Adenauer School of Government officially opened in Cologne 

"What we need today and in the years ahead to help shape the emerging global order is strategic foresight, sound judgment, and the ability to think through complex scenarios. These are capabilities we have neglected for far too long," the Chancellor said in his keynote address. He continued: "The Adenauer School of Government will be a place where better decision-making is explored and advanced, helping to foster a more strategic political culture in Germany." 

Based at the University of Cologne, the independent academic institution is dedicated to strengthening democratic governance through world-class research, the education of future leaders, and sustained dialogue between academia and practitioners. 

"At a time when democracy is coming under increasing pressure, responsible, evidence-based governance is essential to safeguarding our country's future," said Peter Harf, Chair of the Alfred Landecker Foundation's Board of Trustees. The Foundation is supporting the establishment of the ASG with annual funding of €10 million. 

Technological transformation and geopolitical upheaval are reshaping the conditions under which democratic governments operate. Political institutions face mounting challenges that demand evidence-based decision-making, interdisciplinary thinking, and closer collaboration between academia and public policymaking. 

This is precisely where the Adenauer School of Government comes in. Founded in the summer of 2025, the School was officially inaugurated on 13 July 2026 with the Chancellor's keynote address in the Great Hall of the University of Cologne. In his speech, he emphasized: 

"We once again find ourselves at a historic turning point. The challenges facing Germany and Europe today are as profound and as numerous as they were, perhaps, at the founding of the Federal Republic. We are confronted with geopolitical and geoeconomic shifts, as well as technological disruptions whose full implications we have yet to grasp." 

Following his address, Chancellor Merz answered questions from the audience. The inauguration ceremony also featured remarks by Professor Joybrato Mukherjee, Rector of the University of Cologne. In her address on behalf of the government of North Rhine-Westphalia, Science Minister Ina Brandes underscored the importance of the new institution: 

"A strong, effective democracy depends above all on the people who assume responsibility within it and on its behalf—and on how we educate and prepare them. In the age of artificial intelligence, subject-matter expertise alone is no longer enough. Sound decisions emerge where politics, public administration, business, law, and technology come together. The Adenauer School of Government is taking on an important responsibility in this regard, and I would like to thank the Alfred Landecker Foundation for its commitment." 

A place where academia and practice learn from one another 

The Adenauer School of Government is an academic institution at the intersection of economics, law, technology, and public governance. Its central mission is to explore how public institutions, strategic decision-making, and policy implementation can become more evidence-based, interdisciplinary, and effective. 

At the inauguration, ASG Founding Director Professor Axel Ockenfels described this vision as follows: 

"The Adenauer School of Government is creating a place at the heart of the university where researchers, students, and leaders from politics, public administration, business, and civil society can work together on the major challenges of good governance. Our ambition is for practice to learn from research — and for research to learn from practice: across disciplinary boundaries, through rigorous debate, grounded in evidence, and committed to the public good." 

Tuition-free graduate education 

A cornerstone of the School's academic programme is a tuition-free Master's degree in Public Governance, taught in English, which will launch in the winter semester of 2027/28 as a regular degree programme at the University of Cologne. The programme is aimed at master's students and recent graduates. 

Through interactive learning formats, students will work alongside leading experts and decision-makers from academia and practice to develop innovative approaches to addressing real-world public policy challenges. They will also acquire advanced methodological skills, including in data science and artificial intelligence. 

Applications are expected to open in spring 2027. Further details will be published on the Adenauer School of Government website in due course.

International research with societal impact 

During its initial development phase, the ASG is working with its Founding Faculty Network, which brings together more than fifty researchers from all faculties of the University of Cologne as well as leading universities across Europe and the United States, including four Nobel laureates. 

At the same time, the School is recruiting its own faculty. At the inauguration, ASG Founding Director Axel Ockenfels was able to announce an important milestone: Professor Piotr Dworczak, one of the leading economists of his generation, has accepted a professorship at the ASG. He joins from Northwestern University in the United States and conducts research in the field of economic design. 

The Adenauer School of Government aims to become one of Europe's leading institutions for strengthening democratic governance in a society shaped by data and technology. The Alfred Landecker Foundation supports the School because educating leaders who act on the basis of evidence, embrace interdisciplinary thinking, and are committed to the public good is a concrete response to the challenges facing democracy in the twenty-first century. 

Further information about the Adenauer School of Government and the Master's programme is available here.