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Course catalogue

Find individual courses here or browse the curricula of our graduate and executive programmes.
For the PhD programmes, please find more information here.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Introduction to R

Course-ID: GRAD-SW1047
Instructors: Arndt Jörgen Leininger

Abstract

 

R is a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics that has gained widespread acceptance in the worldwide research community. This is due to several reasons: It is an open-source solution and a comprehensive statistical software with state-of-the-art graphic capabilities and enormous flexibility. The workshop objective will be to teach the basic knowledge needed to use R independently, thus helping you to initiate your own process of learning the specific tools needed for your research.

The workshop takes a modern approach to learning R by emphasizing participants prior exposure to data analysis and statistical software. Participants will start working with datasets right away rather than creating artificial vectors and matrices. Further, the course eschews teaching R base graphing facilities in favor of ggplot2 - a more intuitive solution for plotting, which produces beautiful results with little effort. The course will also introduce the tidyverse , tidy data principles and piping , an advanced feature of the language which however makes coding more intuitive.

The workshop mixes structured lectures with practical exercises. In terms of software, we will use RStudio Cloud, which runs in your browser. This implies that you do not need to install any software but you can of course use the desktop client of RStudio on the Hertie PCs or your private laptop if you like.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Iran & International Security

Course-ID: GRAD-E1465
Instructors: Ali Fathollah-Nejad

Abstract

 

The course aims to unpack the complex and often opaque role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in international relations by shedding light on core international security issues. It begins with a discussion of the state's power structure and worldview, as well as state and society relations (including the country's arguably long-term revolutionary process), with the objective of understanding the "inside - outside" nexus that is essential to a proper understanding of Tehran's foreign policy behaviour. It then addresses critical issues of international security, including: the conflict over Iran's nuclear programme; the role of economic sanctions in conflict resolution; Tehran's policies and standing in the Middle East (including a discussion of the Iranian-led "Axis of Resistance" before and after 7 October 2023); Iran's "Look East" geopolitical orientation towards non-Western powers (notably China and Russia) and the role of world order in this; its contentious relations with the West (the U.S. and the EU) and the role of the latter's Iran policy in addressing international security challenges.

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Master of Public Policy Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Law & Governance

Course-ID: GRAD-C2-2001
Instructors: Mark Dawson, Pierre Thielbörger , Sue Gonzalez Hauck

Abstract

 

For those in the business of governing, understanding the institutions, methods and substance of the law is crucial. Policy-makers must understand the law, both as a potential instrument of societal change, and as an important constraint on the process of regulation and decision-making. The course Law and Governance will explore the relationship between law and governance, providing course participants with an introduction into legal decision-making and the role of law and courts in the political system. It will also aim to develop core legal skills such as legal argumentation and interpretation. A particular priority will be to explore the multi-level nature of modern law. The growth of international and regional organizations and regimes has increasingly made disputes and rules that were once the subject of international constraints and norms. At the same time, trans-national legal orders may have a quite different character from their national counter-parts. The course will therefore draw on examples from both the EU and International legal orders.

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Executive MPA Executive training

Leadership in Local Government

Course-ID: EMPA-E1033
Instructors: Konstantinos Bakogiannis

Abstract

 

"Local solutions to global problems" is not just a slogan. In 2024, all politics is local. In an increasingly complex and dynamic world of multiple and overlapping crises, local authorities often find themselves at the eye of a perfect storm. It has become vital to tackle global issues, including questions of growth, the climate crisis, socio-economic inequalities, public health, and the digital transition, from the local perspective. This course helps you to think about these questions like a Mayor and aims to create a learning platform to explore and understand the principles, strategies, and best practices of public policy.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Legal Globalisation and the Global South

Course-ID: GRAD-E1486
Instructors: Damian Chalmers

Abstract

 

From the late 1980s, regulatory laws spread across the world. This advance is associated with the adoption of legal models from the Global North; strong formal similarities between the laws; the growth and specialization of State capacities; and the development of the Regulatory State across the Global South. Unlike many forms of globalization, this legal globalization has not withered. However, a closer look at the Global South reveals levels of activity bear no relationship to attitudes to or engagement with globalization more generally. Disputes overwhelmingly involve domestic actors. Legal trajectories and agency powers are often both very different from and much more expansive than initially expected.

This course looks, first, at the drivers that generated this legal globalisation. Using the case of competition policy, it looks, secondly, at the international organisations that oversee it. Thirdly, it looks at the domestic processes that sustain and transform this globalisation through a series of case studies from the field of competition policy: Peru, Chile, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Argentina. These are chosen because the legal and political trajectories of each are different and revealing in showing how domestic actors in the Global South engage with, resist, and exploit legal globalization.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Legistik

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1094
Instructors: Hans Hofmann

Abstract

 

Legistik - Gesetzgebungmethodik, Gesetzgebungsrecht, Gesetzgebungstechnik: Die Veranstaltung betont die politische Bedeutung von Gesetzen als Regierungsinstrument und Methode der Good Governance. Dabei wird die legistische Technik und exekutive Praxis zur Produktion guter Gesetze dargestellt. Der parlamentarische Beschlussprozess stellt sich als politisierter Entscheidungsprozess dar, der aus der Binnenperspektive ausgeleuchtet und erklaert werden soll.

Please note that this workshop will be taught in German.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Lobbying in the EU: Skills for Shaping Public Policy

Course-ID: GRAD-SW1106
Instructors: Burçak Inel

Abstract

 

Intended for both future/current policymakers and lobbyists, this workshop is aimed at transferring insights and skills required for strategic, transparent, fact-based and inclusive lobbying as part of sound public policy making processes in the EU and elsewhere in the world.

Towards this goal, participants will receive a primer on how EU public policy is formed in its different stages and at different levels, identifying how lobbying fits in these processes. The workshop will then explore what “good lobbying” might look like, based on examples of how lobbying impacts policy conflicts, and which types of lobbying can be considered as positive for society. Participants will then learn about lobbying strategies that have been proven effective for achieving lobbying goals and the lobbying actions best placed to achieve such strategies.

The major part of the workshop will be dedicated to practicing lobbying skills. Based on case studies and team exercises, the workshop will allow participants to practice a set of core skills required for both setting lobbying strategies and executing lobbying actions included in such strategies. Participants will leave with both the insights to evaluate lobbying as a democratic tool and a set of the professional skills most relevant to successful lobbying, along with an awareness of how to continue to build these skills.

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Executive MPA Executive training

Looking at the Future:  A Practical Introduction to Foresight & Scenario-Building Methods

Course-ID: EMPA-SC-30
Instructors: Helmut K. Anheier

Abstract

 

In recent years, different forecasting and foresight approaches have been developed in the social sciences that include both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and that have found a wide range of applications. Prominent among them are scenario building and related foresight approaches for developing detailed portraits of plausible alternative futures. They offer policy analysts theoretically informed and methodologically sound knowledge about the challenges and opportunities possible futures might present. These methods form a practical set of tools for gaining better understanding of alternative developments, events and outcomes. The course will review scenario approaches and look at a range of applications. During the first sessions, we will discuss the range of topics of interest to students and develop a work plan for conducting in-class scenario exercises.

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Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Machine Learning

Course-ID: GRAD-C24
Instructors: Christian Carmona

Abstract

 

This course provides an introduction to the world of machine learning. By the end of this course students will have a sound understanding of the key concepts of machine learning, analyze data using some of its main methods, and a solid foundation for more advanced or more specialized study. The course covers standard topics in supervised and unsupervised learning, including the most common learning algorithms for regression, classification and clustering, but also touches on advanced topics in machine learning particularly important for public policy, such as uncertainty quantification. Students will learn the fundamental concepts underlying machine learning algorithms as well as the practical use of machine learning algorithms using open-source frameworks.

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Executive MPA Executive training

Making Change Feasible: Institutional Change & Reform

Course-ID: EMPA-E1019
Instructors: Kai Wegrich

Abstract

 

Solving public problems requires change - of policies, institutions, or organisations. But such changes are notoriously difficult to achieve, since they create winners and losers and require questioning established practices and believes. In this course we unpack these challenges and explore various strategies to achieve successful policy, organisational, and institutional change. We will use conceptual tools from political science and public administration research to understand real-world cases (some of which you bring to class) and reflect on your personal experiences with change in light of research. The course aims at developing your analytical skills and reflection capacity, i.e. to make you smarter in the way you approach change processes in your own professional context.

Main learning objectives:

Understanding the challenges of policy, institutional and organizational change.

Developing analytical capacities to understand constraints and opportunities for leading/supporting change.

Explore strategies for change.

Strengthen the reflective capacity.

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Master of Public Policy

Management & Leadership

Course-ID: GRAD-C4
Instructors: Monika Weber-Fahr

Abstract

 

The Management and Leadership course introduces students to core management and organization ideas, concepts and tools. We will examine how they can be applied to manage different types of organizations dealing with public issues, such as public sector organizations, social enterprises or non-profits as well as private enterprises. The primary course material consists of real-world case studies illustrating these concepts in action, examining actual organizational successes and shortcomings, the challenges faced by organizational leaders and members, and the different decisions that could be taken based on a careful analysis. Supplemental readings consisting of key seminal organizational works provide theoretical support to the practical applications of the concepts in the case studies. By the end of this course, students should have sharpened their ability to think strategically and critically, and enhanced their analytical and personal competencies to deal with the management challenges they will face throughout their career.

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Executive MPA Executive training

Managing Non-Profit & Non-Governmental Organisations

Course-ID: EMPA-SC-26
Instructors: Helmut K. Anheier

Abstract

 

The increased importance of non-profit organizations - as service providers, as vehicles of developmental or humanitarian assistance, as policy advocates and social innovators, and as instruments of government reform and privatization -- have moved this set of institutions closer to the centre of policy agendas. Yet there is disagreement as to what management model applies to non-profit organizations: is their management basically a version of business management or public management? Or could it be that a separate approach is needed that takes fuller account of their distinct characteristics as value-based organizations with multiple stakeholders and complex revenue structures?

The course will briefly introduce the conceptual background and examine the various theories that have been proposed, and soon focus on organizational governance, performance, management models, and business plans. The course is a mixture of lectures, discussions, and practical applications.

Main learning objectives:

Become familiar with the role of non-profit organizations, including philanthropy.

Appreciate the differences in the governance and the management of non-profit organizations compared to public agencies and business firms.

Learn the fundamentals of strategic management and business planning for non-profit organizations.

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