ZMO is an integral part of the broader academic environment in Berlin and beyond. Its researchers teach at various universities, including Freie Universität Berlin – one of the centre’s closest partners – where ZMO maintains two professorships (in Islamic Studies and Anthropology). The centre also participates in several collaborative projects, such as the Berlin Graduate School of Muslim Cultures and Societies at FU and a lighthouse project of the Berlin University Alliance.
ZMO has cooperation agreements with other Leibniz institutes, universities across Germany and abroad, and organizations based in the research regions themselves. Furthermore, ZMO has a long-standing, global network of academic contacts and numerous informal collaborations.
The centre serves as an important contact point for foreign researchers in Germany, actively supporting their work and fostering networking opportunities. It regularly hosts international fellows – and award winners – from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the DAAD, and other influential German and European foundations. In 2023, ZMO (as part of the Humanities Centers Berlin, or GWZ), took first place in the Humboldt Ranking of Germany’s top humanities and social sciences institutions.