Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

What Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen does

The Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen is a public academic department within the Faculty of Social Sciences, established as part of Denmark's oldest research university (founded 1479). It delivers bachelor's, master's, and PhD education in political science, with graduate specialization in Politics of the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability. Research is organized into four core groups (Danish and Comparative Politics; International Relations; Political Theory; Public Administration and Policy) and three cross-cutting groups (Gender & Politics; Research Group on Green Politics/REGROUP; Centre for European Politics/CEP). The department's underlying intellectual assets include unique proprietary datasets such as career records on 15,000 Argentine military officers and image-based experimental data spanning millions of tweets across four countries, used to study authoritarianism, political toxicity, and gender dynamics. Its operating model is non-commercial: core funding flows from Danish government appropriations through the University of Copenhagen, supplemented by competitive grants from Independent Research Fund Denmark, the European Research Council, Carlsberg Foundation, and Innovation Fund Denmark. EU/EEA students pay no tuition. Its customers are BA/MA/PhD students as primary learners, with secondary constituencies in Danish ministries, the UN Security Council (briefings), and the international academic community through collaborative research and conferences. Research outputs are disseminated via academic publications (e.g., American Political Science Review), podcasts from the Centre for European Politics, university press releases, and conferences such as the Nordic Political Behavior Workshop. The department engages directly with policy through advisory work, including a 2026 CAISA brief on AI gigafactories informing Danish AI strategy.

Name

Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

Legal name

Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

Website

https://politicalscience.ku.dk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen is a public academic department delivering BA, MA, and PhD programs in political science across seven research groups, serving students, Danish government bodies, and the international academic community through publicly funded research and policy advisory work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), National Security and International Affairs (9281)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHABAD

Social Sciences & Public Policy Research Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Private Research Universities

SECONDARYBPAGAFAO

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes

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

SECONDARYEDAHAAAF

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities

Keywords

• Political science education
• Academic research programs
• Public policy research
• Doctoral research training
• University degree programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Government Funding: Core operational funding from the University of Copenhagen and Danish government for educational activities, staff salaries, and basic research operations
2. Research Grants: External funding from Independent Research Fund Denmark (Inge Lehmann grants, Sapere Aude grants), Carlsberg Foundation, European Research Council (ERC grants), Danida Fellowship Centre, and Innovation Fund Denmark supporting specific research projects and personnel

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Department of Political Science delivers university-level higher education (bachelor's, master's, PhD, and continuing education programmes) in political science and conducts academic research organised across four core and three cross-cutting research groups. It also engages in policy advisory work for governments and international organisations and disseminates research through publications, workshops, and seminars.

Product overview

The Department of Political Science at the University of Copenhagen is an academic research and teaching institution. It offers bachelor's and master's programs in political science, PhD programmes, and continuing education. The department organizes research groups, publishes academic research, hosts events including workshops and conferences, and manages externally funded research projects. The primary offerings include educational programmes, research publications, and public engagement through seminars and events. There are no commercial software products or technology offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Centre for European Politics (CEP): Cross-cutting research initiative focusing on EU political system, institutional development, EU's international relations, Europeanization, and Denmark's relationship with the EU.
• Research Group on Green Politics (REGROUP)
• Gender & Politics
• Public Administration and Policy
• Political Theory

Products and services

• Bachelor's programmes in Political Science Undergraduate degree programmes covering foundational political science subjects including Danish and comparative politics, international relations, political theory, and public administration. Admission through the centralised Danish application system; EU/EEA students admitted tuition-free.
• Master's programmes in Political Science Graduate degree programmes with advanced specialisations including Politics of the Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainability. Open to graduates holding a relevant bachelor's degree; admission through the University of Copenhagen.
• PhD programme in Political Science Doctoral research training programme providing dissertation supervision across political science subfields. PhD positions are typically funded through research grants held by faculty principal investigators.
• Continuing Education Continuing education offerings in political science provided through the University of Copenhagen's continuing education framework for working professionals and lifelong learners.
• Academic research across four core research groups Organised research output covering Danish and Comparative Politics, International Relations, Political Theory, and Public Administration and Policy, plus cross-cutting groups in Gender & Politics, Green Politics (REGROUP), and the Centre for European Politics. Outputs include peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, and expert testimony.
• Nordic Political Behavior Workshop An annual academic workshop hosted by the department on political behavior research; the 6th edition is scheduled for 24-25 September 2026 in Copenhagen. Free of charge, with meals, refreshments, and presenter accommodation (up to two nights) funded by the Carlsberg Foundation.
• Centre for European Politics (CEP) podcasts Podcast series produced by the Centre for European Politics covering EU politics, Europeanization, and Denmark's relationship with the EU.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research published in top political science journals including American Political Science Review
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Danish Board on TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Collaboration partner in the DIGT (Democratic Innovations in a Green Transition) project studying climate citizens' assemblies. The Danish Board on Technology facilitated citizen assemblies and provided practical expertise in deliberative democracy processes.
• Earth System GovernancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research alliance focused on earth system governance. REGROUP members collaborate with this alliance for global research coordination on climate and environmental politics.
• GreenDeal-NetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean research network on green deal policies. REGROUP collaborates with GreenDeal-Net on climate policy research across European contexts.
• Centre for Sustainability and Society (SUSY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterdisciplinary center at University of Copenhagen focusing on sustainability. REGROUP collaborates on research bridging political science and sustainability science.
• Sustainability Science CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Copenhagen center for sustainability research. REGROUP collaborates on green politics research initiatives.
• Green Solutions CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCPH center focused on green solutions. REGROUP collaborates on applied sustainability and climate policy research.
• International academic partners for Centre for European PoliticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEP collaborates internationally with scholars across Europe on EU politics, Europeanization, and Denmark's relationship with the EU. The centre aims to strengthen international research networks.
• We Do DemocracyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDanish practitioner organization in citizen assemblies. Facilitated climate citizen assemblies including in Greve municipality and on sustainable consumption.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Department of Government, London School of Economics: Top European political science department with similar research excellence across comparative politics, political theory, and international relations. Both compete for ERC funding and recruit from overlapping international faculty pools.
• Sciences Po Department of Political Science: France's leading political science institution with strong ERC grant capture and research focus on European politics, democracy, and public policy. Direct European competitor for talent and policy influence.
• Department of Political Science, Stanford University: Top US political science department with comparable scale and research output across political behavior, American and comparative politics, and political theory. Direct competitor for international faculty hiring and PhD placement.
• Department of Political Science, University of Cambridge: Top UK political science department with overlapping research strengths in comparative politics, international relations, and political theory. Competes for similar international faculty and graduate students.
• Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford: Leading UK political science department publishing in the same top journals (APSR, etc.) and capturing comparable ERC and Leverhulme grants. Strong overlap in democratic theory, EU politics, and authoritarianism research.
• Department of Government, Harvard University: Premier US political science department that sends visiting scholars to Copenhagen and competes for the same international talent. Research strengths in political behavior, democratic theory, and comparative politics closely overlap.

Regional players

• Department of Political Science, University of Oslo: Norway's leading political science department with comparable research output in European politics, climate governance, and democratic theory. Nordic peer frequently co-publishing and competing for joint Nordic research council funding.
• Department of Political Science, Aarhus University: Denmark's other major political science department and direct domestic competitor for Danish government research funding, faculty recruitment, and undergraduate enrollments. Overlapping research strengths in comparative politics and public administration.
• Department of Political Science, Uppsala University: Leading Nordic political science department with strong traditions in democratic theory and European politics. Closest Scandinavian peer, frequently collaborating with and competing against Copenhagen for Nordic students and grant funding.
• Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg: Swedish political science department with strong research in European politics, environmental politics, and political behavior — overlapping directly with REGROUP and CEP at Copenhagen. Nordic peer for collaborative grants and PhD exchange.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/polscicph
• Facebookfacebook.com/IFSKU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/department-of-political-science-university-of-copenhagen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen