The Research Landscape of Zeppelin University

The research landscape of Zeppelin University (ZU) basically consists of two institutional levels and three overarching guiding themes, which are interconnected in a variety of ways. These are explained in detail as follows.

The first institutional level represents the basis of the research landscape at ZU. It consists of the chairs and departments. This is where classical disciplinary but also interdisciplinary research takes place. There are three departments at ZU, to which the individual chairs are assigned: Department of "Business & Economics", Department of "Political & Social Sciences" and Department of "Cultural Studies & Communication Studies". Further information on the individual departments and chairs can be found on their linked websites.

At the second institutional level are the institutes and centers—some of which are funded by third-party grants—which are specifically designed to further promote interdisciplinary research.

The second institutional level includes the institutes & centers, which are especially designed to further promote interdisciplinary research and partially financed by third-party funds. These represent the interdepartmental and interdisciplinary institutional cornerstones of ZU's research landscape. The institutes and centers are listed here.

Due to their social relevance and their resulting attractiveness for research, teaching and transfer, the three overarching guiding themes of "Digitalization", "Sustainability" and "Global Networks" were established in 2021 with the Structural and Development Plan (STEP) 2021-2025. These themes are not specifically institutionalized at the university but are taken into account in the existing institutional structure through research at the chairs within the framework of the departments as well as in the institutes & centers. Since these topics affect several sectors (social, political, economic, cultural), their scientific treatment requires interdisciplinary cooperation. Beyond the area of research, these guiding themes also shape teaching and transfer as cross-sectional areas.