The Knowledge Management Department supports the Research Departments as an internal service organisation.
Internet team
The internet team manages the institute’s website and other specific internet applications. We inform the public of the ongoing work of the institute through the Difu newsletter and project-specific websites.
IT team
The IT team manages the whole IT infrastructure at both offices in Cologne and Berlin. It maintains hardware, software, servers, application systems, internet connections as well as telephony and network services, and it helps our employees to use IT.
Library
The library provides the researchers with literature, in particular with periodicals. On the subject of urban affairs, there is close cooperation with the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (Central and state public library Berlin). The team looks after the institute’s online repository, offers advice on publication topics, such a licences or secondary publication and provides support for using library tools.
Further Training
One of Difu’s central tasks is the knowledge transfer between research and municipal practice as well as the organisation of the exchange of experiences between the municipalities and the regional associations. The Difu seminars cover the whole thematic spectrum of future matters for the municipalities. Furthermore, the Mobilitätsforum Bund (or as it was previously known "Fahrradakademie"), the Agency for Local Climate Action, and the Dialogue Forum Child and Youth Welfare Services “German Government Meets Municipal Practice (Dialogforum Kinder- und Jugendhilfe) offer numerous topically focused events, which range from webinars and networking meetings to large conferences and bar camps. These events reach several thousand participants.
Around thirty individually designed Difu seminars per year allow representatives from administration and politics, but also from municipal enterprises the opportunity to gain new knowledge in a safe atmosphere, to talk about innovation strategies and solutions, and to develop ideas for the urgent future matters together. Furthermore, informal meetings always provide the opportunity to meet people and deepen relationships. The majority of seminars take place in Berlin, but a selection of them also take place as regional seminars in other cities, always in cooperation with the local city administration. Internet seminars on frequently requested and important current topics supplement our service.
Our donor cities and organisations benefit from reduced participation fees for the Difu seminars. In addition, we offer them, both at their offices or online, reduced in-house-seminars which are module-based and tailored to the specific needs of the cities and associations.
You can find all Difu events (in German) at Veranstaltungen.
