Prof. Dr. Carolin Zeller

Professor für Political Science & Public Affairs
Quadriga Hochschule Berlin
Prof. Dr. Carolin Zeller

Professorship

Carolin Zeller has grappled with the relationship between state, private and civil actors for over 15 years. Political decisions change in the conflict areas at play between the different logics of actors and their requirements. Carolin Zeller’s teaching and research interests are focused on understanding, tracing and helping to shape these developments. She is not out to find a quick or simple answer, but an in-depth and theoretically sound understanding of how and why advocacy in Germany and the EU is changing.

Research

Public affairs has arrived in Berlin. More and more companies, associations and NGOs are professionalising their efforts to lobby for their interests. This process has major implications – not only for public affairs models, but also for the design and development of our democratic political system. The public interest and the scandals of the past several years are leading us to constantly recalibrate our formal and informal rules and standards. Charting these changing rules and standards and incorporating them into modern lobbying remains a major, but exciting, challenge for the future.

  • What impact do these developments have on advocacy methods?
  • How can organisations ensure they are still heard in a Berlin that is increasingly growing ‘louder’?
  • And how do the powerful – but older – lobbying organisations deal with all this?
  • How do associations in particular need to change and adapt to remain relevant?

The public interest and the scandals of the past several years are leading us to constantly recalibrate our formal and informal rules and standards. Charting these changing rules and standards and incorporating them into modern lobbying remains a major, but exciting, challenge for the future.

Publications

Zeller, Carolin: Self-regulation and Labour Standards: An exemplary Study Investigating the emergence and Strengthening of Self-Regulation Regimes in the Apparel industry, Peter Lang Berlin 2012.

Berschauer, Carolin und Kai Ahlborn: Die Zukunft der Vereinten Nationen – ein Ausblick in: Dietmar Herz, Christian Jetzlsperger und Marc Schattenmann (Hrsg.) Die Vereinten Nationen – Entwicklung, Aktivitäten, Perspektiven, S. Fischer, Frankfurt a.M. 2002.

Carolin Zeller, Christian Thorun und Elisa Lopper „Das Berufsfeld Public Affairs in Zahlen“ in Politik und Kommunikation IV/2017.