Seminar

Re-assessing global economic history from the perspective of wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability for the period 1820-now

Guildford/Online, University of Surrey, 15 April 2024, 1-2pm

Environmental degradation and rising social disparities are increasingly undermining global peace, food security, and the stability of democracies. As we find ourselves at a pivotal juncture to redefine our development model, it is imperative to consider economic history through a lens that transcends economic indicators. This seminar will discuss how large-scale developments such as population growth, technological innovation, and globalisation influenced global developments in wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability. The presentation will show that, although there has been a general improvement in global well-being, this progress is shadowed by significant disparities in opportunities and outcomes, along with increased strain on the Earth’s natural systems. Disparities between countries often stem from the legacy and continuation of imperialist exploitation, whereas disparities within countries are more closely linked to specific domestic socio-economic strategies. To foster sustainable wellbeing for all, both global and national policies should focus more intentionally on wellbeing and equitable distribution across time and space.

About the speakers

Annegeke Jansen is a PhD Candidate at the Institute of Environmental Sciences of Leiden University. She is part of the WISE Horizons project that CUSP is a partner in. Within the project, she focusses on Beyond-GDP measurement and historical analysis on the global development of wellbeing, inclusion, and sustainability. Annegeke has a background in macroeconomics and philosophy and worked at the Ministry of Finance as a policy advisor before starting her PhD. 

Rutger Hoekstra is an associate professor at the Institute of Environmental Sciences of Leiden University. He leads WISE Horizons: a 4-year European project to develop metrics, accounting and models for Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Sustainability (WISE). He is also the author of Replacing GDP by 2030 which was published by Cambridge University Press in 2019. He has worked with/for the United Nations, World Bank, European Commission, OECD, European Central Bank, KPMG, Statistics Netherlands and many other organizations.  

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