Managing Democracies Against All Odds: Navigating Israel in Turbulent Waters

Vytautas Magnus University Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute invites students and researchers to a public lecture by Prof. Dr. Eran Vigoda-Gadot from the University of Haifa, Israel. The lecture will take place on 4 February, 13:00.

This open lecture will explore the challenges facing modern democracies in an increasingly complex and turbulent world. Prof. Eran Vigoda-Gadot will examine the „democracy-bureaucracy paradox,” where the very institutions designed to serve the public good can sometimes hinder effective management or social values. Prof. Vigoda-Gadot will analyse this paradox through the lens of Israel, a unique case study.

As the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel has a remarkable history of resilience, born in conflict and thriving against significant odds, especially since the October 7^th terror attack from Gaza. Yet, this „democracy in a perfect storm” faces mounting pressures, including political polarization, social divisions, security threats, and environmental challenges. Through examining Israel’s specific experiences, Prof. Vigoda-Gadot will explore the nature and impacts of the democracy-bureaucracy paradox, considering potential solutions and pathways for managerial and administratorive reforms. The lecture will conclude with an open discussion, encouraging audience participation and engagement.

• Language – English.
• Format – in person.
• Date and time – Tuesday, February 4, 13:00 – 14:30.
• Venue – Putvinskio 23, Kaunas, auditorium No. 312.
• Please register for the lecture here. A few days before lecture, we will send you a reminder.
• Speaker: Dr. Eran Vigoda-Gadot, University of Haifa, Israel.

About the speaker

ERAN VIGODA-GADOT is a Professor of Public Administration and Management at the Division of Public Administration and Policy, School of Political Science, The University of Haifa, Israel. He is the founder of the Center for Public Management and Policy (CPMP) and the founder of the Public Organizations and Public Policy Interdisciplinary Behavioral Lab (POP-I Lab). His interest fields are Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management in Public Administration; Organizational Politics; Political Behavior and Citizens’ Role in Governance; Trust in Government; Public Administration and Government Performance in Times of Emergency and Crises; Public Sector Reforms and Performance; Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB); New Public Management (NPM); Democracy & Bureaucracy; Engagement and Emotions in Public Service; Collaboration and Innovation in Public Administration; Resilience and Wellbeing in times of Emergency.

Prof. Eran Vigoda-Gadot was recently included in a global study by Stanford University (Ioannidis, 2024*; also previously published in Plos Biology, 2019-23), at the top 2% of scientists worldwide, ranked 75 out of more than 16000 in political science and public administration. More details about his work, publications, citations, and public activities can be found on his website.

For more information about the workshop, please send an email to vki[et]vdu.lt.

This lecture is one of the activities of the project “Strengthening of R&D activities of the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Institute of Social and Humanities Sciences (SOCMTEP)”. The project is financed by the Lithuanian Science Council and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports of the Republic of Lithuania, contract no. S-A-UEI-23-13 (12/27/2023). Funding program – “University Excellence Initiative” (No. V-940).