Hertie Highlights

22 June 2026, Berlin Philharmonie Wolfgang Schmidt, former Federal Minister for Special Affairs, delivers an inspirational speach to Hertie Graduates. He talks about leadership, cooperation, and respecting other opinions and valuing comprimise. https://www.hertie-school.org/en/news/detail/content/hertie-school-celebrates-class-of-2026 https://www.hertie-school.org/en/ This is a public episode. If...

Reem Alabali Radovan, German Ministor for Economic Cooperation and Development, speaks at the launch of the joint initiative on migration by the Hertie School and the Gere Foundation. She talks about the migration, displacement, and refugees around the world and specifically about Europe. “We have to make sure, as Europeans, together with our partners in Africa, that no more people die in the medi...

Richard Gere speaking on the occasion of the public launch of the joint initiative on migration between the Hertie School Centre for Fundamental Rights and The Gere Foundation. https://www.hertie-school.org/en/fundamental-rights https://gerefoundation.org/ Mr Gere speaks of his personal experience and hopes for the future. The new Joint Initiative will examine the deep causes of migration, that is...

The Jacques Delors Centre at the Hertie School is pleased to have hosted a keynote speech by José Manuel Albares, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain, on the future of Europe in an increasingly fragmented and competitive world. At a moment of profound geopolitical change, Europe faces growing pressure to strengthen its capacity to act collectively - economically, s...

A timely discussion on Europe’s geoeconomic future with Clément Beaune, drawing on his experience at the highest levels of French and European policymaking. Geopolitical tensions have laid bare the depth of Europe’s strategic dependencies, spanning security, energy, and critical raw materials. In an increasingly adversarial geoeconomic landscape, how can the EU reduce its most acute vulnerabilitie...

Symposium in memoriam Claus Offe, part 3/527 March 2026, Henrik Enderlein Forum, Hertie SchoolPublic lecture: Social science and social progressModerator: Melinda CraneSetting the stage with Claus Offe’s reflections: Ulrich Preuss and Helmut K AnheierPanellists: Sven Giegold, Gesine Schwan, and Lea Ypi View the full five panel event on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVyW-1uzF8DZtYw2xx...

We are honoured to welcome Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, at the Jacques Delors Centre at the Hertie School for an open conversation on the future of Europe. The event is organised in cooperation with the European Parliament Liaison Office in Germany. President Metsola answers questions from Hertie School students and audience members. From geopolitics and security to compe...

March 2026, Hertie SchoolIran is facing its most profound crisis since the 1979 revolution. Nationwide protests that began in late 2025 have reportedly been met with severe repression, mass arrests, and a near-total communications blackout. US and Israeli missile strikes on Iran have led to growing escalation in the region, with the involvement of regional allies leading to a wider conflict in the...

The European Union is often characterised as a constitutional democracy - a legal order structured around common values, fundamental rights, and judicial review. But what does it mean to describe the European Union as a constitutional democracy? And who ultimately safeguards its values? The Jacques Delors Centre and Centre for Fundamental Rights at the Hertie School invite you to view a keynote wi...

The Hertie School, in collaboration with ⁠Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH⁠ , is pleased to present a ⁠lecture⁠ to the students of Hertie School from ⁠H.E. Dr Kao Kim Hourn⁠ , Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on the topic “Geopolitics and ASEAN’s role in a multipolar world”. ASEAN now comprises 11 Southeast Asian member stat...

Hertie School welcomes Rahul Gandhi , Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (Indian Parliament), who spoke to students about leadership, democracy and global responsibility in a world in transition. Mr. Gandhi shared his insights and experiences, discussing not only a world in (power) transition but also his thoughts on Indian democracy, the importance of inclusive and equitable education, and...

The majority of pundits and specialists on democratic erosion often ignore an uncomfortable fact: some clues to democracy’s demise can be glimpsed in its beginnings, in the unequal circumstances certain people inhabit within democratic polities, or in adjacent contexts. Social class, caste, enslavement, patriarchy, ethnic chauvinism, xenophobia and racism are all factors that help determine who be...

Oona Hathaway , Professor of International Law at Yale Law School and President-Elect of the American Society for International Law, outlines the evolution of international law on war from past to present, stressing that the postwar legal framework designed to prevent interstate aggression is now under threat as powerful states like Russia, China, and the United States are violating or threatening...

“You’re never too young to lead, and you’re never too old to learn” In his widely applauded speech, this year’s commencement speaker, former President of Mongolia Elbegdorj Tsakhia , shared his wisdom and experience from more than 20 years of public service experience, which includes serving as Mongolia’s Prime Minister and President. Reflecting on his own country’s path to democracy, President El...

Claudia Buch , Chair of the Supervisory Board of the European Central Bank (ECB) Verena Ross , Chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) Europe holds vast reserves of private savings —yet these resources are not being fully channelled toward the continent’s most pressing investment needs. Addressing this mismatch lies at the core of proposals for a Savings and Investments Union...

Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central BankAmidst a fragmenting global landscape and mounting geoeconomic pressures, the European Union faces critical challenges: How to strengthen competitiveness and build up economic sovereignty while maintaining open and predictable global economic relations? What is the role of the Franco-German partnership in steering Europe through this new era...

More than 160 people filled the Henrik Enderlein Forum on Friday, 16 May 2025 to hear from Kenneth Roth, the former Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. Roth, who oversaw the international NGO from 1993 to 2022, was joined on stage by Wolfgang Kaleck , founder and General Secretary of the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), Katrin Sandmann , journalists and managing p...

The Jacques Delors Centre and the Embassy of Ireland in Berlin invite you to a high-level discussion with Paschal Donohoe , Ireland’s Minister for Finance and President of the Eurogroup. At a time of economic transformation and geopolitical upheaval, Europe faces critical decisions about its economic and financial future. Minister Donohoe will share his insights on the key challenges and opportuni...

In a keynote the Swedish Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin outlined the need for civil defence and urged EU members to collaborate more closely on security. On 20 November 2024, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Sweden’s Minister for Civil Defence, delivered a keynote address at the Hertie School in Berlin during his official visit to Germany for the Berlin Security Conference. The event was co-hosted by the Hertie Sch...

13 November 2024, Hertie School Wednesday, 6 November 2024 will be remembered in Germany as the day that Donald Trump was re-elected President of the United States and Germany’s governing traffic light coalition came to an early end. It was under these momentous circumstances that the Jacques Delors Centre and the Hertie School hosted a discussion with Friedrich Merz, CDU Federal Chairman and cand...

21 October 2024 at Hertie School The world is currently facing a number of challenges. War and conflict are spreading, and global warming, natural disasters and a loss of biodiversity are converging with a cost-of-living crisis and various societal challenges affecting the youth. Hope and confidence seem to have given way to instability and uncertainty. While today’s polycrisis is unprecedented in...

17 September 2024, Hertie School“Thank you, President Cornelia Woll and the Hertie School, for this honour,” Arnold Schwarzenegger said in his acceptance remarks, highlighting his ongoing drive to give back and fight for innovative policies to combat climate change and pollution. “The world is like the body: the more you train, the more effort you put into it, the healthier you get,” he said after...

Recorded at the Hertie School’s 20th Anniversary Forum, 18 June 2024Keynote speech by Francis Fukuyama, in which he voiced his concern for democracy in general and alarm at the growth of anti-democratic sentiments in Western countries in particular. In his view, the roots of anti-democratic movements within established democracies lie in widespread discontent with liberalism and liberal democracy;...

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thehertieschool.substack.com

As part of his visit to Berlin, Rutte spoke with students about the recent Dutch elections, European sovereignty and his time in leadership. “There is only one solution to the big issues of our time, and that one solution is cooperation,” the Prime Minister claimed in his opening remarks, highlighting the importance of common EU action and multilateralism. In particular, Rutte focussed on collabor...