Department Department of Social Sciences

About the Department of Social Sciences

The Department of Social Sciences contributes to the shaping of public policy in relation to both the unique challenges and opportunities facing Luxembourgish society and to the development of wider European and international frames of reference.

Our Study Programmes

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A hub for social science research

We engage academic, governmental, and private actors in developing research that address societal challenges.

Our Department facilitates the development of synergies across different areas within the social sciences and enhance the national and international visibility of the social sciences in Luxembourg. Recognising the distinctive place of Luxembourg as one of the main institutional sites of the European Union, we develop research in the area of European governance broadly understood.

Consistent with its role as one of the main centres of social science research in the country, the department makes major contributions in all four areas designated as National Research Priorities:

  • Sustainable and Responsible Development
  • Personalised Healthcare
  • 21st Century Education
  • Industrial and Service transformation

The Department of Social Sciences is also a forum for open, inclusive policy debate and societal dialogue with academic, civil society, governmental and non-governmental actors.

Home to Major European Research Council Projects.

CRISP and ELWar

The Department has successfully secured two major European Research Council projects.

The CRISP project, led by Professor Anja Leist, investigates cognitive aging from a social and behavioral (risk reduction) perspective with a focus on inequalities related to education and gender, and applies new modeling techniques to improve dementia risk prediction.

The ELWar project, led by Professor Josip Glaurdic, aims to fill the gap in our understanding of electoral legacies of war by analysing the evolution of political competition over the course of more than two decades in the six postwar states of Southeast Europe: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

Meet the team

An international team committed to rigorous critical social inquiry

The Department of Social Sciences brings experts. DSOC fosters a climate supportive of critical social inquiry that respects the academic freedom of its members to pursue their research interests in terms consistent with the highest standards of scholarly independence and rigour.

Justin PW Powell

Justin J W Powell

Head of Department of Social Sciences