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

    Predicting satisfaction with democracy in Germany using local economic conditions, social capital, and individual characteristics

    Friehe, T. & Pfeifer, C., 09.2024, In: Economics of Governance. 25, 3, p. 335-377 43 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Was the German fuel discount passed on to consumers?

    Kahl, M. P., 01.10.2024, In: Energy Economics. 138, 15 p., 107843.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Kein Startschuss für Abschiebungen nach Syrien

    Feneberg, V. & Pettersson, P., 26.07.2024, 4 p. Berlin : Max Steinbeis Verfassungsblog gGmbH.

    Research output: other publicationsArticles in scientific forums or blogsResearch

  4. Published

    Strategising solidarity: an examination of the Visegrád group’s role and motivations in EU migration policies

    Vaagland, K. & Zaun, N., 04.2025, In: Journal of European Integration. 47, 4, p. 559-579 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published
  6. Published

    Kommentierung der Art. 13, 16, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55 EUV sowie Art. 237, 238, 239, 240, 241, 242, 243, 353, 354, 355, 356, 357, 358 AEUV

    Holterhus, T. P., 05.2025, Europäisches Unionsrecht: Vertrag über die Europäische Union - Vertrag über die Arbeitsweise der Europäischen Union - Charta der Grundrechte der Europäischen Union. von der Groeben, H., Schwarze, J., Hatje, A. & Terhechte, J. P. (eds.). Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions in collection of commentariesResearch

  7. Published

    Governancestrukturen in der Grenz- und Asylpolitik: starke europäische Agenturen, schwache mitgliedstaatliche Souveränität

    Dreyer-Plum, D. & Zaun, N., 2024, In: Integration. 47, 1, p. 4-20 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Die Institutionalisierung von Klimaräten durch Klimaschutzgesetzgebung

    Schatz, V., Newig, J. & Pfeffer, J., 07.2024, In: Natur und Recht. 46, 7, p. 433-442 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. E-pub ahead of print

    Big Data Analytics and Exports—Evidence for Manufacturing Firms from 27 EU Countries

    Wagner, J., 22.06.2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Open Economies Review. 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Delegitimation durch Verfahren: Warum ein AfD-Verbotsverfahren kontraproduktiv wäre

    Koß, M., 2024, In: MIP Zeitschrift für Parteienwissenschaften . 30, 2, p. 140–145 6 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearch