Learning to look at the long term

As a teenager, Jasmin Burgermeister MPA 2025 grew frustrated by policymakers’ lack of action to address sustainability.

“I remember how I was so upset about the inaction by adults and policymakers,” she recalls. “I spent years trying to find ways to raise awareness and make them act on this very urgent challenge of sustainability.”

Her frustration drove her to explore new ways to influence change. She originally looked at sustainability through the lens of a political scientist, and her journey brought her to the United Nations to help negotiate the organization’s Sustainable Development Goals. However, after entering the private sector, working at one of Germany’s largest auto manufacturers and at an American bank, Burgermeister discovered that companies tend to look at issues like sustainability through the lens of risk.

“What I discovered is these firms operate by using risk and foresight for their strategic planning,” she says. This discovery sparked an interest in using risk to drive action and change. For Burgermeister, risk management is not just about mitigating potential immediate threats but about addressing long-term challenges.

Her focus on risk evolved from sustainability to other fields, including security, geopolitics, and artificial intelligence (AI).

“I pivoted into AI risk because it is clearly an emerging topic,” she explains. “I believe AI risk is the next long-term challenge we must explore. Looking at AI from a risk perspective enables us to look at the technology’s potential more strategically, balancing both the short-term benefits and the long-term impacts.”

Burgermeister was drawn to Harvard Kennedy School to develop her leadership skills as a David Martin Leadership Fellow. She is also a Harvard Holtzer Fellow.

“HKS has helped me to polish my leadership personality,” she says. Learning from experienced leaders, such as former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, has allowed her to think boldly about her own leadership style. “My way of leading may be unique and different from traditional expectations, but it may still—or therefore—be highly impactful,” she reflects.

Burgermeister remains committed to maintaining her positive attitude in what many might perceive as an increasingly pessimistic world.

“Looking at the downsides and worst-case scenarios doesn’t have to be sad or depressing. We can take courage in confronting those risks,” she says. “It’s important not to shy away from the problem but to come up with good ideas on how to prevent those possible dark outcomes.”

As Burgermeister considers her future after HKS, her goal remains clear: to confront challenges head-on and use the risk perspective as a tool for meaningful change. She believes by continuing to raise awareness about the long-term implications of current questions of technological, geopolitical, or environmental nature, she can drive action.

“I hope acknowledging the societal risks that we face can become an argument for policy awareness,” she says.