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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

Fieldwork Methods

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1096
Instructor(s): Ilyas Saliba

Abstract

In this block seminar, the participants will learn the advantages and disadvantages of different fieldwork methods for data collection most commonly used by social scientists, such as qualitative interviews, field surveys, archival work, ethnographic observations. Students will learn how to plan fieldwork missions and conduct a risk assessment based on the research topic, fieldwork context and the research method they choose to employ to gather data in the field. During the course, we will also discuss strategies and techniques to mitigate fieldwork-related risks in order to ensure high ethical and safety standards for researchers, interlocutors and research participants. In this light we will also touch upon issues of framing research projects depending on the audience, reflecting on various personal characteristics that might affect your fieldwork, as well as communication and data security. After the course, students will have received an overview of various fieldwork data collection methods and how to assess and mitigate risks associated with these. Furthermore, students will have learned tools that help them to plan and conduct fieldwork in difficult contexts. These skills are not only valuable for students continuing a career in research at universities or research institutes but also in science policy, science diplomacy and scientific cooperation or CSOs or think tanks in the development and humanitarian sector.

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

Future of Europe

Course-ID: GRAD-E1377
Instructor(s): Johannes Lindner

Abstract

The graduate course on the ‘Future of Europe’ is the first Europeanship Multi-Campus course, one of the flagship initiatives of the CIVICA project, an alliance of ten leading European higher education institutions in social sciences. The course critically explores the main European policy challenges and is designed and taught jointly by a team of professors from the different partners of the alliance. The course will be delivered synchronously across all the campuses of the CIVICA consortium as a series of live on-line lectures, integrated with local activities. On top of lectures, the course spurs students to work in teams across countries and disciplines, with the aim of completing a final capstone project assignment related to specific and concrete policy challenges.

Participating students from the Hertie School will also attend weekly in-person labs taught by a Teaching Assistant, where they will discuss the contents of the lectures. Please note that the Session 7 Policy Paper Training Camp deviates from the regular scheduled day/time.

Main learning objectives:

While experiencing the unique opportunity of having direct interaction with some of the top scholars on policy areas across different countries and institutions, at the end of the course students will be able to:

1. Outline and critically appraise challenging areas of policy-making facing the European Union in the coming years

2. Apply key concepts and insights from the relevant theoretical literatures to the investigation of contemporary European policy challenges.

3. Explain and evaluate the dynamics which characterize European Union policy responses with a particular focus on responses in times of crisis

4. Identify and analyze the main economic, political and societal challenges posed by globalization, climate change, the digital transition and consider the evolution of the political systems within the European Union in response to these challenges

5. Working in groups, develop and propose in written and oral form evidence-based policy solutions to EU-relevant policy problems

 

*CIVICA – The European University of Social Sciences brings together ten leading European higher education institutions in the social sciences. CIVICA aims to build an inter-university campus that provides joint and long-lasting opportunities in teaching, research and innovative learning, while enhancing academic excellence and facilitating civic engagement in Europe and beyond. CIVICA was selected by the European Commission as one of the pilot European Universities in 2019 and confirmed as successful alliance in 2022 for its full roll-out under the Erasmus+ programme. 

 

Read more on www.civica.eu

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

Global Challenges to Democracy

Course-ID: GRAD-E1475
Instructor(s): Erica Benner

Abstract

In 2024 more people than ever before will vote in national elections, in countries containing nearly half the world’s population. The leaders in states across the world describe their governments as ‘democratic’ and insist that they govern by and for their people. Yet from the United States and Europe to countries of the Global South and beyond, democracies face a host of challenges – and existential threats.

 

This course will identify and examine these challenges, analyse their roots, and consider strategies for strengthening democracy locally and globally. Drawing on texts from a variety of disciplines – including history, political theory, empirical political science, sociology, and international relations – we will try to get a clearer picture of what’s at stake in the much-discussed ‘crisis of democracy’ today.

 

While we will look at specific cases from around the world, the course focuses on general analyses and broad ethical questions. Why, despite its vulnerabilities, do so many people across the globe still value democracy? Are reformed institutions enough to rescue it, or does sustainable democracy also need far-reaching changes in prevailing economic and cultural practices? Can we distinguish ‘internal’ and ‘external’ threats to democracy in a globalised world scarred by wars and the colonial past? What can governments and ordinary citizens do to work toward a fair democratic future for people everywhere?

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

Global Environmental Politics

Course-ID: GRAD-E1369
Instructor(s): Harry Bauer

Abstract

In this course, students will be introduced to key concepts and issues in the study of global environmental politics (GEP), with a particular focus on the political economy of environmental protection. The course will begin by examining various perspectives on why global environmental problems arise, and how they can be addressed under different conditions. We will then explore the processes of international environmental governance, including problem identification, policy formulation, multilateral environmental regime design and negotiation, and the implementation and enforcement of international environmental law and policy. To enhance understanding of these processes, we will use case studies drawn from the politics of climate change, ozone depletion, air pollution, whaling, hazardous wastes, mercury, deforestation, and biodiversity.

 

 

The course will then turn to recent issues and debates in global environmental politics, examining examples of non-state global environmental governance, assessing the link between international trade and environmental degradation, exploring the relationship between economic development and environmental quality, and examining the relationship between environmental change, violent conflict, and human security. Students will develop a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved in environmental protection, including the interplay between politics, power, and environmental issues at both the global and local levels.

 

 

Throughout the course, we will ask critical questions, such as: What factors contribute to successful treaty negotiations among countries? What types of rules are most effective? What role do non-state actors play in global environmental governance? How can we evaluate the effectiveness of environmental agreements? What obstacles hinder effective environmental agreements?

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

Governance and Politics of AI

Course-ID: GRAD-E1319
Instructor(s): Joanna Bryson

Abstract

Innovations in Digital Technology (DT) — particularly Artificial intelligence (AI) — are transforming economies and societies world-wide, leading to governance quandaries and political debates. AI is unusual for a transformative technology, in that many, perhaps all leaders and ordinary citizens alike come to it with preconceptions derived from fiction and popular understanding, making it unusually easy for policy to be deflected from a scientific basis. Meanwhile, the transformations of the information age alter the landscape of governance, while throwing new light on the problems of governments. This course explores social transformations and corresponding policy challenges relating to AI and DT, highlighting active areas of political debate and policy research. Integrating perspectives from both natural and social sciences, this course examines the impact of AI on individuals, corporations, societies, and governments. We explore the deployment of algorithms by corporations, governments, and other organisations; issues of ethics, fairness, transparency and accountability raised by AI techniques such as machine learning; balances and interactions between regulation and innovation; the effects of AI on human rights and economic well being; the increasing oppressive capabilities of state- and non-state actors; increasing efficacy and coordination capacities of individuals; and the impacts of AI on security more generally. We consider both the politics and the efficacy of  public and private strategies of regulation, observing current efforts at local, national, and transnational levels as exercised by both governments and corporations.

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

Governance in Areas of Limited Statehood

Course-ID: GRAD-E1118
Instructor(s): Gregor Walter-Drop

Abstract

Most states are more or less far away from the "Weberian ideal type" of bureaucratic rule. Such "limited statehood" is not an exception, it is the rule and more likely than not, it is here to stay. In a nutshell, the course is exploring the consequences that this condition has for understanding and influencing governance understood as the provision of collective goods such as security, welfare, education, public health, a clean environment, etc. Most of the contemporary discourse on governance takes certain core elements of an ideal type of statehood for granted. Particularly prominent among those are an effective monopoly over the legitimate use of force and/or the ability to implement and enforce political decisions. Often overlooked by mainstream research, however, in most parts of the world these assumptions do not hold. In most developing countries and transition states and even within OECD member states, control over the use of force is at least incomplete, and/or the state’s ability to implement and enforce political decisions is limited. Under such conditions, governance faces particular challenges and works differently from standard models. The course starts by analytically separating governance from statehood, which will allow us to analyze various modes of governance within and beyond the parameters of statehood. Case-wise, we will draw on numerous examples of governance from countries of the Southern hemisphere while covering a broad range of policy problems – from education and water supply via health services to disaster relief, and peace mediation.

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

Green Finance in Europe and the World

Course-ID: GRAD-E1458
Instructor(s): Morgan Despres

Abstract

Meeting the objectives of Paris agreement requires mobilizing massive amounts of capital quickly and widely. This course will focus on the dual aspect of climate finance: (1) the financial sector as an opportunity to succeed the green transition and (2) the incorporation of climate and environmental risk in the financial system.

The course will present the overarching institutional framework of climate finance (UNFCCC process and Climate Funds, Breton Wood international financial architecture, initiatives undertaken at G20/G7 level), the role and mandate of the relevant actors (Multilateral Development Banks, Development Financial Institutions, private Financial Institutions) and will cover the recent policy development and expected deliverables in that space. It will also highlight to which extent financial institutions are adapting their business models and lending practices to meet a “net zero” pathway and the importance of sustainability disclosure at EU and global level. Lastly, the course will address the role of financial regulators and supervisors as well as Central Banks in mitigating the climate and nature-related financial risk.

The teaching will be based on examples and case studies in an interactive format to train students to develop innovative solutions for one of the most dauting challenges of our time.

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

International Climate Governance: A Dialogue with a Practitioner

Course-ID: GRAD-E1439
Instructor(s): Annette Windmeißer

Abstract

This class provides students with a deep insight into how various multilateral institutions, plurilateral fora, as well as (financing) instruments around climate change operate: This includes of course how UNFCCC/COPs function, but also for example creation and implementation of Just Energy Transition Partnerships; how key concepts and current topics are evolving and being negotiated like around loss & damage; how the challenges of raising public and in particular private sector finance are discussed in a number of climate funds like the Green Climate Fund.

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

Introduction to Data Science

Course-ID: GRAD-E1339
Instructor(s): Simon Munzert

Abstract

This course will introduce you to the modern data science workflow with R. In recent years, data analysis skills have become essential for those pursuing careers in policy advocacy and evaluation, business consulting and management, or academic research in the fields of education, health, and social science. We will cover topics like version control (Git) and project management; data collection, wrangling, storage, and visualization; model fitting; advanced workflow issues, debugging, automation; and data science ethics.

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

Introduction to Digital Platform Research

Course-ID: GRAD-E1466
Instructor(s): Philipp David Darius

Abstract

This course introduces students to the interdisciplinary field of digital platform research from a political science and political communication perspective. Based on required and optional readings students develop an understanding of critical debates on digital platforms (mainly communication platforms). The course also equips students with knowledge and applied skills on research methods and research designs. The course also addresses open-source intelligence tools to conduct research on digital platforms without extensive coding. The aim is to develop a research proposal for a group research project based on digital platform data. Students will summarize and present inspiring research in the field, then form small groups (2-3) with like-minded students to work on their own research projects. The research projects will be graded and student groups receive instructor feedback to improve the research project for the final presentation of the projects at the end of the course.

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

Introduction to Python

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1082
Instructor(s): Joshua Aje

Abstract

This course introduces the students to the fundamentals of the Python programming language for data analysis.

 

-Learn the fundamentals of writing Python scripts

-Discover core scripting elements such as data types, variables, and flow control structures

-Understand and work with data structures such as Lists, Tuples, Dictionaries to store collections of related data

-Write and define your own Python functions to facilitate code reuse

-Learn how to find and use modules in the Python Standard Library and other third-party libraries

-Perform basic operations with data with libraries like NumPy and Pandas

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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-PDC1047
Instructor(s): Arndt 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’s 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’s 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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