The Department brings together faculty with expertise in comparative politics, democracy, European politics, international relations, political economy, and research methods in political science. Our shared mission is to address the most pressing societal and global challenges through rigorous research and innovative teaching.

The Department is the direct successor to the Institute for Political Science and European Affairs, established in 1960. It carries forward the Institute’s longstanding legacy of academic excellence and research on topical, important policy challenges.

The Department includes four professors—Chitralekha Basu, Michael Bechtel, Thomas Jäger, and Sven-Oliver Proksch—as well as two emeritus professors and a dedicated team of staff and doctoral researchers.

On April 15, 2025, we celebrated the official inauguration of the Department. The event featured a keynote address by Emeritus Professor Wolfgang Leidhold on The Biggest Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century, along with highlights of recent developments in our research and teaching activities.

The Department’s bylaws are available here.