Anticipation as capacity: preparing public institutions for long-term change

Public institutions are increasingly tasked with addressing complex, long-term challenges while operating within decision-making frameworks shaped by short time horizons and immediate pressures.

This lecture approaches anticipation as an institutional capacity, asking how public bodies might better prepare for social change rather than responding only once its effects become visible. Attention is given to how institutions interpret uncertainty, translate global commitments into practice, and make decisions whose consequences unfold over time across different governance settings.
Rather than concentrating on particular technologies, the discussion focuses on institutional routines, policy cultures, and the assumptions about the future that inform governance choices. Selected examples from public administration and human rights implementation illustrate practical ways of integrating anticipatory thinking into everyday institutional work.

The lecture concludes by reflecting on how strengthened anticipatory capacity can support more responsible, inclusive, and durable forms of governance.

The lecture will be held in English and is open to everyone interested.
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