The International Sudan Studies Conference, a regular academic exchange opportunity provided by the Sudan Studies Association USA and the Sudan Studies Society UK, has been convened at changing venues every three years for nearly three decades. In 2012, Bonn was chosen as the venue, and it was the first time that this conference took place in Germany, organized by the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC). To bring together scholars from South Sudan and Sudan for the first time after the separation, the city of Bonn as international science hub proved to be a most suitable location in this conference series, which was now re-named International South Sudan and Sudan Studies Conference. 
“Identity, Economy, Power Relations and External Interests: Old and New Challenges for Sudan and South Sudan" was the title of this conference. It opened with an emphasis on identity, especially issues of gender, citizenship, integration, history, memory, and the geographical challenges of separation. Its second day was devoted to economic issues, particularly economic development prospects, urbanization and social transformation in Sudan and South Sudan, and issues regarding oil, water and other resources. The conference’s final day examined both internal and external power relationships including Sudan‑South Sudan relations, old and new conflicts, party formation, and strategic and security issues. This conference sought to reflect on recent work, open up new discussion and encourage future research. The organizers successfully brought together scholars working in different disciplines to extend the body of authoritative knowledge on both Sudan and South Sudan.