Rethinking Health System Resilience: Concepts and Controversies in the German Context, with Benjamin Ewert
The session will begin by unpacking the concept of resilience, tracing its origins from ecological systems theory and its adoption in health policy discourse. Benjamin Ewert will present different conceptualizations - ranging from resilience as an outcome (bouncing back), a process (adapting and learning), to a systemic capacity shaped by governance structures, actors, and institutional arrangements.
Building on this, he will examine how the resilience discourse has evolved in the German context, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The seminar would explore how policy actors and institutions have framed resilience - whether as a managerial, technical goal or as a politically contested process. Using examples from recent policy documents, reforms, and academic debates, he will show how resilience is operationalized within Germany’s corporatist health system and how this interacts with existing power structures and governance modes.
The session will conclude with a discussion on the political determinants of health system resilience and the role of institutional change, civic engagement, and intersectoral collaboration. Participants will be invited to reflect critically on the normative and strategic uses of resilience in health governance, and its relevance to their own research or policy contexts.
In preparation for this seminar, Dr. Ewert has recommended reading Any lessons to learn? Pathways and impasses towards
health system resilience in post-pandemic times.
PDF Copies and citations of recommended readings for this seminar and all others for the semester can be found here.
Speaker Profile
Prof. Dr. Benjamin Ewert is a political scientist with a specialization in health and social policy, currently serving as Professor of Politics for Health Professions at the Department of Health Sciences, Fulda University of Applied Sciences. He holds a Venia Legendi in Political Science from Heidelberg University and earned his doctorate summa cum laude in Social Sciences from Justus Liebig University Giessen.
Prof. Ewert has held teaching and research positions at several institutions, including the University of Siegen, Fern Universität in Hagen, and Heidelberg University. He has been involved in numerous EU-funded research projects such as WILCO (Welfare Innovations at the Local Level) and InSup-C (Integrated Palliative Care), contributing both as a principal investigator and collaborative researcher. He has also conducted international research stays in Manchester, Prague, and Seinäjoki, further enriching his global perspective on health governance.
As a committed educator, Prof. Ewert has taught a wide range of seminars in health policy, social innovation, and behavioural governance. He has organized academic conferences and workshops, and regularly presents his research at international conferences such as ECPR and ICPP. His scholarly contributions have been recognized with the Ken Young Best Paper Prize in 2022. He is an active reviewer for numerous journals and funding bodies, including Public Administration, Behavioural Public Policy, and the European Commission.
Prof. Ewert is currently involved in institution-building and governance roles at Fulda University and maintains a strong engagement in the academic community through his editorial and peer-review work.
Register below and join us on Wednesday, September 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET
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