26th February 2021:
Local Communities
Online Workshop of the
Jean Monet Chair EUKom
Takers and Shapers of the EU Decision Making Process
The event will be kicked off by a quick introduction by Prof. Dr. Joachim Beck, rector of the Kehl University.
Prof. Dr. Eppler will present her research on the EU Multi- Level System and the role of local communities
and the guidingquestions of the workshop.
The main guiding questions for the online Workshop include:
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What position do municipalities have in the respective national system?
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What role do municipalities play in the implementation of legislation initiated by the European level?
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What changes result for municipalities from their integration into the EU system?
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Do municipalities set up their own EU departments and, if so, where in the municipal administration?
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Do municipalities become active in EU affairs on their own initiative?
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Do municipalities raise EU funds and if so, in which areas?
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Do municipalities maintain (joint) offices in Brussels in order to exert influence?
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What possibilities do municipalities have nationally to influence the EU policy of the member state?
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How do municipalities network with each other (across national borders)?
20th September 2019:
3rd Jean Monnet Seminar
Grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit nach
dem Aachener Vertrag
Territoriale Entwicklungssteuerung im Kontext
rechtlich-institutioneller Flexibilisierung
Coopération transfrontalière après le Traité d'Aix-la-Chapelle
Gestion du développement territorial dans un contexte
de flexibilisation institutionnelle et juridique
Centre d'excellence Jean Monnet Franco-Allemand, Hochschule Kehl
16th May 2019:
Yours is my Heart - Europe
Theater play & panel discussion
Prof. Dr. Beck, rector of the university welcomed the numerous spectators, including many interested students and citizens of Kehl. Prof. Dr. Eppler introduced the event with thoughts on the upcoming election of the European Parliament and described its importance in the context of the development of the European Union. Then she welcomed the actors and left the stage to them
In the following play "Dein ist mein Herz - Europa" ("Yours is my heart - Europe") by the ensemble "Dein Theater" from Stuttgart, the tyrant king's daughter Europa, after whom the continent is named, takes the floor herself. The multilingual mother of three sons comments on current political debates with female intelligence, humor and foresight. Kalliope, the muse of science, philosophy and string playing, also gets her turn, presenting the musical diversity of a unique continent in a mashup of various languages.
The subsequent panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Eppler, between Prof. Dr. Larat from the École Nationale d'Administration Strasbourg, Dr. Zoller, Ministry of Justice and Europe Baden-Württemberg, Felix Kolb from the political department of the university and Uwe Fromm for the JEF Kehl was focused in particular on the following questions: Why is the 2019 European election of great importance to us? Why should we vote? The future of Europe and the growing importance of the Parliament were also topics of discussion.
Impressions:
"Dein ist mein Herz
- Europa"
25th October 2018
Jean Monnet Kick-Off
Inaugural Lecture and Panel Discussion
A lecture by Dr. Eppler followed by a discussion round heralded the award of the Jean Monnet Chair to her at the University of Public Administration in Kehl.
Prof. Dr. Witt, then rector of the university, acknowledged in his welcome to the audience the importance of the chair for the research location at the German-French border.
The following lecture by Dr. Eppler, who was awarded the Jean Monnet Chair in 2018, was also her inaugural lecture at Kehler University. Previously, Eppler conducted research in Insbruck, among other places, where she also completed her habilitation. In her lecture, she described the rule of law mechanisms of the EU and the development of an EU multi-level rule of law system.
She also spoke about the role of the municipal level in this system. She also critically examined the developments in individual member states that are scaling back their rule of law systems and the measures taken by the EU to protect the rule of law system.
This was followed by a panel discussion on the topic of future challenges facing the EU. Participating in this were:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Maurer (University of Innsbruck), Prof. Dr. Oliver Schlumberger (University of Tübingen), Dr. Doris Dialer
(then Head of Office in the European Parliament ), the Vice President of the European Parliament, Rainer Wieland MEP, as well as Prof. Dr. Annegret Eppler and Prof. Dr. Andreas Pattar (University of Kehl).
The audience - about 350 interested listeners from the Kehler students, civil society as well as EU experts from Kehl and Strasbourg listened intently and had the opportunity to ask questions afterwards. Thus, they were also able to participate in the discussion.
The discussions continued afterwards at a champagne reception in the foyer of the university.
Prof. Dr. habil. Annegret Eppler
Jean Monnet Chair
Prof. Dr. habil. Annegret Eppler is a lawyer and a political scientist. She studied in Tübingen, Germany, and Leuven, Belgium.
From 2004 to 2007 she acted as the Scientific Coordinator of the European Centre for Research on Federalism Tübingen. Afterwards she worked as a research fellow in the section "Comparative Politics and European Integration" of the Institute for Political Science at the University of Tübingen, where she gained her PhD in 2010 with a thesis on the EU's influence on the federalism reform in Germany in various policy fields.
In 2017, she was appointed professor at the University of Applied Sciences in Kehl, where she teaches European, constitutional and administrative law and coordinates the in-depth studies "Europe".
Contact:
+49 7851/894-221
Jean Monnet Professor
Current Lecturers
Anna-Lena Beilschmidt-Pilz
Anna-Lena Beilschmidt-Pilz is Deputy Head of Communications and International Affairs at the City of Pforzheim, she focuses on European affairs, fundraising, the international city and citizen participation. Her tasks include dealing with EU legislation relevant to municipalities (monitoring and representation of interests) as well as the conception and implementation of EU projects and international meetings or events on current European topics.
Previously she co-coordinated the project for strategic urban development "Masterplan" for two years.
Additionally, she is member of the Europa Union Pforzheim-Enzkreis and since 2019 member of the board at state level. She excels at the link between the local and european governance level and conducted research on these topics, partly together with Dr. Eppler.
As part of the europe in-depth studies she offers lectures for the Kehl and international students.
CV Beilschmidt-Pilz
Mag. Dr. Doris Dialer
Mag. Dr. Doris Dialer holds a doctorate in political science and worked in the European Parliament in Brussels from 2006 to 2019 as a political officer in numerous policy areas and specialist committees.
In 2020, the proven EU expert moved to the cabinet of Rudolf Anschober, Austrian Federal Minister for Health, Social Affairs, Care and Consumer Protection. Her areas of responsibility include: EU agendas, global health policy (WHO, third countries) and fundamental social policy issues (e.g. population policy). Dr. Dialer is co-editor of the European Studies Series (Nomos) of the University of Innsbruck and founding member of ICER - Innsbruck Center for European Research.
Together with Dr. Eppler she hosts the field trips of the european in depth students at the Kehler university to Brussels and Strasbourg.
CV Dialer
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Dieringer
Prof. Dr. habil. Jürgen Dieringer is a political scientist and adjunct professor at the Brussels School of Governance (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) and honorary professor at Andrássy University Budapest. There he previously served as dean and senator.
He has previously researched and taught at Duke University, Durham (USA) and the Central European University in Budapest, among others.
His research focuses on European integration, Central and Eastern Europe, federalism and regionalization and political economy.
At the University of Applied Sciences in Kehl he teaches on regional and local authorities in the EU, one of his many courses at various universities.
CV Dieringer
Prof. Dr. Mag. Rer. publ. Michael Frey
Prof. Dr. Michael Frey is a full professor at Hochschule Kehl. He conducts research on legal and administrative issues of climate change and energy transition and legal and administrative issues of cross border cooperation. Focused on applied research with immediately applicable results and trying to integrate practical experts on the field and students to research projects using the method of research-oriented learning. Also researching on possibilities of modern didactics of teaching in law, digital teaching and law teaching in a foreign language. He is the Co-head of the Kehler Institut für Angewandte Forschung (KIAF) and teaches on cross-boarder topics in the “EU Vertiefungsbereich” of the Bachelor Public Management (BPM) at Hochschule Kehl.
Jan Molzberger
Jan Molzberger is working as scientific assistant and lecturer at the Jean Monnet Chair ELEMENT. He is an alumni of the M.A. programme „European Public Administration“ at the University of Applied Sciences Kehl. His research is focusing on public administrations in Europe as well as the rule of law and cross-border cooperation.
Prof. Dr. Jörg Röber
Prof. Dr. Jörg Röber is a professor of public administration at the Kehl University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration. His research focuses on local politics, cross-border cooperation, and digital transformation in the public sector.
He studied political science and public administration, earned his doctorate from Zeppelin University on political and administrative cooperation in the Lake Constance region, and worked in local government before becoming a professor.
Dr. Henrik Scheller
Dr. Henrik Scheller is a political scientist and team leader at the German Institute for Urban Studies (Difu) in Berlin. His research focuses on local government finance and budgetary policy, investment policy, and federal fiscal relations.
He studied political science and earned his doctorate at Freie Universität Berlin. Before joining Difu, he worked at the University of Potsdam and the Bertelsmann Foundation, among other institutions.
Anni Schlumberger
Anni Schlumberger, CEO of Human IT Services GmbH, is an expert in citizen participation and assists municipalities in the planning and execution of participation processes. This includes linking participation channels, conceptualizing and designing interactive websites, and organizing and moderating events with citizens.
In addition, she is an expert advisor to the Integrata Foundation.
Previously she worked as a lecturer at the political sciences institute of the Eberhard Karls University Tübingen and for the German Institute for development policy in Bonn (DIE).
For the europe in-depth students she offers the future civil servants insights regarding citizen participation processes.
Florian Ziegenbalg
Florian Ziegenbalg is working for the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg. His unit is dealing with European Policies and in particular the Committee of the Regions.
Since 2021, he is teaching in Module 13 of the in-depth studies "Europe" at the University of Applied Sciences Kehl.
Current Staff
Sebastian Fohrer
Sebastian Fohrer is a graduate of the Bachelor’s program Public Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Kehl, where he attended the in-depth study “Europe“. He completed internships in the French overseas territories (Délégation de Mayotte à La Réunion) and at the Department for Cross-Border Cooperation and European Affairs of the Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe. He also worked as a student assistant at the Office for Cross-Border Cooperation and Europe (SGZE) of the Regierungspräsidium Freiburg. Since March 2026, he has been working as a research assistant at Prof. Dr. Eppler’s Jean Monnet Chair, and since 2026 he is studying the Master’s program in European Public Administration at the universities of Kehl and Ludwigsburg.
Lukas Dotzauer
Lukas Dotzauer completed the Bachelor's program in Public Management at the University of Applied Sciences for Public Administration Kehl, with a specialization in "Europe." Since 2024, he has been continuing his Europe-focused academic training in the Master's program European Public Administration at the Universities of Applied Sciences in Kehl and Ludwigsburg. He gained practical experience in international contexts at the Tusla Agency in Ireland, at the Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute (CLGTI) in Zambia, and at the European Office of the Baden-Württemberg Municipalities in Brussels.
Since October 2025, he has been working as a research assistant at Prof. Dr. Eppler's Jean Monnet Chair. There, he contributes in particular to the academic preparation and organizational implementation of excursions and other activities of the Jean Monnet Chair at Kehl University.
Isabel Parthon
Isabel Parthon is a senior government official in the staff unit for cross-border cooperation and European affairs (SGZE) of the Freiburg Regional Council.
The SGZE includes the project sponsorship for the information and advisory center for cross-border issues, INFOBEST Kehl/Strasbourg, whose German management Parthon took over in June 2017.
Analyzing cross-border issues and problems and answering complex legal questions at the citizen/administration interface are among the main tasks of the fully qualified lawyer. She is an expert in various committees, such as the expert committee on cross-border commuters of the D-F-CH Upper Rhine Conference and representant of the Trinational Metropolitan Region Upper Rhine in the "Border Network".
In Kehl she teaches from a cross-border perspective, especially at the citizen/administration interface in the relationship between Germany and France.