the perfect chance for all of that. They take place every month at various ADAN locations. ADAN members and anyone interested are warmly welcome.
Find the GetTogether dates near you here: Calendar
Inspiration and guidance
ADAN inspires
At ADAN Inspires, ADAN members and guests share their personal journeys and career paths. As the name suggests, the aim is to give younger people inspiration and guidance for their own professional future through individual life stories. Participants not only learn which hurdles and successes the speakers met along the way, but also see which opportunities are open to them as children and young people from the age of 15. On top of that, experienced professionals offer advice on approaches and options for the first steps of a career.
ADAN Inspires takes place several times a year at different ADAN locations.
This was ADAN Inspires in Frankfurt
and ADAN Inspires in Stuttgart
Sharing knowledge
ADAN Academy
“Progress thrives on the exchange of knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
In the spirit of the world-famous German physicist, that is exactly what the ADAN Academy is about: members and external experts share their specialist knowledge exclusively with us. The range of workshops is vast, from finance or the path to self-employment, through health, to academies for personal development, to name just a few examples.
The ADAN Academy is usually open to ADAN members only.
Shared activities
ADAN Book Club
As an ADAN member you are warmly invited to join the ADAN Book Club, to read stimulating books every month and to talk about them together.
A new read is chosen each month and discussed the following month. Interesting discussions and food for thought.
A platform for meeting and networking
ADAN Science Club
BPoC are still heavily under-represented in STEM. With the ADAN Science Club we have created a platform for Black people in the natural sciences to meet and network. Together we talk about Black scientists in history and about scientific breakthroughs that demonstrably came from the African continent or the African diaspora. We shed light on critical topics such as Eurocentrism and post-colonial structures in the sciences, and address the all too present impostor phenomenon that many BPoC experience as a consequence of a lack of representation.
Through various online and in-person formats, and through our own Slack channel, we stay in touch across Germany. At the same time we are building a directory of Black scientists to make quick professional exchange easier in future.
Our aim is to show that there are already many great BPoC scientists and that our career options are not limited to certain fields. Future generations should see that a career in the natural sciences is open to them too!
Fruitful dialogue
ADAN Fireside Chat
When ADAN invites you to a fireside chat, things get interesting: well-known figures regularly come together at different venues to talk about the issues of our time. Past guests have included the late actor and contemporary witness of the Nazi era Theodor Wonja Michael, the journalist Alice Hasters, the Belgian-Congolese rapper and filmmaker Baloji, the director Kalafe Palanga and the Ugandan politician Bobi Wine.
We announce ADAN Fireside Chat dates here on our website and on our social media channels.
ADAN Mentoring
ADAN Mentoring is aimed at young people with African roots or a migration background aged between 16 and 21.
Find out moreADAN aXd
With the aXd programme we offer a platform for building a bridge between the African continent and Germany.
Find out moreADAN Career Day
A one-day career fair for companies, students, graduates, professionals and job seekers.
Find out more(ADAN goes) Instagram Live
The Afro-German Academic Network regularly hosts “ADAN Goes IG Live” on Instagram to make diversity in German society visible.
Find out moreThe ADAN Mentoring programme
ADAN Mentoring
ADAN Mentoring is aimed at young people with African roots or a migration background aged between 16 and 21. ADAN members support the mentees along their way by advising them on school, university and planning their professional future. You can find out more about the mentoring programme here.
Would you like to become a mentee? Then sign up here!
Sharing experience and entrepreneurship
aXd Fellow
With the aXd programme we offer a platform for building a bridge between the African continent and Germany. The focus is on sharing experience and on entrepreneurship. People from the diaspora are given the chance to engage with entrepreneurship in Africa through various initiatives. The pilot of the exchange programme ran in February and March 2020: five fellows spent a month in Accra working alongside five Ghanaian start-ups, contributing their expertise and professional experience while learning a great deal about entrepreneurship in an African metropolis.
Networking together
ADAN Events
Afro-Germans, Africans and anyone interested in Africa, from every field, can connect with one another.
See the eventsOur larger events aim to connect Afro-Germans, Africans and people interested in Africa from every walk of life. Experts from business, politics and culture, along with anyone interested in Africa, are invited to discuss current challenges around a range of topics and to find new approaches. It matters to us to offer a platform for informative and lively discussions that inspire, motivate and encourage a change of perspective.
Note: participation is free for ADAN members; a fee applies for external participants
Career development
ADAN Career Day
With our one-day career fair we give companies interested in diversity or in the African continent as a market the chance to position themselves with potential applicants, and we offer students, alumni, professionals and job seekers a platform to make valuable contacts and learn about vacancies at well-known companies.
Alongside the exhibition stands where companies present themselves, a varied programme addresses careers, diversity in the workplace and the African diaspora.
Our first career fair took place in Frankfurt in 2019. In 2021 we hosted a virtual career fair with more than 480 registrations and 12 virtual stands, and welcomed well-known companies including ABB, AstraZeneca, Accenture, IBM and Zalando, and speakers such as Janina Kugel, Elke Heitmüller and Stuart Bruce Cameron.
ADAN on Instagram
ADAN goes Instagram Live
The Afro-German Academic Network regularly hosts “ADAN Goes IG Live” on Instagram to make diversity in German society visible. One way ADAN does this is by inviting people from a variety of professions with an “unusual” background to a public conversation. In the IG Lives the guest and their journey take centre stage. The aim is to inspire others to pursue careers that have received less attention so far because of the limited diversity seen in them. Dates are announced in good time on our social media channels.
THIS. IS. ADAN.