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When the University of Konstanz’s political science department decided on an administrative science orientation in 1968, it was the first department in Germany to do so. Fifty years later, the Department of Politics and Public Administration is one of the leading and internationally most visible institutions of its kind in Europe. Political science has been an academic discipline at the University of Konstanz since 1966. It was joined by public administration two years later.

On the occasion of the departmental anniversary, the Universitätsverlag will publish a Festschrift entitled “Brüchige Erfolge. Eine Biografie der Konstanzer Politk- und Verwaltungswissenschaft” (Brittle successes. A biography of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz). The volume is published by the university’s political scientists Professor Gerald Schneider, Professor Volker Schneider and Professor Wolfgang Seibel. It provides a diverse overview of the department’s successful history. Among the positive developments is the department’s enduring success in recruiting outstanding lecturers and students writes Gerald Schneider, who penned the introduction to the Festschrift. This is also due to the fact that the department has always been able to attract excellent students from outside the region. Graduate surveys regularly testify to the high level of content among politics and public administration graduates. As regards research achievements, the department continues to occupy a leading position in publication indices, rankings and awards.

On Friday, 8 June 2018, the Department of Politics and Public Administration will host an anniversary ceremony that will see former and current department members engage in discussion. Professor Ulrich Rüdiger, rector of the University of Konstanz, will open the event at 13:30. This will be followed by two panel discussions addressing the university’s two major responsibilities: teaching and research.

The discussion on “teaching” will be conducted by current and former students. Representatives from the Student Council will open the discussion by posing three general questions to the three panelists, all of whom are former students from a variety of professional backgrounds who will talk about their professional experiences in relation to their studies. The panelists are: Dr Arndt Oschmann (Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing Baden-Württemberg), who received his Diplom from the Department of Politics and Public Administration and also earned his doctorate there in 2002, Sabine Kiefer (Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute), who completed her Diplom in public administration in 2005, and Marian Schreier (mayor of the city of Tengen im Hegau), who completed his bachelor’s degree in 2012 to become Germany’s youngest mayor at the age of 25 in 2015.

The break, during which all guests are invited to visit the poster exhibition introducing departmental research projects and student initiatives, is followed by a panel discussion on “research”, which showcases outstanding researchers who are or were affiliated with the department. One important publication each that shaped the discipline in some way will be highlighted and discussed.

The guests and their respondents are: Professor Fritz W. Scharpf, who held a professorship of political science at the department from 1968 to 1973 and who was responsible for drafting the plans for the new study programme in politics, and Professor Wolfgang Seibel, Chair of German Politics and Public Administration; Professor Manfred G. Schmidt, who completed his Habilitation (post-doctoral qualification) at the department in 1981, and Professor Marius Busemeyer, who leads the Policy Analysis and Political Theory research team; Professor Ellen Immergut, who was Professor of Political Theory at the University of Konstanz from 1994 to 2002, and Professor Katharina Holzinger, Chair of International Relations and Conflict Management; Professor Thomas Bräuninger, Professor of Political Economy at the University of Mannheim, who completed his Habilitation (post-doctoral qualification) at the University of Konstanz in 2006, and Professor Christian Breunig, Comparative Politics working group.

Facts:

• 50th anniversary of the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz
• Anniversary ceremony to take place
• Location: Audimax
• Date: 8 June 2018
• Two panel discussions on the topics of “teaching” and “research”
• Publication: “Brüchige Erfolge. Eine Biografie der Konstanzer Politik- und Verwaltungswissenschaft” (Brittle successes. A biography of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz), published by Gerald Schneider, Volker Schneider and Wolfgang Seibel, Universitätsverlag Konstanz (ISBN 978-3-86764-867-7)
• Further information