History of the ZeS in the years 1996 - 2005

The scientific advisory board of the Center for Social Policy Research met in Bremen from 12th to 13th May 2005.

The committee is comprised of representatives of research and practical experts in social policy:

  • Prof. Dr. Richard Hauser (Universität Frankfurt)
  • Prof. Dr. Adrienne Héritier (Max-Planck-Projektgruppe "Recht der Gemeinschaftsgüter", Bonn)
  • Prof. Dr. Ellen Immergut (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin)
  • Prof. Dr. Franz-Xaver Kaufmann (Bielefeld University)
  • Prof. Dr. Eckhard Knappe (Universität Trier)
  • Dr. Arnold Knigge (council of state, Senator of Labour, Women, Health, Youth and Social Affairs, Bremen)
  • Prof. Dr. Barbara Riedmüller (Freie Universität Berlin)
  • Prof. Dr. Franz Ruland (Verband Deutscher Rentenversicherungsträger e.V.) (the pension insurance association)
By offering the Master's Degree in Social Policy, the ZeS considerably contributes to the profile formation in teaching within the Social Sciences.

This M.A. programme renders possible to use the internationally recognized ZeS research profile also for teaching purposes. The Master in Social Policy complements the socio-scientific programmes by an additional research-focused M.A. programme - which greatly complies with the University's research profile in Social Sciences. Further, the programme bridges a gap between the existing B.A.-programmes and the doctoral level. Hence, the specialisation available so far can be further expanded with integrated courses. This offer ranges from a first degree to a second degree including a dissertation.

In Germany, this M.A programme is unrivalled. Due to the research structure available, the University of Bremen has the best offer for an internationally competitive and research-based programme in the field of Social Policy Research. This is mainly thanks to the Centre for Social Policy Research, with its interdisciplinary orientation, its focus on the entire range on welfare state institutions, as well as the close interrelation between application-oriented and basis research.

Moreover, within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre 597 "Transformations of the State", an increasing number of research projects investigates the transformation of Western welfare states. Further support is ensured by the programme's integration into the Departments Social Sciences, Health and Human Sciences, and Economics, as well as the close cooperation with the Department Law which offers courses in employment and social law. Thus, the programme is based within a wide range of socio-scientific disciplines, e.g. Sociology, Economics, Political Sciences, Law, Health Care Science, Ergonomics, etc..

This extensive research and teaching infrastructure allows the University to offer another research-oriented Master programme - specialized on welfare state research and social policy - which, among others, also aims to build upon the B.A. programmes in political sciences and sociology. The programme therefore fulfils the University's key objectives, i.e. multidisciplinarity, high quality in teaching and research, practical relevance, social responsibility, and the internationalization of teaching and research.

Source: Comprehensive Report 2002 - 2004, Centre for Social Policy Research

The Centre for Social Policy Research is collaborating with the Collaborative Research Centre in four projects.

The Collaborative Research Centre 597 began its work in the beginning of 2003. The Centre for Social Policy Research is collaborating with this research centre in the following four projects: Transformation of Democratic Legitimacy through Internationalisation and Departmentalisation; Social Policy in Small Open Economies; The Changing Role of the State in OECD Health Care Systems; "Activating" Labour Market Policies from an International Comparative Perspective.

Source: Annual Report 2003, Centre for Social Policy Research

Prof. Dr. Frank NullmeierProf. Dr. Frank Nullmeier
Frank Nullmeier succeeds Manfred G. Schmidt as director of the department.

Between 1975 and 1981, Frank Nullmeier completed his studies in political science, economics, sociology, and public law with a diploma as political scientist at Hamburg University. Afterwards, he worked as research associate in a project investigating the influence of the statutory pensions insurance for the labour market at the Institute for Public Finance at the Universities of Hamburg and Hannover.

In the following, further important points in time in Nullmeier's professional curriculum vitae are listed:

  • 1990: PhD as Dr.rer.pol. with the dissertation topic "From Max Weber to a Political Science of Knowledge".

  • 1990-1997: Assistant Professor at the Institute for Political Science at Hamburg University.

  • 1998: State doctorate ("Habilitation") in Political Science on the subject "Political Theory of the Welfare State".

  • 1997-2000: Scientific supervision and management in a project on "University Development" regarding the modernization of administrative and decision-making structures, University of Hamburg, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation.

  • Summer semester 2000: Professor of Social Policy, University of Constance (temporary replacement for Professor Jens Alber).

  • 2000-2002: Full Professor of Political Science at Essen University.

  • Since October 2002: Full Professor of Political Science at the University of Bremen and head of the department "Theory and Constitution of the Welfare State" at the Centre for Social Policy Research.

  • Since January 2003: Member of the Collaborative Research Centre 597 "Transformations of the State".

His main research interests regard welfare state theory, social policy with a particular focus on old-age provision, as well as policy research, public administration, political theory, and party research.

Source: Comprehensive Report 2002 - 2004, Centre for Social Policy Research

The scientific advisory board of the Center for Social Policy Research met in Bremen from 16th to 17th May.

The committee is comprised of representatives of research and practical experts in social policy:

  • Prof. Dr. Jos Berghman (Social Policy Department of Sociology, Leuven, Netherlands)
  • Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dirk Henke (Technische Universität Berlin)
  • Prof. Dr. Adrienne Héritier (Max Planck Project Group "Law of Common Property", Bonn)
  • Prof. Dr. Franz-Xaver Kaufmann (Bielefeld University)
  • Dr. Arnold Knigge (council of state, Senator of Labour, Women, Health, Youth and Social Affairs, Bremen)
  • Prof. Dr. Bernd Baron von Maydell (Max Planck Institute of Foreign and International Criminal Law, Munich)
  • Prof. Dr. Rainer Münz (Humboldt-Universität Berlin)
  • Prof. Dr. Barbara Riedmüller (Freie Universität Berlin)
  • Prof. Dr. Franz Ruland (Verband Deutscher Rentenversicherungsträger e.V.) (the pension insurance association)
  • State Secretary Dr. Werner Tegtmeier (German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Bonn)
Through funding from the Volkswagen Foundation and the University of Bremen, the Graduate School of Social Sciences (GSSS) 2002/03 started its activities as the first social science graduate school in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The premise of a graduate school originated in the phased-out Collaborative Research Centre 186: "Status Passages and the Life Course" (Sonderforschungsbereich 186 "Statuspassagen und Risikolagen im Lebensverlauf"). The GSSS is a facility for research-oriented and structured doctoral training, partially based on the Anglo-American model of promoting young researchers. In addition to the Centre for Social Policy Research (ZeS), sponsors of the GSSS are the Institute for Intercultural and International Studies (InIIS) and the Institute for Empirical and Applied Sociology (EMPAS), both being political and social science research institutes in the Department of Social Science at the University of Bremen.

The three topic areas of the GSSS are:

  • international relations and political theory;
  • welfare state transformation;
  • life course, population dynamic, and social change.


The contents of the Centre for Social Policy Research are linked to the GSSS through the emphasis point of the modern welfare state. Researchers at the ZeS participate as supervisors on several doctoral projects and on the curriculum at the GSSS. Furthermore, doctoral students conversely participate in research projects at the ZeS as part of the curriculum at the GSSS. The ZeS moreover brings already growing cooperative relationships with international partners to the disposal of the GSSS. A special responsibility for the Centre for Social Policy Research is particularly shown by the fact that Karin Gottschall has directed the GSSS since 2003. The ZeS essentially contributes to further building a research-oriented profile as well as structurally reforming Social Sciences at the University of Bremen through the above mentioned promotion of young researchers.

Source: Comprehensive Report 2002 - 2004, Centre for Social Policy Research

The scientific competence of the ZeS is further developed with the certificate programme in Social Policy, which is interdisciplinary orientated and has a focus on teaching.

Social Policy at the University of Bremen is recognised as being relevant through research at the Centre for Social Policy Research. With courses to be offered at the Faculty 8, this combined scientific competence is being developed with the certificate programme in social policy, which now also focuses on teaching.

In addition to their regular degrees, students majoring in Sociology, Political Science, Social Work, Nursing Sciences (with a minor in Sociology), and Economics have the possibility to receive a certificate in Social Policy. The certificate programme thereby opens additional opportunities in Social Science professional fields, for example, associations, state institutions, public self-governance bodies, and political parties.

This four-semester programme comprises the following fields:

  • Theories of the Welfare State,
  • Economic principles of Social Policy,
  • Principles of Social Law,
  • the German Welfare State,
  • European and international Social Policy, and
  • Comparative Social Policy.


Source:
ZeS report, 6. Vol., No. 2, November 2001, p. 28

Prof. Dr. Manfred G. Schmidt (Source: Lichtspuren)Prof. Dr. Manfred G. Schmidt (Source: Lichtspuren)
Professor Manfred G. Schmidt, one of Germany’s most renowned political scientists and in 1995 winner of the prestigious Leibniz Prize of the German Research Foundation, leaves the Centre for Social Policy Research and the University of Bremen.

Manfred G. Schmidt taught politics and the political system of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Social Sciences Department with particular regard to theory of the state and welfare state theory. His future employer is once again the University of Heidelberg where Schmidt taught from 1987 to 1997. Schmidt directed the department "Theory and Constitution of the Welfare State" at the Centre for Social Policy Research and worked at the University of Bremen since 1/10/1997.

Source: Bremer Uni-Schlüssel (BUS), No. 62, February 2001, p. 23 and No. 63, April 2001, p. 27

from left to right:  Willi Lemke, Prof. Dr. Hans F. Zacher, Prof. Dr. Rainer Müller (© Harald Rehling)from left to right: Willi Lemke, Prof. Dr. Hans F. Zacher, Prof. Dr. Rainer Müller (© Harald Rehling)
ZeS celebrates "Social Policy in Germany" with a conference in "Haus Schütting" in Bremen.

The conference "Social Policy in Germany" wants to show strenghts and weaknesses, provide new ideas and a basis for recognition as well as for the development of new perspectives.

Which is the social, economical and political use of social policy and which are its social, economical and political costs? How capable is the welfare state of Germany? It is prepared for future challenges: the demographic development, changes in age structure of the population and family structures, unemployment, the consequences of the Reunification, the European integrations as well as intensified international competition? Or is the welfare state going to be overstrained by these challenges?

The conference "Social Policy in Germany" organised by the ZeS on the occasion of the 10th anniversary, wants to give new impulses on the development of social policy and provide a basis for recognition as well as for the development of new perspectives.

Source: Conference programme "Sozialpolitik in Deutschland" on 28th/29th October 1999, Haus Schütting, Bremen

The conference lectures are published in: Leibfried, Stephan; Wagschal, Uwe (Hg.), 2000: Der deutsche Sozialstaat. Bilanzen - Reformen - Perspektiven, Schriften des Zentrums für Sozialpolitik/10, Frankfurt/M. Campus

Prof. Dr. Gerd GlaeskeProf. Dr. Gerd Glaeske
In October 1999, Gerd Glaeske was awarded an honorary professorship of the University of Bremen at the Centre for Social Policy Research.

Gerd Glaeske was director for principal medicinal-scientific questions at the BARMER-Administrative Headquarters in Wuppertal. He became most prominently known as a critical monitor of the pharmaceutical market and its supply as well as a health policy expert. His evaluations of pharmaceuticals and of the quality of health care were often published. Gerd Glaeske was an important expert in the realm of statutory health insurance by regularly advocating for patient protection and transparent insurance information.

Above all, the University of Bremen paid particular attention to Glaeske’s work on the supply of pharmaceuticals. As a result, data from the Gmünder Ersatzkasse (GEK), which can be used within the framework of a cooperation project with the University of Bremen, are at his disposal. He will carry out this work at the newly founded research unit Health Policy and Evaluation of Medical Care at the Centre for Social Policy Research at the University of Bremen.

Source: Bremer Uni-Schlüssel (BUS), No. 57, February 2000, p. 30