School of Public Affairs

Organisational unit: Research School

Organisation profile

Leuphana School of Public Affairs is the academic and professional home to 1.000 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students and 31 professors. 30 research associates and 17 professional staff members are working for us.

The main themes of the school are reflected in its study programs: The School of Public Affairs is currently responsible for three Majors and four Minors at Leuphana College, five Master’s programmes and five Doctoral research groups at Leuphana Graduate School as well as five continuing education Master's programmes at Leuphana Professional School. As a novelty in Germany, the Master of Law offers students the opportunity to obtain both a Master's degree in law (LL.M.) as well as the state law examination. With its emphasis on "Law in Context", this model degree programme transcends a classic-dogmatic perspective of jurisprudence by presenting the relevant contents from civil law, public law and criminal law against the backdrop of current societal challenges and transformations. 

Main research areas

Leuphana School of Public Affairs brings together the disciplines of Political Science, Law, and Economics under one roof. With 31 professorships, it establishes an innovative profile in Germany on issues of public affairs, gaining both national and international visibility and academic reputation.

The School conducts research on the major transformations of our time and thus continues to develop its existing research agenda on the future of democracy, evidence-based political decision-making and law in the context of societal transformation. In an interdisciplinary collaborative endeavour, the three subjects will, among other things, answer pressing questions about

  • the legitimacy and performance of democracies, whose integrative power is under threat, especially in light of recent upheavals in politics and society,
  • the role of the state with regard to the relationship between private-law and public-law regulation,
  • the justification of governmental intervention into market processes and their ex-post evaluation.
  1. Published

    Taking a stance: Managing liability for commercial space activities

    Smith, L. J., 29.12.2017, Commercial uses of Space and Space Tourism: Legal and policy Aspects. Wouters, J., De Man, P. & Hansen, R. (eds.). Edward Elgar Publishing, p. 19-43 25 p. (Leuven Global Governance series).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  2. Published

    Space Systems Cross-Compatibility

    Esper, J., Smith, L. J., D'Errico, M., Herrell, L., Kobayashi, C., Mendham, P., Razzano, E. & Birrane, E., 2013, IAA Symposium on Small Satellites of Earth Observation: 9th International Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) Berlin, April 8 - 12, 2013. Roeser, H.-P., Valenzuela, A. & Sandau, R. (eds.). Berlin: Wissenschaft und Technik Verlag, p. 319-322 4 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  3. Published

    The current challenges of liability for loss of satellite based services

    Smith, L. J., 2014, Proceedings of the International Institute of Space Law2013: 64th International Astronautical Congress 2013, IAC 2013, 23 September 2013 through 27 September 2013. Jorgenson, C. (ed.). Eleven International Publishing, p. 291-304 14 p. (Proceedings of the International Astronautical Congress, IAC; vol. 14).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  4. Published

    Mind the Gap: Legislating for Commercial Space Activities

    Smith, L. J., 2012, Proceedings of the International Institute of Space Law 2011. Jorgenson, C. M. (ed.). Eleven International Publishing, p. 368-375 8 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksArticle in conference proceedingsResearch

  5. Published

    The Law of Close Corporations

    Schall, A., 2014, German National Reports to the 19th International Congress of Comparative Law. Schmidt-Kessel, M. (ed.). Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck GmbH and Co. KG, p. 355-415 61 p. (Rechtsvergleichung und Rechtsvereinheitlichung; vol. 24).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Still different after all these years: Extensive and intensive margins of exports in East and West German manufacturing enterprises

    Wagner, J., 2014, Lüneburg: Institut für Volkswirtschaftslehre der Universität Lüneburg, 38 p. (Working Paper Series in Economics; no. 313).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  8. Published

    Strategien für den Regierungswechsel: Die krummen Wege und der Stolpergang

    Raschke, J. & Tils, R., 2013, In: Neue Gesellschaft, Frankfurter Hefte. 1-2, p. 12-15 4 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  9. Published

    Das deutsche Klimaziel im europäischen Kontext: Strategische Implikationen im Wahljahr 2013

    Geden, O. & Tils, R., 01.01.2013, In: Zeitschrift für Politikberatung. 6, 1, p. 24-28 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  10. Published

    Vor der maximalen strategischen Herausforderung

    Tils, R., 2013, In: Berliner Republik : das Debattenmagazin. 14, 5, p. 29-31 3 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch