Press release
The ‘Future of Local Government Careers’ project has been successfully completed
Following around two years of intensive collaboration, the closing event for the “Future of Local Government Professions” project took place at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam on 6th if July. Representatives from the administration, academia and the professional field came together to reflect on the research collaboration between the State Capital of Potsdam and University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, to discuss key findings and to develop prospects for further cooperation.
One element of the collaboration was the project ‘Working for the City of the Future’, which was carried out during the summer semester of 2025 as part of the MA programme in Urban Futures. Working in close collaboration with subject mentors from the city administration, students developed concrete solutions to five relevant issues – practical, creative and forward-looking.
At the launch on 6th of July, Dieter Jetschmanegg, Head of Division at the Central Administration of the State Capital, and Prof. Dr. Tobias Schröder, Research Professor for Sustainable Urban Development Strategies at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, welcomed the participants. This was followed by a presentation of selected project outcomes and the key findings from the collaboration. A keynote address on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence for universities and local authorities, delivered by the Vice-President for Digitalisation and International Affairs, Prof. Constanze Langer, provided further impetus for professional discussion. The event concluded with an open discussion session, during which the project results were contextualised and prospects for continued collaboration between academia and local Administration were discussed.
“Through this project, we have laid a solid foundation for better understanding future staffing and skills requirements in local government and for being able to respond to them at an early stage,” says Dieter Jetschmanegg, Head of the Central Administration Division of the State Capital of Potsdam. “The close collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam was particularly valuable, as it successfully combined academic expertise with municipal practice. The insights gained will help us to continue developing the Administration as an attractive and high-performing employer in the future.”
Prof. Dr. Tobias Schröder adds: “Universities and cities face surprisingly similar challenges, whether in terms of skills shortages and falling student numbers, or the far-reaching changes brought about by AI and digitalisation. The project has shown that it makes sense to tackle these issues together and learn from one another.”
The analyses and recommendations for action produced, together with the networks established, are intended to form a valuable basis for continuing to tackle the challenges of demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers together in the future. University of Applied Sciences Potsdam would like to thank all those involved in the project for their great commitment, their professional expertise and their spirit of trust-based cooperation.
