PONT Book club: From Steerless to Steering Power
How do you prevent policies and implementation from being misaligned or too far removed from the living world? How can we help build trust by developing other relationships between government and citizens?
Following the PONT event ‘From Steerless to Steering Power’, a new book club will start in November with this same theme, led by Georgina Kuipers.
19 Nov - 22 Apr 2025 - 19:30 - 21:30
Georgina will take participants through an inspiring selection of books and other publications on getting public administration moving. We explore with a mixed group of public professionals and designers how we can work together towards more steering power in a world that cannot be made and how a designing approach could help. After all, how do you relate to a world and society that is constantly changing?
This book club challenges you to reflect on your own working practice on the basis of the books you read and, above all, to learn from and with each other.
In any case, we will read the book Stuurloos (translation: Steerless) by Kustaw Bessems and he himself will also join the session on his book.
About Georgina Kuipers:
Dr Georgina Kuipers is a senior researcher, lecturer and training manager at the Netherlands School for Public Administration. She is involved in research in the field – and the interfaces – of governance and law. Her particular interest is in topics around trust and confidence in government.
From 2017 to 2021, she was a PhD student at the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law at Leiden University, where she conducted interdisciplinary doctoral research entitled ‘Damaged trust’ on trust-based damages policy after government-facilitated damages.
Reading list:
The full reading list is yet to be announced, but you can assume we will read the book Stuurloos by Kustaw Bessems. Please note that there will be at least one English-language book on the reading list. You are expected to purchase or borrow the books yourself. Stay tuned for more information on the PONT website.
Practical information:
The first and last meetings take place in The Hague. The middle two meetings are online. You can mark the following dates in your agenda:
- 19 November 19:30 PM – 21:30 PM
- 14 January 19:30 PM – 21:30 PM
- 4 March 19:30 PM – 21:30 PM
- 22 April 19:30 – 21:30 PM
Do you want to join the PONT book club: From Steerless to Steering Power? Then sign up here!