Professor Jan Peter Balkenende
Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002 - 2010)
Chair of the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition
Partnership Towards Sustainable BUsiness
11 September 2017, 10.00am - 11.30am
Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, Professor Jan Peter Balkenende is now a global leader in sustainability. In this public lecture, he will share his vision about the roles of government, citizens, companies and tri-sectoral partnership, as well as the roles of universities via education and research, in technology development and social sciences. Prof Balkenende will provide insight in the complexity and dynamics of expectations and responsibilities of working towards sustainable business and society, through concrete examples of collaborations in the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition.
Globally, the discussions about sustainability are moving towards circular economy. In 2016, the government of the Netherlands announced a nationwide ambition to be fully circular by 2050. What is the expected impact on societal challenges and sustainable development goals? What is the expected international competitive advantage for the Dutch industry, how will this shift alter the global economic landscape? Join Professor Balkenende as he discusses these issues and more.
About The Speaker
Professor Jan Peter Balkenende (born in 1956), former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, has been Professor of Governance, Institutions and Internationalisation at Erasmus University Rotterdam since 2010.
Between 2011 and 2016 he has been a partner at EY, focusing on corporate responsibility, international affairs and areas at the interface of the public and private sectors. Since 1 July 2016 he has been External Senior Advisor to EY. Jan Peter Balkenende is currently a member of the Supervisory Board of ING. He also chairs the International Advisory Board of Rotterdam, the Major Alliance, and the Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition. The Dutch Sustainable Growth Coalition (DSGC) unites Dutch multinationals AkzoNobel, DSM, FrieslandCampina, Heineken, KLM, Philips, Shell and Unilever. The coalition aims to promote sustainable growth business strategies in The Netherlands and abroad. These multinationals all share the conviction that long-term financial and economic value is inextricably linked to minimised environmental impact, social progress and inclusiveness.
Jan Peter Balkenende studied economic and social history, as well as Dutch law, at VU University Amsterdam. He obtained a doctorate in law with a thesis entitled ‘Government Regulation and Civil Society Organisations’. He subsequently worked at the Netherlands’ Universities Council, the Research Institute of the political party CDA and as a part-time professor at VU University Amsterdam. He was a member of the Amstelveen municipal council and of the Lower House of the Dutch Parliament. From 2002 to 2010, Jan Peter Balkenende was Prime Minister and Minister of General Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In that capacity, he also served as Chair of the Innovation Platform. Before becoming Prime Minister, he published a number of books and articles on a range of subjects, including innovation, development cooperation, European integration, public-private partnerships, social security, government finance, poverty, economic growth, confidence in the economy and the role of the business sector in society. Jan Peter Balkenende received five honorary doctorates from universities in Hungary, Japan, South Korea and the United States.