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

    Politische Redeweisen

    Müller, J. & Séville, A., 01.01.2024, Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck Verlag. 116 p. (Zur Sache. Der Essay; vol. 4)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsTransfer

  2. Published

    15 years of degrowth research: A systematic review

    Engler, J. O., Kretschmer, M. F., Rathgens, J., Ament, J. A., Huth, T. & von Wehrden, H., 01.04.2024, In: Ecological Economics. 218, 14 p., 108101.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    § 19 Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz

    Gerlach, J. & Manzke, S., 2024, Handbuch Nachhaltigkeit im Vergaberecht. Lausen, I. & Müller, J. P. (eds.). München: C.H. Beck Verlag, p. 275-284 10 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  4. Published

    Öffentlicher Personenverkehr

    Gerlach, J., 30.06.2025, Europäisches Beihilfenrecht. Bungenberg, M. (ed.). 2. ed. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft

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

  5. Published

    Unions as insurance: Workplace unionization and workers' outcomes during COVID-19

    Braakmann, N. & Hirsch, B., 04.2024, In: Industrial Relations. 63, 2, p. 152-171 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Robots and Extensive Margins of Exports - Evidence for Manufacturing Firms from 27 EU Countries

    Wagner, J., 01.04.2025, In: Review of Economics. 76, 1, p. 23-35 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Unemployment’s Life-Satisfaction Cost and Loneliness

    Friehe, T. & Pfeifer, C., 08.2025, In: Journal of Happiness Studies. 26, 6, 27 p., 102.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Accepted/In press

    Die systemübergreifende Rückabwicklung zu Unrecht gewährter Kindergeldzahlungen

    Lübbers, K., 15.10.2025, (Accepted/In press) Solidarität und Selbstverantwortung: Tagungsband zur Zweiten Jungen Tagung Sozialrecht 2025. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft

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

  9. Published

    Kinderbilder in den sozialen Netzwerken – Wenn Eltern posten

    Croon-Gestefeld, J. & Lübbers, K., 18.07.2025, In: Juristenzeitung. 80, 14, p. 662 - 671 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Accepted/In press

    Risk tolerance and altruism: evidence on their relationship from Germany

    Friehe, T. & Pfeifer, C., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Applied Economics Letters. 5 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review