Research thrives on exchange – and the best ideas arise when people engage with new perspectives. The BCGE Flexible Travel Funds allow researchers to conduct short research stays in the Global South without a lot of red tape. The funds can be used to invite experts to Berlin or, inversely, by researchers in Berlin who wish to travel abroad. This financial support helps scholars and scientists advance projects, deepen collaborations, and develop new approaches. Four researchers who made use of these funds share how their research stays took their work to the next level.