Chairs
The Department of Political Science as well as the Departments of Sociology and History are part of the Institute of Social Science (IGW), which belongs to the Faculty of Humanities at the Otto-von-Guericke University, founded in 1993.
The Department of Political Science consists of three Chairs. Their denomination mirrors their respective research and teaching focus.
Political Science with a focus on Sustainable Development
The chair for Political Sciences with emphasis on sustainable development was established in 2016. Focal point of the chair’s work is the empirical-analytical policy analysis relating to contemporary and future topics of sustainable governance. Research includes the exploration of political processes behind policies concerning bioeconomy, climate, environment and sustainable regional development, all while drawing on current concepts of sustainability research. Another area of particular attention lies on the question how the transfer of knowledge and political consulting are to be designed in order to promote political change towards sustainable development. Existing concepts of sustainability research, such as inter- and transdisciplinarity or the idea of „transformative sciences“, as well as their promises are critically reflected from a political science standpoint. The intermediate and long term aim of the chair’s research is to development an approach to sustainable development that is specific to the field of political sciences.
Political Science / European Multi-Level Governance
The interdisciplinary courses in European Studies prepare its students to look at Europe and the European Union from different disciplinary angles so as to grasp its complexity. Our courses of study provide you with insights in areas such as political science, cultural studies and economic. In addition, you will be prepared to converse with Europeans across the board thanks to the foreign language components built into our courses.
Our European Studies programmes are based on rigorous academic training, all while providing concrete insights while studying with a cosmopolitan cohort of students.
The diversity of our programme will allow you to use your specific skillset in areas ranging from working in international organisations, NGOs, to PR agencies, multinational corporations and the media.
Political Science with a focus on International Relations
Since October 1st 2017 Prof. Dr. Alexander Spencer is holding the chair for International Relations. The research of the chair focuses on constructivist approaches, international politics in general and peace and security subjects in particular. Of particular interest is research on (violent) non-state and regional actors, international organizations, foreign policy, critical security research, discourse analysis, peacebuilding, international negotiations and mediation.
