Munich School of Political Science

HfP-Building at Brienner Forum

The Bavarian School of Public Policy (German: Hochschule für Politik München) is an independent institution within the Technical University of Munich. The Bavarian School of Public Policy is a unique institution, focusing on future-oriented, transdisciplinary, and applied research and teaching. In cooperation with the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the Bavarian School of Public Policy is dedicated to educating the next generation of political scientists. Technological progress in areas like energy, the environment, climate change, big data, data security, and mobility is having an increasingly important impact on the society. To keep up with tomorrow’s key technologies, the course program at HfP provides an opportunity for students to combine the traditional content of a political science degree with technology modules run by diverse TUM departments.

History

The Bavarian School of Public Policy was founded during the period of upheaval that followed the end of World War II. Prompted by the US military government, and with the participation of constitutional law lecturer Prof. Hans Nawiasky, a decision was made in fall 1948 to set up an institution with the primary goal of teaching the principles of democracy. The discipline of “political science”, already well-established in the US, would serve as the school’s model. On July 14, 1950 the “Hochschule für Politische Wissenschaften” was founded – as a corporation under private law.

On October 27, 1970, the Bavarian Parliament enacted the “Law governing the Bavarian School of Public Policy”. This gave the school the status of an “institutionally autonomous institution at the University of Munich”. This made HfP the only institution of higher education in the Federal Republic of Germany whose legal basis is a higher education act unique to that institution. Moreover, the law was also the first higher education act in the Federal Republic of Germany.

In a law dated February 16, 1981, the Bavarian School of Public Policy was given the legal status of a public body. The main advantage for students was the opportunity to earn a full academic qualification and potentially carry on to complete a PhD.

The Bavarian Parliament instigated the reform process that is currently underway in October 2013. In July 2014, it decided to make the Technical University of Munich (TUM) the new host university for the Bavarian School of Public Policy. This landmark decision opens up new opportunities to develop the discipline of political science by incorporating insights from TUM’s excellent work in the social sciences, the natural sciences and engineering.

The law governing the Bavarian School of Public Policy was enacted in early December 2014, and the Constitution in January 2015. On December 18, 2014 the appointment procedure for the new HfP professorships began. Out of 350 applications from Germany and abroad, seven professors were appointed, who took up their duties at the Bavarian School of Public Policy on 1 March / 1 July 2016. In July 2016, the Bavarian School of Public Policy moved to its new premises in the Briennerforum at Königsplatz. In the winter term 2016/17, the new bachelor's program started. This provides a "full-scale political science education with possible emphasis in policy areas at the interface between politics and technology".

Studies

A fresh take on Political Science – shaping successful society.

The new Bachelor’s degree in Political Science (B.Sc.), based on a unique concept worldwide, started in the 2016/17 Winter Semester.

• Interdisciplinary study program
• Comprehensive grounding in political science with the opportunity to specialize in focus areas at the interface of politics and technology
• Strong practical element, with a three-month, supervised internship requirement
• Diverse optional modules, allowing students to develop a personal academic profile and facilitating study abroad opportunities

Professors

Appointed professors at the Bavarian School of Public Policy:

• Chair for International Relations: Tim Büthe
• Chair for European and Global Governance: Eugénia da Conceição-Heldt
• Professorship for Political Data Science: Simon Hegelich
• Professorship for Political Philosophy and Theory: Lisa Herzog
• Professorship for Computational Social Science and Big Data: Jürgen Pfeffer
• Chair for Environmental and Climate Policy: Miranda Schreurs
• Professorship for Policy Analysis: Stefan Wurster

Notable alumni

• Hans Henning Atrott (born 1944), German author and theorist
• Dorothee Bär (* 1978), politician (CSU)
• Markus Blume (* 1975), politician (CSU)
• Géza Andreas von Geyr (born 1962), Vice-President of the Bundesnachrichtendienst
• Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg (born 1971), former German Minister of Defence (2009–2011)
• Klaus Höchstetter (* 1964), expert in economics
• Katharina Holzinger, Prorektor of the University of Konstanz
• Franz Kohout (* 1953), Professor of political science
• Harry Luck (* 1972), journalist
• Franz Maget (born 1953), Chairman of the SPD Parliamentary Group in the Landtag of Bavaria
• Otto-Peter Obermeier (* 1941), Publisher of the journal "the blue rider - journal for philosophy"
• Michael Piazolo (* 1959), political scientist
• Gerhard Polt, (born 1942), actor and cabaret artist
• Ralph Rotte (* 1968), Professor at the RWTH Aachen
• Sascha Spoun (born 1969), President of the University of Lüneburg
• Christiane Stenger (* 1987), author and presenter
• Edmund Stoiber (born 1941), former Minister-President of Bavaria (1993–2007)
• Eleni Torossi (born 1947), author

References

Coordinates: 48°08′45″N 11°34′46″E / 48.14583°N 11.57944°E / 48.14583; 11.57944