Speaking & Moderating

Anu frequently gives keynote talks and participates in panel discussions on the subjects of her book The Nordic Theory of Everything. She also hosts and moderates discussions on many other topics.

Subjects that Anu addresses most frequently related to her book, detailed below, include: Nordic & American social policies, work-life balance, gender equality, education, health care, parental leaves, business innovation, and arts and culture. In particular, Anu often comments on what the U.S. and other countries can learn from Nordic societies and what Nordic countries can learn from America.

Anu is also a popular event host and moderator for discussions of all kinds both in Finnish and English. She is currently based in Helsinki and regularly moderates plenary sessions for international conferences, panel discussions & events for  universities, and discussions arranged by various organizations on themes as varied as the future of the welfare state, energy transition, AI, geopolitics, international law, public finances & sustainability in business.

For a list of upcoming and past appearances, please visit Anu's Events page.

Anu Partanen - Speaking

Photo: Anne Almasy

Invite Anu to Speak

To request Anu for a speaking engagement, please get in touch!

Contact

Speaking Topics

  • Work-life Balance: How the Nordic Countries’ Approach to Parental Leaves, Part-Time Work, and Work-Life Balance Creates Independent Individuals, Happy Families and Productive Workplaces

  • Education: How to Create Schools and Public Education that Support Both Equality and Excellence—Drawing on Lessons From Finland’s Education Transformation

  • Health Care: Debunking Myths About Universal Health Care and Showing Its Benefits to Individuals, Businesses, and Societies

  • Business and Innovation: Surprising Insights from the Nordic Region’s Dynamic High-Tech Companies: It’s Better for Business to Give Employees Paid Parental Leaves and Real Vacations, and to Let Them Leave Work at 5pm

  • Gender Equality: How Men and Women, Dads and Moms, Can Flourish Both at Work and At Home: 21st-Century Lessons from the Most Gender-Equal Countries on Earth, the Nordic Nations

  • Smart Government: How Governments Can Design Smart Policies to Support Citizens Instead of Limiting Them—The American View vs. Nordic Thinking

Testimonial

“Anu Partanen delivers a fact-filled, straight-talk perspective of the Finnish education system that is brimming with enthusiasm, optimism, and ideas for Americans. Her workshop at the 2012 Education Innovation Summit at Hathaway Brown School was one of the most sought-after sessions of the entire conference, drawing a standing room-only crowd and generating much discussion. Her presentation, ‘Excellence Through Equity: The Philosophy, Policy, and Practice Behind Finland’s Rise to Prominence as the West’s Reigning Education Superpower,’ was so popular that we decided to continue the conversation online after the summit, with Anu headlining a special live chat that brought people around the country together to learn about Finland’s approach to teaching young people. At the end of the chat, several participants remarked that Anu’s description and characterization of her native country’s system were ‘inspiring.’”

—Kathleen Osborne
Director of Communication and Outreach, Hathaway Brown School; Shaker Heights, Ohio