Oxford Policy Pod

In this episode, Denisse Salazar speaks with Karen Sichel, an alumna of the Blavatnik School of Government, about women's rights, gender equality, politics, and leadership.Karen Sichel is an Ecuadorean lawyer, and served as Undersecretary of Regulatory Affairs in the Ecuadorean Presidency in 2023. Karen was also at the forefront of Ecuador's 2023 constitutional referendum.

In this episode, MPP students Erik Kucherenko and Kseniia Velychko talk to Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and civil rights defender, whose organisation Centre for Civil Liberties (CCL) won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. In an incredibly emotional and sincere episode, Erik, Kseniia, and Oleksandra discuss the motivation behind Oleksandra and the CCL's fight for human rights, the importance of documenting war crimes, the ongoing Russian full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the role of civil society in bringing about political and diplomatic change, and why justice is so important today.***Oleksandra Matviichuk is a human rights defender who works on issues in Ukraine and the OSCE region. At present she heads the human rights organisation Center for Civil Liberties, and also coordinates the work of the initiative group Euromaidan SOS. The activities of the Center for Civil Liberties are aimed at protecting human rights and establishing democracy in Ukraine and the OSCE region. The organisation is developing legislative changes, exercises public oversight over law enforcement agencies and judiciary, conducts educational activities for young people and implements international solidarity programs.After the beginning of new armed aggression in February 2022, Matviichuk together with other partners created the ‘Tribunal for Putin’ initiative in order to document international crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in all regions of Ukraine which became the targets of attacks of the Russian Federation.In 2016 she received the Democracy Defender Award for ‘Exclusive Contribution to Promoting Democracy and Human Rights’ from missions to the OSCE. In 2017 she became the first woman to participate in the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program of Stanford University. In 2022 Matviichuk was awarded with the Right Livelihood Award and recognised as one of the 25th influential women in the world by the Financial Times. The same year Center for Civil Liberties, which Matviichuk is head of, received the Nobel Peace Prize.

In this conversation, Nick Fabbri speaks with Lord Michael Heseltine, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and leading figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. In this interview, we reflect on Lord Heseltine's love of gardening, his time at Oxford University and presidency of the Oxford Union, his political career and lessons in leadership, his approach to public policy solutions including privatisation and the revitalisation of Liverpool, as well as Britain, multiculturalism, Brexit, and relations with Europe.***Lord Michael Heseltine is a giant of British politics, having served as a Conservative Member of the Parliament from 1966 to 2001. He was a Cabinet Minister in various departments in the Heath, Thatcher and Major governments from 1979 to 1986 and 1990 to 1997, and Deputy Prime Minister under John Major from 1995 to 1997. Lord Heseltine later served as an advisor to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Growth under David Cameron's administration, and as a Commissioner on the National Infrastructure Commission (October 2015 to March 2017). He is the founder and Chairman of the Haymarket Group, and runs the internationally-acclaimed Thenford Arboretum and Gardens.

In this episode, we are joined by Kaya Axelsson, Research Fellow and Head of Policy and Engagement at Oxford Net Zero, an interdisciplinary climate change mitigation research programme at the University of Oxford. MPP student Maeve Collins-Tobin speaks with Kaya about her reflections on her work in the field, common challenges of net-zero policymaking for governments and non-state actors, what makes a good net-zero strategy, and how universities can shape climate change policy.Follow Oxford Policy Podcast on Instagram: @oxfordpolicypod_

Mariana de Lucio, a Mexican lawyer and an MPP student, joined us to delve into the complex reality of being a woman in Mexico and confront the pervasive issue of gender violence plaguing the country. We explored the alarming statistics surrounding gender violence in Mexico and discussed the urgent need for action from both civil society and government entities. Throughout our conversation, Mariana offers insights into the vital role of civil society, especially women, in addressing gender violence and emphasizes the importance of holding the government accountable for implementing effective policies and programs. Mariana leaves us with a sense of hope and determination, proposing tangible paths forward that will lead us to a better reality for Mexican women. She inspires us to unite in solidarity and continue the fight for gender equality and justice in Mexico.

Erik Kucherenko talks with Kostiantyn Koshelenko, Deputy Minister of Social Policy of Ukraine responsible for digital transformation.We talk about the importance of digital transformation in public sector, Ukraine’s achievements in e-governance, including Diia application, which Ukraine now helps export to Columbia, Kosovo, and Zambia. We also discuss how innovations in social policy helped Mr. Koshelenko and his team ensure the fulfilment of state functions even at the start of the Russian full-scale invasion.Then, we turn to Mr. Koshelenko’s recently published book titled Management in Times of War. We discuss some of the advice Mr. Koshelenko gives in his book - time and energy management, productivity tips, achieving balance in life and delivering in public sector despite the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion.Access Management in Times of War in English - https://www.amazon.com/Management-Times-War-Leadership-Government-ebook/dp/B0CQ5DHNH8Follow Oxford Policy Podcast on Instagram: @oxfordpolicypod_

Erik Kucherenko talks with Mychailo Wynnyckyj, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine responsible for higher education reform.We discuss best practices in the domain of higher education, compare different higher education systems and their advantages. We examine the details of Mr. Wynnyckyj’s and his team’s reform agenda, ranging from merger of universities to harnessing economic methods to incentivise high-quality education and research. Mr. Wynnyckyj also talks about his decision to move to Ukraine after his studies in the University of Cambridge. We discuss his background as well as his decision to join the Ministry of Education and Science in 2023.Follow Oxford Policy Podcast on Instagram: @oxfordpolicypod_

Erik Kucherenko talks with Lubomyr Chabursky, Lesya Granger, Mark Paine, founders of Mriya Aid, a Canadian NGO that has provided close to $10 million of non-lethal military aid to Ukraine.In the first part of the conversation (00:00-1:01:03), we discuss how Mriya Aid has succeeded in winning trust of its donors and of the Canadian government, how it evolved in the last 2 years and how it manages to develop expertise and operate in a highly complex area of non-lethal military aid. Our guests provide practical advice on running an NGO, building organisational resilience, managing communication crises, and delivering despite all the difficulties on the way.In the second part (1:01:03-1:12:32), we discuss broader geopolitical outlook related to the unlawful Russian invasion of Ukraine. Finally (1:12:32-1:22:39), our guests share their advice and reading tips for current and future policy-makers on creating a balanced lifestyle, preserving mental health, and fulfilling one’s mission in life. Follow Mriya Aid Substack newsletter: https://news.mriyaaid.caFollow Oxford Policy Podcast on Instagram: @oxfordpolicypod_

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with Grace Fox, a student of the Master of Public Policy at Oxford University, about her personal story, the history of the Native American Seminole Nation, her family, identity, and belonging. Grace also reflects on her work with the US Department of the Interior in the Bureau of Indian Education in Native American policy, and her wider work in education, equity, and social justice, and what her hopes for the future are in her life and career.***Grace is from Edmond, Oklahoma, and an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. She recently graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and Ethnicity and Race Studies (Indigenous Studies). Through non-profit management, policy creation, and community-centered organising, Grace plans to work directly with Native American communities worldwide as an aspiring education activist.Grace has worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior in the Bureau of Indian Education as a recipient of the esteemed 2023 Udall Congressional Internship Program. Grace is excited to continue her education in Oxford and proudly work towards creating a better future for the generations to come, ensuring the success and well-being of her future ancestors. Grace is an Eisenhower Scholar.

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, Nick Fabbri and Dr. Paul Monk discuss the crises facing the liberal democracies today, and the lessons that the Roman Republic and Greek democracies may hold for the 21st century. We cover Paul's recent papers delivered to the Institute of Law and Strategy, and his tours of Finland, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia discussing the wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and the broader geopolitical situation.Dr Paul Monk is a writer, poet, and highly regarded Australian public intellectual with a background in security, intelligence, and consulting. His writing regularly appears in the Australian press, and he has written an extraordinary range of books, from Sonnets to a Promiscuous Beauty, to reflective essays on the riches of Western civilisation in The West in a Nutshell, to a prescient treatise on the rise of China in Thunder from the Silent Zone: Rethinking China.Subscribe to Oxford Policy Podcast on all podcast platforms, and follow us on Instagram @oxfordpolicypod_

Erik Kucherenko talks with Ema Grajcarová, a Master of Public Policy student student from Slovakia. In this episode, Ema talks about her personal and academic journeys, from studying at LSE and working on the use of European Union funds in Slovakia, to studying the Oxford MPP. The conversation traces the internal evolution of Ema's interests and goals, discussing in detail her research in gender mainstreaming policies, her impressions from the first term in the Blavatnik School of Government, and advice for future applicants.Follow Oxford Policy Podcast on Instagram: @oxfordpolicypod_

Welcome back to another season of the Oxford Policy Podcast. This is our first episode of the academic year 2023-2024. It is also the start of a new series called “People of the Master of Public Policy”. In this first episode of this series, we have Shuab Gamote as our guest. Shuab is a current MPP student and a passionate advocate for educational equality. This episode is about Shuab’s personal story of growing up in Manchester, experiencing a sometimes failing school system and making it his own political mission to promote quality education. You will also learn about what brought Shuab to the School of Government and what advice he will give to future applicants.

We are back from follow-up from our last episode on youth employment policy. We have Dr. Kate Philip again to discuss more in-depth Social Employment as a policy. Dr. Philip is the lead of the Presidential Employment Stimulus in South Africa, and the programmes she leads have employed more than 300.000 youth as social workers.As we deep dive in the concept of Social Employment, Dr. Philip discusses what constitutes a robust Social Employment programme and how governments can make such programmes scalable through leveraging civil society and partnerships. We also discuss how employing Youth in Social Work unlocks the social value of labour and also brings advantages to the private sector.The idea for this episode was by Dr. Philip, it was produced by Vitor Tomaz and edited by Paul Austin.

Governments worldwide face major challenges such as homelessness, education access, and healthcare support and there is wide recognition that governments can’t tackle these issues alone. Governments need to work effectively with non-profits, with social enterprises, business, and philanthropies to achieve better social outcomes. In recent years, outcomes-based partnerships (cross-sector partnerships whereby funding is contingent on the achievement of measurable outcomes) have emerged as a promising way to enable more effective and more impactful public-private collaboration. However, do these approaches live up to their promise? And how can we ensure that these partnerships are designed and managed as effectively as possible, building on existing evidence, data and best practice?Our hosts, Nikki Lucenario and Gloria Wawira, are joined by Andreea Anastasiu, the Executive Director of the Government Outcomes Lab (GO Lab) at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford to discuss how outcomes-based partnerships are becoming a useful tool for governments around the world.Founded in 2016 by the Blavatnik School and the UK to deepen the evidence around the use of innovative outcomes-based partnerships. Their work promotes an inclusive and responsive approach to generating evidence and seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice by curating opportunities for knowledge exchange for scholars, policymakers and practitioners around the world. This episode is produced by Paul Austin. Follow more of the GO Lab’s work at https://golab.bsg.ox.ac.uk/ INDIGO Dataset: https://golab.bsg.ox.ac.uk/knowledge-bank/indigo/GO Lab’s Social Outcomes Conference 2023: https://golab.bsg.ox.ac.uk/community/events/soc23/

In a country with 55% of the youth unemployed, the pandemic was simultaneously a threat and an opportunity. The Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) of South Africa encompassed several programmes to create and protect jobs against the effects of closures and lockdowns. One of those programmes employed as many ass 300.000 youth as social workers in school in South Africa and continues to expand.In this episode we received Dr. Kate Philip, lead of the PES . Dr. Philip the programmes in the stimulus, discusses how social employment can be leveraged at scale to solve simultaneously the problem of youth unemployment and other social challenges.The idea for this episode was by Dr. Philip, it was produced by Vitor Tomaz and edited by Paul Austin.

Continuing with the mini-series of the Masters of Public Policy public servants, two British council members join the Oxford Policy Pod. James Small Edwards, councillor for the City of Westminster, and Charlie Hicks, councillor for Oxfordshire County join our host, Annelisse Escobar.In this discussion, the council members share their experiences and challenges of youth political participation, innovation, and their vocation for service. Charlie and James compare their experiences as one of the youngest on the job. This has led them to take valuable academic knowledge at Oxford to their constituencies in policy issues like transport, housing, and coalition building. This episode is conceptualised by Annelisse Escobar, and edited by Paul Austin. To keep up with our latest episodes, follow us on Instagram @oxfordpolicypod_. 

The 2022-23 MPP cohort has some amazing people who are going to make a positive impact on the world. This mini-series in the Oxford Policy Pod will introduce you to some of these aspiring and ambitious change-makers.Our host, Chiraag Shah, is joined in this brief episode by Reem AlNuaimi and Maryam AlHashmi - two MPP-ers from the United Arab Emirates. They discuss their personal motivations for coming to Oxford to do the MPP, what it’s like to be a public servant in the UAE, and their future aspirations.This episode is conceptualised by Chiraag Shah, and edited by Paul Austin. To keep up with our latest episodes, follow us on Instagram @oxfordpolicypod_. 

With over a decade of existence, the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford is championing a world that is better led, better served, and better governed through its programs and centers that educate experts in public policy and governance to tackle the world's most pressing issues. In ten years, the institution has grown from a vision to a cutting-edge institution that advances practical skills and hands-on experience for its students through the incorporation of simulations, internships, and experiential learning. Students leave the school with the tools and knowledge to enact change in policy and governance.In this episode of Oxford Policy Pod, host Wantoe T Wantoe speaks with Professor Ngaire Woods, the founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and a Professor of Global Economic Governance. Together, they discuss the Blavatnik School's achievements over the past decade and its impact on shaping global leaders.Professor Ngaire Woods is renowned for her research on enhancing the governance of organizations, grappling with the challenges of globalization and global development, and the role of international institutions and global economic governance. She established the Global Economic Governance Programme at Oxford University and co-founded the Oxford-Princeton Global Leaders Fellowship program with Robert O. Keohane. Professor Woods also played a key role in the creation of the Blavatnik School of Government.In addition to her academic work, Professor Woods serves as a member of the International Advisory Panel of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a Non-Executive Director at Rio Tinto, and a trustee for the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the Stephen A. Schwarzman Education Foundation.This episode was created by Wantoe T. Wantoe a current master of public policy student and supported by the Oxford Policy Pod Team.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gone from science fiction to a critical part of our everyday lives. Governments play the role of regulators but they are also consumers. How are governments using AI to enhance citizen engagement, decision-making, and better service delivery? How to ensure that public services powered by AI are accessible and beneficial to all citizens? Our host, Paola Galvez Callirgos, is joined in this episode by Dr. Carlos Santiso, head of the Digital, Innovative, and Open Government Division at the OECD. He has worked in over two dozen countries in various capacities in multilateral development banks, bilateral aid agencies, and policy think tanks. Dr. Santiso is committed to improving lives and social impact in emerging economies. In that sense, both discuss the role of the public sector as AI consumers, diving into innovation, transparency, and inclusion. Finally, Dr. Santiso reflects on an adequate way to achieve an agile and intelligent AI regulation to harness its benefits and address its challenges.  This episode is conceptualised by Paola Galvez Callirgos, and edited by Paul Austin. To keep up with our latest episodes, follow us on Instagram @oxfordpolicypod_.

In this episode of the Oxford Policy pod Co-executive producer Gloria Wawira is in conversation with Mayor Jefferson Koijee from Liberia. They discuss Liberia’s and Monrovia’s preparation to ensure free, fair, and peaceful elections later in 2023 and the successes and challenges in the management of Monrovia. Koijee is the Mayor of Monrovia and the youngest mayor in the history of Liberia.  The conversation strands youth leadership in Africa, Liberia’s upcoming elections, and sustainable cities. The Mayor shares his experiences serving as the National Youth Chairman for the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and his current role as the National Secretary General of the ruling party.  This episode was developed with the support of Wantoe T Wantoe an MPP 2023 from Liberia.