The University of Latvia (UL), Latvijas Banka, and the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga invite interested parties to attend an open lecture by the world-renowned ecological economist, Professor Tim Jackson from the University of Surrey, United Kingdom, titled "Prosperity as health – why we need an economy of care for a liveable future". It will take place on Friday, 6 March, at 13:00 in the Great Hall of the University of Latvia in Riga, Raiņa Bulvāris 19.
As one of the most prominent representatives of post-growth economic thought, ecological economist Tim Jackson is also the Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP).
Tim Jackson's signature approach is an experience-driven, interdisciplinary, even provocative perspective on seemingly well-explored concepts, such as prosperity, productivity, and balance. The fundamental question the professor returns to in his works is: "What can prosperity possibly mean on a finite planet?"
- Jackson does not view prosperity in a classically narrow sense – in terms of wealth – but as a balance between insufficiency and excess, as care for meeting needs, for those around us, and for the ecosystems we depend on. Similar to health, this balance is a state, a value that cannot be accumulated, as opposed to wealth. This outlook contrasts with stimulating consumption, the obsession with "always more".
- The professor offers his perspective on productivity, highlighting the redistribution of workload and creativity. "Work is not just the means to a livelihood but a key avenue for participation in society."
- Jackson criticises the speculative perception of investment and sticks to the idea that "investment is a vehicle through which we build, protect and maintain the assets on which tomorrow's prosperity depends".
- The economist suggests not only considering the means used to achieve the current objectives but also reviewing the objectives themselves. He emphasises the high price of economic growth as an end in itself, i.e. the risks of financial, social, and environmental instability, and also analyses the cost and social burden arising from growth in certain sectors (such as the modern food industry).
In 2009, representatives of the G20 countries gathered at a summit in London to discuss solutions for restoring economic growth undermined by the global financial crisis. At the time, Jackson, who served as Economics Commissioner for the UK Sustainable Development Commission, had just prepared a report on transitioning to a sustainable economy. When the government familiarised itself with the main conclusions of the report, it became clear that it was not the appropriate time for the document's conclusions to receive wide publicity. However, the report impressed readers, whose interest was not even expected, and was gradually turned into a book translated into many languages – Prosperity without Growth (2017).
Jackson's latest book The Care Economy was published in 2025. In a personal story, the author calls for care when assessing economic development opportunities as opposed to carelessness, which, in his opinion, is embodied by the current pursuit of growth in individual sectors or gross domestic product for its own sake.
The guest lecture by Professor Tim Jackson is a unique opportunity to learn about the views of one of the world's leading experts on economics, sustainability, and socially and individually beneficial economic development. The lecture will be introduced by speeches from Mārtiņš Kazāks, Governor of Latvijas Banka, and Gundars Bērziņš, Rector of the University of Latvia. The lecture will not be broadcast live.
The lecture will take place as part of the cycle "Academic Readings" organised by the University of Latvia Foundation. Attendance is free of charge, with prior registration required on the University of Latvia Foundation website.