Think tanks, policymaking and civil society
Dr Jan-Jonathan Bock
What kind of employment or workplace attracts anthropologists once they leave university? How do they explain to non-anthropologists what it is that they are good at and what their studies have taught them that can be applied practically and with relevance? In this session, Jan-Jonathan Bock will talk about his journey from anthropology into policy work, educational charities and democracy initiatives, and discuss career trajectories for anthropology students.
Bio: Jan received his PhD in Social Anthropology in 2015. His thesis analysed community life, urban politics and reconstruction in the wake of the L’Aquila earthquake in Italy (published as Citizens without a City in 2022). He completed two comparative postdoctoral research projects, as a member of interdisciplinary teams, at the Woolf Institute in Cambridge, investigating crisis experiences and intercultural/interreligious dialogue. In 2018, Jan became Programme Director of Cumberland Lodge, an educational institution in Windsor, bringing together experts from academia, politics, business, civil society, government and the media to find solutions for pressing issues facing society. He returned to his native Germany in 2021 and leads a democracy-initiative for the Hertie Foundation, the Business Council for Democracy, convening leaders from commerce and industry to reflect on the ways in which businesses can strengthen democratic life