It's been a term of getting to know one another, with alumni joining the first of our Career Networking Lunches: a great opportunity for our students to hear about our alumni's experiences in the working world. This term we heard from the entrepreneurs within our alumni community - a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to join us!

Many of you also attended our Networking Breakfast at the Alumni Centre and the inaugural Alumni-Student Networking Evening, which saw alumni, faculty and students from the various programmes get together for a few drinks and a catch up. A great time was had by all, and we hope to see you at the next event.

Our Alumni in Action this month is Nando Rivarola (MPA, 2019). Following the MPA, Nando is now enjoying his dream job of serving in the Paraguayan Ministry of Finance. Find out more about his story here.

Do you know an alumnus whose story should be shared with the SPP community? It could be a friend, a colleague, someone whose work you admire from afar - it could even be yourself! Drop us a line to recommend the next alumni profile.

With the ongoing coronavirus emergency situation within the UK, our main concern is the health and well-being of all students and alumni of the SPP. However, we also want to stay connected; therefore, we are currently looking not to cancel, but merely postpone, some of our planned alumni events for the summer.

With this in mind, we are excited to announce plans for our 2020 Alumni Reunion:  an expert talk, coupled with a drinks reception and dinner where you can catch up with old friends and meet our recently-graduated newest alumni. In light of how quickly current events are moving, a date has not yet been confirmed, but we will be sending an update out soon - so keep your eyes peeled!

Pictured: Eric Scheller (MPA, 2018) and Gunnar Caperius (MSc, 2002)

You never know when you’re going to run into another LSE alumnus…

 

Recently, as part of his role in the Swedish Liberal Party, SPP alumnus Eric Scheller found himself working with fellow LSE alum Gunnar Caperius. Eric (MPA, 2018), told us: ‘ Currently, we are in the midst of negotiations over the spring fiscal policy bill, a cornerstone in the Swedish budgetary process. It so happens that the Liberal Party’s negotiation team is headed by myself, currently chief of staff to the leader of the Liberal Party, and my Centre Party counterpart is Gunnar Caperius (MSc, 2002), head of their confidence and supply agreement team. 

 

And last Thursday we both found ourselves seeing an LSE-tie on the other side of the table. He is a 2002 MSc graduate and me of the MPA class of 2018. Two LSE-alumni in the heart of the Swedish fiscal policy community in these challenging times.’ We hope the negotiations went smoothly!

 

Have you encountered fellow alumni in unexpected places? Putting your SPP experiences to good use? Let us know more!

Online Certificate Course

The SPP is offering an online certificate course, providing an introduction to the social, political, economic and institutional factors that influence public policy. Do you know anyone who would be interested? Find out more about the course online.

The SPP recently hosted the Global Public Policy Conference on February 29th - an opportunity for international public policy students to come together and present solutions to international public policy problems. This year twenty teams from Tokyo, New York, São Paulo and Singapore presented their projects to fellow students and School Deans.

After much deliberation and hard work from all involved, the final winners were decided:

Best Presentation:  UELCOME - School of Public Policy, LSE

Best Analysis:  Development with Equitable Acquisition of Land (DEAL) Policy - Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo

Runner Up Group 1:  uBELONG: A Digital Identity for the Homeless - Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo

Runner Up Group 2:  Reconnections: Breaking the Drug Addiction Vicious Cycle of Marginalisation - Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo, Fundação Getulio Vargas

First Place:  Diciottinobond (18 Bond) - School of Public Policy, LSE

Our congratulations to everyone involved!

New Student Blog Editors

We are delighted to announce the appointment of our new editors for the student-run LSE blog. SPP students Chipo Mwanawasa (L) and Inga Bagepalli (R) are managing the blog, bringing you all the latest insights and debates from SPP students.

Chipo says:  ‘I wanted to be more involved in the SPP whilst studying. In line with LSE's 2030 theme, Shape the World , the blog is a platform for alumni and current students to share their work, thoughts, and shape the world!' Inga adds: 'I joined the blog team because I feel passionate about the opportunities for learning and growth provided by LSE. The SPP student and alumni body have diverse perspectives and interests - the blog serves as a platform for insightful conversations and forward thinking ideas.' 

 
You can read some of the blog's latest articles here.

Preparations for the publication of the Public Sphere Journal, the SPP's student-led journal of public policy, are underway. The journal is in its 8th year, and the 2020 issue - focusing on inequality - will be launched shortly. The editorial team features students from both the MPA and MPP as they work with LSE's new Houghton Street Press, which unites student-led journals across campus. The journal can be accessed here.

The SPP enjoyed another packed term of public events over Lent: covering everything from Brexit and Anglo-German relations to China and the rise of populism in international politics. Mo Ibrahim, Sudanese-British businessman, disucssed the Mo Ibrahim Foundation's work in supporting good governance in Africa, while British politician Lord David Sainsbury explored a new theory of economic growth, and European MP Professor Luis Garicano discussed proposals to resurrect the European Banking Union.

Couldn't attend one of our events? Looking for ways to entertain yourself at home? Don't miss out - enjoy the podcast!