The first Bucerius Summer School on Global Governance was launched in 2001 by the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius. Since 2004 it has been conducted in cooperation with the Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung.

The Bucerius Summer School is an annual intensive two-week summer seminar and today one of the most longstanding and successful programs of the ZEIT-Stiftung. The aim of the Bucerius Summer School is to foster leadership qualities among young professionals by opening a cross-border dialogue on current questions of global relevance. Participants will be inspired by – and learn from – high profile speakers who are eminent public figures in politics, business, academia and the NGO sphere. Among the speakers in recent years have been Rahul Gandhi (Vice President of the Indian National Congress Party), Valéry Giscard d’Estaing (former President of the French Republic), Charles Kupchan (Professor of International Relations at Georgetown University), Lotte Leicht (EU Advocacy Director, Director of Human Rights Watch’s Brussels Office), Volker Perthes (Director, German Institute for International and Security Affairs), John Ruggie (UN Special Representative for Business and Human Rights), Wolfgang Schäuble (German Federal Minister of Finance), Shashi Tharoor (member of the Indian parliament), and Frank-Walter Steinmeier (German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs).

Over the past years, the thematic focus of the Summer School has shifted as have the issues that occupied the decision makers: The fall of the Iron Curtain, 9/11, the economic and political rise of Asia, the recurrence of conflicts in the Middle East, the global financial crisis and economic downturn, and finally overarching questions of good governance, sustainable and equitable development. These topics demand responsible political and economic action in a globalized world. The Bucerius Summer School is a platform, where leaders of tomorrow discuss and further develop their ideas in a highly inspiring atmosphere.