The Brandt School Kicks off the New Academic Year with Welcome Lecture

On Wednesday, November 19, the Brandt School welcomed its newest Master of Public Policy (MPP) students with its annual Welcome Lecture. Director of the Brandt School, Prof. Dr. Andreas Goldthau, gave this year’s keynote lecturer, “Public Policy in the Age of Geoeconomics”.

The evening began with a warm welcome from the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Social Sciences, Prof. Dr. Miriam Zschoche. Before introducing Prof. Goldthau, she encouraged students to embrace new experiences, travel, and make the most of their time in Germany.

During his lecture, Prof. Goldthau highlighted geoeconomics as the emerging “talk of the town,” emphasizing the growing importance of understanding how markets can be wielded as instruments of power. He concluded by urging students to carry this perspective into their policy specializations at the Brandt School, reminding them that geoeconomic thinking may be central to the challenges they confront in their future careers.

Following his lecture, Student Government representatives and second-year MPP students, Jenna Fabris, Yashaswini Nand, and Irene Osei-Owusu shared their insights on navigating student life in Erfurt and making the most of the next two years.

The Welcome Lecture concluded with a lively reception, where guests connected with one another in an atmosphere filled with excitement for the upcoming academic year.