Ecologic University Course on Think Tanks Policy Consulting (2018/2019)
- Presentation
- Date
-
Winter Term 2018/2019
- Location
- Berlin, Germany
- Lecture
In the winter term 2018/2019 Doris Knoblauch, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, organized the seminar "Think Tank Policy Consulting" at the Otto Suhr Institute (OSI) of the Free University Berlin. It was the first time that this seminar was held by an Ecologic Institute researcher at the OSI. Similar courses have been taught before at the Bremen University of Applied Sciences.
In this seminar, students of political science could learn what the practical work of a think tank actually looks like. Furthermore, the concept of policy consulting was discussed theoretically and controversially. The lecturers also answered questions regarding the career opportunities in this area. While the seminar was held by Doris Knoblauch, Arne Riedel serves as a special guest providing insights into his experiences participating in COP24 by providing legal analysis and advice to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
During classes, the students were divided into small groups and worked interactively on practical example cases which made the learning experience accessible and interesting for them. Not only did they learn about think tanks and research-based policy consulting, but they also improved their soft skills with feedback culture and time management. To pass the seminar, the students presented a proposal for a fictive project during which they should aim to publish a study on an environmental topic. The lecturer, as well as the other students, provided feedback and support for the other groups and their proposals.