To mark the official inauguration of the Adenauer School of Government (ASG), Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered the keynote address in the auditorium of the University’s Main Building before engaging in a discussion with the audience. Following a welcome by the Rector of the University of Cologne, Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, Minister for Culture and Science Ina Brandes delivered an address on behalf of the Government of North Rhine-Westphalia. Professor Axel Ockenfels, Founding Director of the ASG, also addressed the audience.
“The Adenauer School of Government combines excellence in research and teaching with a commitment to making tangible contributions to strengthening democratic institutions. With its distinctive research profile and future academic programmes, it is an ideal addition to the University of Cologne. Our research excellence and interdisciplinary approach provide the best possible foundation for its success,” said Rector Professor Joybrato Mukherjee.
The ASG is an academic institution operating at the interface of economics, law, technology and government, with a strong commitment to the democratic public good. At the heart of its work lies the question of how public-sector processes, strategic decision-making and the implementation of government policy can be made more evidence-based, interdisciplinary and effective. It combines internationally competitive research, ambitious and innovative teaching, and close exchange with policymakers, civil society and the business community. In doing so, the ASG aims to strengthen the capacity of democratic institutions to act and make decisions in the face of technological and societal change, while developing solutions to the major challenges of our time.
The ASG Founding Faculty Network and the ASG Scientific Advisory Board already comprise around fifty academics from the University of Cologne and leading institutions around the world, including four Nobel Prize laureates.
A key element of the ASG’s academic portfolio will be an English-language Master’s programme in Public Governance, which will launch in the winter semester of 2027/28 and be offered without tuition fees. Through interactive learning formats, students will work alongside experts from academia and professional practice to develop solutions to real-world challenges in public governance. At the same time, they will acquire advanced methodological skills, including in data science and artificial intelligence, providing the foundation for evidence-based and analytically rigorous policymaking. Applications are expected to open in spring 2027.
The Adenauer School of Government is committed to becoming a leading European institution for strengthening democratic governance in a society shaped by data and technology. It seeks to be a place where academic excellence, outstanding students and political practice come together, with the ambition of making a lasting contribution to strengthening democratic institutions across Europe.
About the Alfred Landecker Foundation:
The Alfred Landecker Foundation was established in 2019 to preserve the memory of the Holocaust, combat antisemitism and strengthen democratic institutions.
The Foundation and the University of Cologne are linked by a long-term strategic partnership. The Foundation supports the ASG because the School contributes to strengthening democracy through its research and by educating future decision-makers.
• Alfred Landecker Foundation