Willy Brandt School

The Brandt School was designed according to the Anglo-American model, where education, teaching and research are organised jointly. In the area of public policy, the school offers advanced training at the Master's level, by combining knowledge and methods from different branches of the social sciences (economics, political science, public administration and management science, and sociology). With the help of references to professional praxis and relevant social problems, the Brandt School wants to help soften the borders of the individual sciences. As a result, students should be enabled to use interdisciplinary theory and methods in order to develop and work on problems from different angles and to develop individual skills relevant to their future careers. The Brandt School is particularly characterized by the internationality of its student body. The 121 students currently enrolled (15 December 2014) are from more than 40 countries. They have a variety of academic backgrounds and prior work experience, while the majority holds a first degree in the social sciences. Willy Brandt was chosen as name giver for various reasons that connect to the city of Erfurt, his style of making politics and the focus of his politics. In 1970, Brandt visited Erfurt for the first German-German summit meeting and was enthusiastically cheered on by the local crowd. His contributions to the East-West and North-South dialogues have helped improve mutual understanding, and his modern, reform-oriented style serves as role model for the students.