Welcome to the website of the Dahrendorf Symposium. The project is an initiative of the Hertie School of Governance, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Stiftung Mercator. The objective of the project is to shine a light on how academia can have a productive influence on socio-political discourse. It aims to offer European perspectives on the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Infrastructure and climate change
Chair:  Dr. Felix Creutzig, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (Institute’s Chair: Prof. Ottmar Edenhofer)

Governance and policy of climate change
Chairs: Professor Claudia Kemfert, Hertie School and Dr. Karsten Neuhoff, German Institute of Economic Research (DIW Berlin)

Social and legal aspects of climate change
Chair: Professor Conor Gearty, Law Department, LSE

Economics and climate change
Chair: Dr. Luca Taschini, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, LSE  (Institute’s Chair: Prof. Nicholas Stern)

Europe and the world
Chairs: Professor Helmut Anheier and Professor Odd Arne Westad, LSE IDEAS

Jonathan Paris on 'The German Narrative for its future of Europe'
Workshop and Discussion with Dr. Jonathan Paris, Senior Non-Resident Fellow (Atlantic Council) Senior Advisor to the Chertoff Group, and Associate Fellow at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR) at King’s College London
 
On Thursday April 25th 2013, Jonathan Paris presented and discussed selected findings of his report “The future of Europe 2030” currently under preparation for the US Government together with the Dahrendorf Post-Doctoral Fellows and other Dahrendorf project involved, like Professor Claus Offe and Dr. Stéphanie Novak at the Hertie School of Governance. Based on economic and demographic forecasts Jonathan outlined the prospects and challenges for Germany´s political course in the years to come. In the ensuing discussion, the workshop participants addressed important issues such as the tension between a growing demand for 'German leadership' in Europe, the rationale of Germany´s  foreign policy, and the development of the European integration project since world war II.  Findings will become part of future Dahrendorf research.

Working Group 2: Governance and Policy Aspects of Climate Change

Using the opportunity created by the expert panel “Poland’s role in European climate policy” organized by the Dr. Hermann Ott MdB at the Bundestag on 15. March 2013, the Dahrendorf Working Group 2 hosted two renowned Polish experts on climate, energy and environmental policy – Prof. Zbigniew Karaczun (SGGW Warsaw), and Dr. Andrzej Kassenberg (ISD Warsaw). A working session, chaired by Dr. Karsten Neuhoff, was held at the Hertie School of Governance on the morning of 15. March. The session began with a presentation prepared by Dr. Kacper Szulecki, giving an overview of the working group project’s conceptual framework and early findings in three core areas: renewables, energy efficiency and infrastructure. The presentation was followed by comments by the Polish experts and a discussion with the Berlin-based analysts, scholars and representatives of the German Ministry of the Environment. For more details see here.

Working Group 4: Economics and Climate Change

The Workshop of Dahrendorf Working Group 4 ‘Economics and Climate Change’ was held on February 21st at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), in Brussels Belgium. Peter Zapfel, from the European Commission, delivered a keynote speech which was followed by a debate with all the participants. Chair Dr. Luca Taschini, Research fellow at Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, Dahrendorf Post-Doctoral Fellow Dr. James Rydge and Members of Working Group 4 presented their research projects and discussed “Economic Working Groups Target 2030” and the “ETS Reform project”. For more details see here.

Working Group 5: Europe and the World

The second workshop of the Dahrendorf Working Group 5 took place at the Hertie School of Governance on February 18th 2013. The two chairs, members of that working group and several guests discussed the European model in its social and societal dimensions. With an introductory speech “Significance of the European Model for the World” by Prof. Dr. Michael Cox (Chair in the Department of International Relations at LSE and Co-Founder of LSE IDEAS), the participants debated topics such on the credibility of an European Model, the perspectives of other nations on Europe, the issue of one or multiple voices of the European Union etc. Inputs and ideas on how to set up the framework for the roundtable debate at the upcoming Dahrendorf Symposium in November 2013 were also brought up by the participants. For more details see here.

Working Group 5: Europe and the World

The first Dahrendorf Workshop took place at the Hertie School of Governance on November 27. Hertie School Students and experts explored the question, “How to democratize the European Union?” as part of a Dahrendorf Workshop. Joseph H.H. Weiler (Hertie School and New York University School of Law) gave an introductory talk on “Democracy without the People: The Extinction of European Legitimacy” followed by commentary from Norbert Röttgen (Member of the Board of Trustees and Senior Fellow, Hertie School and Member of German Bundestag). The discussion was moderated by Mark Dawson (Hertie School). For more details see here.

The Dahrendorf Symposium 2013 on “Changing the European Debate: Focus on Climate Change” brings into focus the various aspects of European perspectives on the leading question “How to prevent dangerous climate change?”.

Preparatory work for the Symposium 2013 has started!

In autumn 2012 five international and interdisciplinary working groups, whose chairs are located at the academic partner institutions, have started preparing the content for the Dahrendorf Symposium 2013.

German Press Release