Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt

What Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt does

The Willy Brandt School of Public Policy is a graduate school department within the University of Erfurt, a German public university in Thuringia. Established in the early 2000s and named after former German Chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Willy Brandt, the school operates as the university's centre for public policy education and research. It functions as part of the public higher education system, owned and controlled by the state government of Thuringia, with no independent ownership, venture capital, or private equity backing. The school maintains an international footprint through research collaborations and student exchanges spanning Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

The school's core academic product is the two-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) program, designed for young professionals seeking careers in government, international organizations, and think tanks. The curriculum combines interdisciplinary training in economics, political science, and law with specializations including conflict management, development policy, digital policy, and peace and conflict. Doctoral research is offered through the Graduate Centre EIPCC. The school runs nine active research projects, including PolDigWork, SHIFT, DeGlobE, EFGeo, and projects on Computational Social Science in Public Policy and Generative AI in Public Policy. It employs digital learning platforms (Moodle, HISinOne) and research methodologies spanning surveys, field experiments, qualitative interviews, and mixed-methods approaches. Communication channels include The Bulletin Blog (200+ posts across policy analysis, Brandt School Life, and research categories), The Bulletin Podcast, and a multi-platform social media presence.

Revenue mechanics operate through three streams typical of a German public university department: tuition and fees for the MPP program (with financing and scholarship options including DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Program and Fulbright Transatlantic Diplomacy Program scholarships), competitive research grants and project funding (including Folke Bernadotte Academy funding for Colombia police research), and external partnership funding. The school has cultivated a 400+ alumni network working in international organizations, governments, and think tanks globally. Specific financial figures are not disclosed as the school operates within the German public university funding system.

Name

Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt

Legal name

Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt

Website

https://brandtschool.de

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Willy Brandt School of Public Policy is a graduate department at the University of Erfurt in Germany that offers a two-year Master of Public Policy program for young professionals and conducts interdisciplinary policy research across digital policy, conflict management, and international development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), International Affairs (928120)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAHAK

Public Policy, Public Administration & Nonprofit Management Schools (within Business Schools)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

SECONDARYBPAGAFAO

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYEDADADAA

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Policy, Research & Think Tanks

Keywords

• Public policy education
• Graduate policy programs
• International development studies
• Peace and conflict studies
• Policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Erfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Public university in Germany offering Master of Public Policy program with tuition and financing options referenced on the admissions page
2. Research Grants and Projects: Funded research projects including PolDigWork, SHIFT, DeGlobE, and partnerships with institutions like the Folke Bernadotte Academy for Colombia police research
3. Scholarships: DAAD Helmut-Schmidt Program scholarships, Fulbright Transatlantic Diplomacy Program, and other scholarship schemes for student support

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Willy Brandt School is a graduate public policy school offering a two-year Master of Public Policy (MPP) program designed for young professionals with prior work experience, alongside PhD programs and funded research projects. It delivers interdisciplinary training in public policy analysis, governance, international affairs, conflict management, development policy, digital policy, and entrepreneurship, supplemented by exchange semesters, internship programs, and capstone courses. Research activities span nine active projects covering areas such as politics and the future of work in middle-income countries, de-globalisation, democratic institutions, computational social science, and generative AI in public policy.

Product overview

The Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt is a professional graduate school offering primarily a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree program, supplemented by PhD programs, various research projects, and communication platforms including The Bulletin Blog and The Bulletin Podcast. The institution focuses on interdisciplinary public policy education and research across areas including global public policy, development, peace and conflict, entrepreneurship, and digital policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Bulletin Blog: Official blog of the Willy Brandt School featuring policy analysis, research updates, and student perspectives
• The Bulletin Podcast

Products and services

• Master of Public Policy (MPP) A two-year professional master's degree program designed for young professionals with prior work experience, providing interdisciplinary training in public policy analysis, governance, international affairs, economics, political science, and law. Offers specializations in conflict management, development policy, digital policy, and entrepreneurship, plus professional skills, academic methods, language training, capstone courses, internships, and exchange semesters with international partner universities.
• PhD Programs Doctoral research opportunities offered through the Graduate Centre EIPCC (European Institute for Political Contracting and Cooperation) and postgraduate research tracks, providing research infrastructure, supervision, and academic training for doctoral candidates in public policy-related fields.
• Research Projects Funded research projects including PolDigWork (Politics and the Future of Work in Middle-Income Countries), SHIFT (Social and Human Infrastructures for Future Transitions), DeGlobE (De-Globalisation and Global Decoupling), EFGeo (Erfurt Research Centre for Geoeconomics), Democratic Institutions in the Global South, Computational Social Science in Public Policy, Generative AI in Public Policy, the Research Group Security and Capitalism, and Social Impact Campus (EXIST). Projects involve field research, surveys, qualitative interviews, and mixed-methods approaches, often in collaboration with external partners such as the Folke Bernadotte Academy and the Colombian National Police.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates work in international organizations, municipal, regional, and federal governments, and think tanks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Fulbright CommissionflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026The University of Erfurt, led by the Brandt School, is one of the founding organizations of the new Fulbright 'Transatlantic Diplomacy Program' (TAD). This transatlantic exchange opportunity aims to train and empower outstanding young professionals in diplomatic skills and transatlantic relations.
• German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026GIGA, represented by Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra, commissioned a project group of MPP students to investigate perceptions and experiences of academic freedom in Germany. The students produced best-practice guidelines for the social sciences based on 26 interviews with academics across Germany.
• Engagementpreis-Stiftung gUGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Annual partnership since 2012 organizing the Commitment Award, which funds student and alumni social initiative projects with prize money (2,500 euros first prize, 1,500 euros second, 1,000 euros third) for innovative social impact ideas.
• Brandt School NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational network of partner institutions facilitating research collaboration, student mobility, and alumni connections across multiple countries.
• Colombian National Police InstitutionsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborative research partnerships with ESJIM (School of Non-Commissioned Officers), UNIPEP (Police Unit for Peacebuilding), DIEPO (Police Education Directorate), and ESPOL (Police Graduate School) for research on democratic policing.
• Centro de Estudios Internacionales at El Colegio de MéxicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating institution for publication 'Policy Innovations from the Global South: Will the North Ever Learn?' by Achim Kemmerling and Hasnain Bokhari from Brandt School with Luicy Pedroza from El Colegio de México.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sciences Po: Leading French institution offering public policy and international affairs programs. Comparable through its focus on policy education, research output, and international student body, competing for European and international policy students.
• German Development Institute (DIE): German policy research institute focused on development policy. Comparable through its research focus on development policy, international cooperation, and presence in Germany, with overlapping research themes and policy expertise.
• Central European University (CEU): International university with strong public policy and social sciences programs. Comparable through its European focus, international student body, and emphasis on democratic governance and policy research.
• Hertie School: Berlin-based public policy school offering Master of Public Policy and related programs. Directly comparable as a German/European policy school of similar size and mission, competing for the same applicant pool and faculty talent.
• Harvard Kennedy School: Premier international public policy school offering MPP and MPA programs. Comparable through its educational mission and research focus, but with substantially larger resources, faculty, and global recognition.
• Columbia School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA): Major US public policy school offering MPA and related programs. Comparable through international affairs education, research output, and policy professional training, with substantially larger scale and resources.
• German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA): German research institute focused on global area studies and comparative area research. Directly comparable as a research partner and policy research output generator with similar geographic focus on Global South.
• London School of Economics (LSE) Department of Public Policy: Top global institution with public policy programs. Directly comparable through MPP-equivalent offerings, research focus, and international student body, with stronger London positioning and global brand recognition.
• Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford: Elite public policy school offering MPP-equivalent programs. Comparable through focus on public policy education and research, though operating at much larger scale with stronger global brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) - Public Policy programs: European institution with emerging policy research capacity. Comparable through its focus on interdisciplinary policy research and European positioning, though with a different specialty focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unierfurt
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/espp5mpp
• Facebookfacebook.com/brandtschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/brandtschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/brandtschool.de

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt