The research consortium De:link//Re:link aims to demonstrate the importance of area studies for knowledge production, communication and dissemination in a world increasingly characterized by uncontrolled digitization and fragmented knowledge. Engaging with the notion of “link”, the group brings local perspectives and new dimensions of knowledge into focus: Local Insights and New Knowledges. In the research, the term “local” does not only include spatial but also, and even more so, relational components.