21. LSE German Symposium

Symposium 2022 – Navigating Transitions

The Society’s flagship event is the annual LSE German Symposium in London. Initiated in 1998 by German LSE students, the German Symposium has become an important event in the university’s calendar and beyond and will be held for the 21st time in 2022. From 7th to 11th February, the conference week will host several keynote speeches, discussion panels, and intimate events each day to offer the opportunity for intellectual debate and reflection. Throughout the week, we will examine current issues relevant to Britain, Germany and their role in Europe and the world. Over the years, we have consistently attracted renowned economists, executives, politicians, and academics to speak at the Symposium. All events are free of charge and open to the public.The fight against the global COVID-19 pandemic and the handling of its economic and social aftermath mark unprecedented challenges in all areas of public life. Therefore, the decision of how to move forward after two years of disruption will impact the socioeconomic landscape of Europe, Germany, and the UK for years to come.

Under our guiding motto “Navigating Transitions”, the LSE German Symposium 2022 takes the pandemic not only as an opportunity to critically discuss these drastic changes, but most importantly to explore how we can rethink political and economic rulebooks to overcome the deficits it has exposed in our society and to emerge out of the pandemic stronger than before. Hence, we will raise the question of how challenges such as climate change, sustainability, and digitalisation can be reconciled with measures that address the pandemic and its aftermath. Simultaneously, we seek to explore how decision-makers in politics and business can react to crises more effectively in the future and create more resilient systems to handle radical uncertainty.

The Symposium will take place one year after the end of the Brexit transition period. This historic event does not only mark a restart for the Anglo-European partnership but also forms a crucial moment to reflect on the future of the European project and international cooperation more generally.

“Navigating Transitions” at the 21st German Symposium will address how we can reshape political, economic, and social horizons and leverage the momentum of this pivotal point in history to build back better in Europe and the world.

Read the full programme here.