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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

Media Skills for TV, Radio, & Social Media

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1018
Instructors: Karsten Kaminski

Abstract

This training course will provide students with the essential skills to begin engaging with the media in a professional and competent manner. Students will be guided through preparing for interviews and participating in broadcast news and broadcast social media accounts. The course will also provide a basic insight into managing crisis communication events. Students will mostly gain practical interview experience. Interviews will be reviewed in a constructive feedback-sessions, so that learnings will be offered.

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

Nationalism & European Governance

Course-ID: GRAD-E1467
Instructors: Erica Benner

Abstract

Nationalism is on the rise in Europe and across the globe. But what is nationalism? How is it related to ethnic and personal identities, on the one hand, and to specific social, economic, and security concerns on the other? Does it always threaten world order, or can some forms of nationalism strengthen democracy and global justice?

This course examines the historical roots of nationalist politics and wars in Europe. We will look at reasons for their recent resurgence, the forms they take in different countries, and the challenges nationalism poses to the European Union and beyond. While our focus is on Europe, we will also consider the complex connections between European colonialism and nationalism in other parts of the world today.

Throughout the course we’ll ask questions about political ethics: How can desires for collective self-determination and dignity be addressed without intensifying dangerous national conflicts? Can nationalism be combined with liberal or social democracy? Is it always an obstacle to tackling urgent global issues such as the climate crisis or global poverty?

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

Natural Language Processing

Course-ID: GRAD-E1282
Instructors: Sascha Göbel

Abstract

This course offers an introduction into modern survey methodology. Students will learn about the potential as well as the problems associated with surveys, how to properly consume and interpret results from surveys, and how to select among diverse strategies for overcoming some of the existing issues. On the practical side, students will also engage with the design, implementation, and analysis of surveys using the Qualtrics online survey software.

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

Negotiation & Analysis for Global Security: Nuclear Policy Simulation

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1095
Instructors: Timothy Reno, Letitia Roman

Abstract

This course teaches and trains basic negotiation, debating, critical and analytical skills, and techniques. It addresses a critically important emerging policy issue: nuclear advancements, deterrence, and security. The aim is to prepare participants for high-stakes negotiations, debates, and discussions in their future professional environments. Utilizing a dynamic, participant-focused approach, the course combines interactive workshops with practical exercises within a Nuclear Policy Simulation framework. The initial part of the course provides an overview of nuclear norms, policies, and capabilities, along with an understanding of the international organizational framework (such as the roles and powers of the main institutions overseeing the nuclear domain like the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Nuclear Association). Participants will delve into the complexities and challenges of nuclear policy-making through workshops addressing the nuclear threat and possible future directions. The latter part of the course features a pedagogical simulation, allowing students to step into the shoes of key nuclear and non-nuclear international stakeholders during a high-level crisis management scenario. They will craft policy recommendations responding to an escalating international environment. Through this simulation methodology, participants will: • Develop insights into nuclear capabilities and their associated challenges.

• Learn to produce nuanced policy recommendations for complex, real-world issues.

• Acquire a comprehensive understanding of the principal nuclear organizations and stakeholders.

• Build confidence in navigating complex environments with diverse stakeholders. This course is primarily designed for in-person instruction.

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

Negotiation Training

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1021
Instructors: Simon Raiser, Björn Warkalla

Abstract

This seminar teaches and trains basic negotiation skills and techniques. It does so by combining theoretical input with practical exercises. The aim is to make participants fit for negotiations in their future work environments. Methodologically, we rely on an active learning and participant-centred approach. We combine theoretical and analytical tools with practical exercises, teamwork, group discussions and feedback.

The first part of the seminar introduces basic concepts of negotiation (such as interest-based negotiation) and enables the participants to test and improve their negotiation skills in different bilateral settings. The second part introduces the specifics of multilateral negotiations, i.a. more than two parties.

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

Nonprofit Organisations: Management & Policy

Course-ID: GRAD-E1316
Instructors: Helmut Anheier

Abstract

The increased importance of nonprofit organisations — 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. The course will introduce the conceptual background, examine the various theories that have been proposed, look at aspects of organizational governance and performance, and, for the most part, deal with management models and policy frameworks. The course is interdisciplinary and comparative in the sense that we will examine nonprofits from different theoretical as well as national and international perspectives. The course uses a variety of instructional formats, e.g., lecture, seminar-type discussion, in-class presentations, and guests.

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

Nuclear Weapons in International Politics

Course-ID: GRAD-E1468
Instructors: Tobias Bunde

Abstract

Russia’s nuclear threats accompanying its war of aggression against Ukraine have reminded everyone that nuclear weapons remain a defining feature of world politics. In fact, all nuclear weapons states are investing in new warheads or delivery systems (or both), and more states may acquire nuclear weapons in the future. At the same time, key arms control arrangements of the past have unraveled or are under severe pressure. All of this is happening at a time when great-power tensions are rising and the emergence of new technologies may test previous assumptions about strategic stability, prompting some scholars to speak of the emergence of a new (and more dangerous) nuclear age.

After a general overview of the impact that the invention of nuclear weapons has had on international politics, we will re-visit some of the key debates in the theoretical literature on nuclear weapons and discuss the historical evolution of nuclear strategies. The final part of the course will focus on contemporary and future nuclear challenges (and the respective policy debates) and discuss the question whether the world is indeed entering a new nuclear age (and what this would mean).

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

Open-Source Investigation for Human Rights: Ethics, Methods & Practices

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1069
Instructors: Robin Taylor

Abstract

From videos of rights violations, to satellite images of environmental degradation, to eyewitness accounts disseminated on social media, human rights practitioners have access to more data today than ever before. Modern technology - and the enhanced access it provides to information about abuse - has revolutionised both human rights reporting and documentation, as well as the pursuit of legal accountability and future policy.

However, open source methods for information gathering and dissemination, have also created significant challenges for researchers and analysists as the capture and dissemination of content is often haphazard. For it to be of use for policy, advocacy and accountability, it must be discovered, verified, and authenticated.

This course will discuss the history, ethics, methods and best practices associated with open-source research and how it can be incorporated into documentation and investigation processes for human rights advocacy and accountability.

By the end of the course students taking the course will:

Understand how to start, conduct and publish open source investigations

Be able to conduct verification on content source from the social web

Be able to consider the ethical and wellbeing challenges associated with open source investigations

Be familiar with the online tools needed to conduct open source investigations

Develop the mindset associated with open source investigations.

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

Organisational Failure & Public Policy Disasters

Course-ID: GRAD-E1023
Instructors: Wolfgang Seibel

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed different degrees of vulnerability and resilience of government and public administration across many nations. We have good reasons to acknowledge that public and private governance and organisational structures under stress reveal latent fault-lines and weaknesses that otherwise would have remained undetected. Successful crisis management, however, rests on early warning and sufficient levels of preparedness known in the literature as high reliability requirements. The question how and why these requirements are frequently not fulfilled even under relatively favorable conditions is obviously relevant when it comes to learning and prevention. This course addresses that very question through instructing students in making in-depth inquiries into complex cases of ill-fated policies and organisations based on causal process tracing and a chosen theoretical framework. The subject is the analysis of organisational failure and public policy disasters from a variety of perspectives in an attempt to enable students to assess the risks of failure and to contribute to appropriate risk reduction and crisis management strategies. The Empirical Cases to be analysed fall into three different categories, (I) Socio-technical Systems, (II) International Organisation and Security Agencies and (III) Civil Administration. (I) The Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2010 / The Fukushima Accident of 2011 / The Federal Aviation Administration's Aircraft (FAA) Certification Process and the case of Boeing 737Max. (II) The collapse of the UN mission and the subsequent genocide in Rwanda 1994 / The inability of the international community to protect the UN "safe area" / Srebrenica during the Bosnian war in 1995 / The failure of US security services prior to 9/11 to analyse the terrorist threat and to prevent the attack of September 11, 2001. (III) The Break-Down of Disaster Relief in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina 2005 / The Hillsborough Disaster 1989 / The Fire at Grenfell Tower in London 2017.

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

Policy Game: What Happens if the United States Leave NATO?

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1092
Instructors: Jacob Schrot

Abstract

The scenario: Shortly after his second inauguration in January 2025, President Donald J. Trump moves quickly to fulfill one of his campaign promises: the withdrawal of the United States from NATO. The Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) starts executing plans for the departure of all military assets from European soil, including nuclear and missile defense systems as well as U.S. forces assigned to NATO. Russia, while still being absorbed by its year-long campaign against Ukraine, hails the United States for it's contribution to a new era of European security. European leaders, surprised by the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, enter crises mode in an attempt to find consensus on a new European security architecture. Only a few months later, reports about local unrest of ethnic Russians in Estonia and military movements in the Russian exclave Kaliningrad appear on BBC Breaking News.

You will be assigned to one of five teams tasked with representing your country's interest in the unfolding security crisis. The Policy Game is structured into four different phases. In each phase, new information about the unfolding scenario is given to the participants, presenting unique challenges to each team in each phase. The class will learn how to react in high-stakes security policy situations and unveil challenges to the European security architecture in the years ahead.

The class will conclude with a session on career paths in foreign and security policy.

Participants will be asked to contribute actively to the course with their own expertise and opinions to create a conducive learning atmosphere.

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

Policy Sprint: Preparing for a Nuclear Iran

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1099
Instructors: Gil Murciano

Abstract

This Skills Workshop (PDC) is offered via the Hertie School's Policy Lab as a Policy Sprint. Policy sprints are a key activity of the Hertie School Policy Lab, an initiative supported by PD - Berater der oeffentlichen Hand.

A policy sprint is a two-day dynamic workshop whereby students, organized into teams, generateinnovative solutions to policy or governance challenges for a practice partner, who defines thechallenge, coaches students, and provides feedback. On the first day, practice partners introduce students to a real-world challenge and outline the goals and constraints of the exercise. Students are then split into teams and begin to work independently. The practice partner meets briefly with thedifferent teams at specific points of the sprint to provide feedback. On the second day, the eventculminates with short team presentations directed at the practice partner, who then provides activefeedback to students.

Course Description

Mitvim was commissioned to develop a comprehensive policy framework for the US State Department to prepare for the "day after a nuclear Iran". As Iran advances toward nuclear weapon capability and deepens its aggressive global posture - forming alliances with Russia and destabilizing the Middle East through proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas - the project focuses on two key objectives. First, it identifies critical gaps in current US strategies. Second, it provides actionable recommendations across three dimensions: bilateral relations with Iran, regional strategies in the Middle East, and global foreign policy, ensuring US policies are aligned with the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.

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

Professional Writing for Public Policy

Course-ID: GRAD-PDC1038
Instructors: Sebastian Gallander

Abstract

Whether you will work in government, in an NGO, a political party, parliamentary staff or a think tank, you will always strive to put forward public policy ideas. Public policy ideas however, can only really succeed when their goals get recognized and understood by the public. Therefore, they need to be explained clearly to the news media. To that end, policy-makers should package their ideas into one of the two main products that can be processed by journalists and editors: the press release and the article. The press release is written like an objective, factual report highlighting the new aspects of the policy idea and putting it into the larger political context. The article (often referred to as Op-Ed) gives a strong, well-argued opinion about the policy idea and is supposed to be published under the name of the policy-maker; may it be in the New York Times or at huffingtonpost.com.

Of course, offering these two products to the media does not guarantee that they will cover it and that your policy idea will be readily embraced by the public. But it gives you a fair chance to make your voice heard. Hence, everyone working in public policy should be confident in structuring her thoughts like this and writing them down in an easy-to-comprehend fashion. To prepare you for this, the course will teach you the basic techniques of these two types of texts. At the same time, it aims to help you sharpening your writing skills overall. Eventually, this course should also strengthen your sense of developing storylines and narratives that resonate with the public.

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