Welcome to the latest news update from the School of Public Policy
A huge congratulations to the Class of 2022!
With another academic year over, our students have finished their classes and completed their last exam, and we are now looking forward to celebrating graduation with them this summer. We wish all of our graduating students a very fond farewell, and hope to see them return to the SPP as alumni in the future.
We are also delighted to announce that after the delay of lockdown, we will finally be hosting the Class of 2020 for their on-campus graduation this summer. It's been a long time coming, but we are really looking forward to celebrating all your achievements in person!
Alumni News
Summer Term Alumni Activities
Campus is now fully open, and it’s been great to once again see our alumni beyond the confines of a Zoom call! We’ve enjoyed welcoming you back to LSE for alumni activities such as:
'Communicating in the Media' Professional Development session – a training session held in partnership with the European Institute and run by freelance editor Ros Taylor about how to communicate effectively within the media.
Summer in the City Drinks – a drinks reception to celebrate the end of the year with alumni and faculty. Despite some poor weather we enjoyed drinks and great views from the 12th floor of the Centre Building (pictured above, Professor Tony Travers with some former students).
Thank you to everyone who joined us - as always, it's lovely to see you.
Alumni Volunteers
‘I found my conversations with the SPP alumni to be quite eye opening. The stories, lessons, and advice I got from them were enlightening, but above all encouraging. I think more than anything, amidst all the hustle, such engagement is pivotal to keep current students hopeful & calm.’ - Aaratrika Barman (current student)
Find out about how your help makes an impact in our community here!
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A huge part of the supportive and vibrant atmosphere at the SPP comes from our community spirit – those of our SPP family who are happy to give up their time in supporting us.
We would like to say an enormous thank you to all those alumni who have given back to the SPP this past academic year. Whether that be through chatting to students one-on-one, sharing their story in an Alumni in Action profile, volunteering at events, or providing feedback for student projects: we truly appreciate all you do for us!
Our alumni gave back a total of 137 hours of community service to us this year - find out how below:
'Ask an Alum' Support Scheme
We would love anyone who is interested in supporting our students to consider joining our new student support scheme. Here alumni volunteers will be connected with individual students to answer career-related questions and share professional advice.
As our alumni will probably remember from their own time at LSE, students really appreciate these opportunities to connect with alumni - we hope to provide further support for them during a very challenging degree!
In order to launch oursupportscheme we need alumni volunteers - if you're interested in taking part, we would love to hear from you! Please email Hannah Shearer ath.c.shearer@lse.ac.ukto register your interest or ask any questions.
Career Networking Panels
With the new academic year fast approaching, we are already planning a new programme of career networking panels for our students and alumni. Michaelmas Term will host two in-person panels welcoming our new students to the MPA and to the MPP, as well as two virtual panels on working in Consulting and in Government & Policy.
If you're interested in participating in any of these panel events please email spp.alumni@lse.ac.uk for further details.
Alumni in Action
Meet Habiba Elkharbotly
Our featured Alumni in Action is Habiba ElKharbotly! Habiba studied the MPA in 2018 - having been drawn to economic public policy during her studies, she is now a senior economist at the Central Bank of Egypt. Habiba enjoys a wonderfully diverse role: working in one of the main policy-setting institutions in Egypt.
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.
Alumni Benefits in the Spotlight
Looking for inspiration for your summer reading? Why not join the LSE Alumni Online Book Club?
Our book club covers a wide range of topics, and regularly hosts private forums for thought-provoking discussions. It’s a great way to meet more alumni, explore new areas of thought, and access LSE Research - find out more online.
Department News
The Ukraine Reconstruction Forum
This May the SPP and the Growth Co-Lab at LSE jointly held The Ukraine Reconstruction Forum. This was attended by fifty representatives: including high-level officials from the Ukranian government, private sector, think tanks and civil society; envoys from major international financial institutions and bilateral aid agencies; and academic experts.
The goal of the meeting was to create a safe space where participants could share information on different aspects associated to the reconstruction, to catalyze action and support, and to mobilize the resources needed to bring Ukraine back on its feet.
The first meeting of the Ukraine Reconstruction Forum is the beginning of an ongoing coordinated support effort, where the SPP and the Growth Co-Lab endeavour to support the process of reconstruction and developing research that informs policies aimed at revitalizing the economy of Ukraine.
New MPA – Data Science for Public Policy programme
The School of Public Policy’s new two-yearMPA – Data Science for Public Policyhas been approved by the LSE and will welcome students for the 2023-2024 academic year.
The new programme will equip students with key tools from economics, political science, econometrics and data science to tackle emerging policy challenges in the age of digital transformation, big data and artificial intelligence. Graduates will enter the labour market with crucial quantitative analysis and computer programming skills to solve the next generation policy design and implementation challenges. To stay up to date with details and developments about SPP’s new programme, email SPP@lse.ac.uk.
Seed funding for joint research projects of LSE and Fudan University
The LSE-Fudan Global Public Policy Hub has launched a fund to support academic collaboration between Fudan University and the LSE.
Research collaborations on any topic are welcomed, up to the value of £50,000 per annum. The project has to involve academics from both universities. Further details and the application form are available on the Fudan University website or by contacting the Hub Co-ordinator Evgeniya Kondrashina.
Vanessa Rubio Marquez - Speaking Engagements
Professor Vanessa Rubio Marquez was recently a panellist on '
The Populist Challenge' at Bloomberg’s Latin America New Economy Forum last May - an event that brought together 200 private and public sector leaders to discuss the most pressing challenges for sustainable and inclusive economic growth. You can view the event here.
SPP Student Gala
SPP students ended the Summer Term in style with the annual SPP Gala, which this year was held on Friday 24th June.The event was organised by the SPP and the official SPP student association, APPS.
Sudents from the MPA and MPP programmes came together with members of staff for a black-tie celebration: which included a champagne reception and three-course dinner followed by dancing in the iconic Palm Court at The Waldorf. It was wonderful to see staff members, students, and their partners come together to celebrate our students' achievements. A fantastic time was had by all, and we're glad to see our students finished the academic year on such a high note!
Publications and News
Rebranding the West
Strike-ageddon — the Tube, the unions and the biggest rail walk-out in 30 years
In this commentary for Project Syndicate, Professor Andres Velasco recommends the longstanding geopolitical term of 'the West' be swiftly retired.
He writes, "
As democracies from India to South Africa balk at being asked to join the coalition confronting Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, it has become clear that the idea of a Western bloc is failing to attract many otherwise like-minded countries. It is therefore time to abandon the concept of “the West.”"
Professor Tony Travers has been quoted in an article from the Evening Standard, discussing the rail strikes currently taking place in the U.K.
He says: "
For a long time, the strike threat has worked, because the unions knew that the government would not cut back on services. Now there is a genuine threat that they might."
The Avoidable War: The dangers of a catastrophic conflict between the US and Xi Jinping's China
Friday 24 June 2022
A war between China and the US would be catastrophic, deadly, and destructive. Unfortunately, with the relationship between the two countries increasingly volatile, it is no longer unthinkable. Kevin Rudd, the former Australian prime minister, discusses his book, 'The Avoidable War': which demystifies the actions of both sides.
Ukraine's Wartime Economy and Financial Challenges
LSE Visiting Senior Fellow - and former Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine - Valeria Gontareva discusses Ukraine's wartime economy and the financial challenges it faces. She also examines the Ukrainian banking sector, financial needs, global implications and worldwide economic shocks.
The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee occurs during a period of remarkable social, economic and political upheaval, both in the UK and globally. This event explores how the UK’s economy, government and politics, social policy and foreign relations have evolved between 1952 and 2022.
For decades, democracy and human-rights advocates have assumed that a growing number of governments were embracing democracy - yet today, 38 percent of the world’s population live in countries which are not free. As Ukraine becomes the frontline in a systems-breaking clash between democracy and authoritarianism, where do we turn next in today’s fight for open society?
Support from alumni and friends enables us to form a strong and ambitious education community, and is very much appreciated by everyone at the SPP. Whether that be donating financially or through donating your time by volunteering with student support, you are helping us keep the SPP a truly fantastic place to learn.
A particular thanks to everyone who donates financially, either to the SPP or to the wider LSE. Your support helps us do wonderful things for our student community, and we are thrilled to offer an outstanding policy education experience to those who come to our School - everyone at the SPP really appreciates your kindness.
If you are interested in supporting us or would like to find out more, contact us at spp.alumni@lse.ac.ukor visit our website.
Stay connected! Keep in touch via our Facebook and LinkedIn Alumni groups, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
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School of Public Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Houghton Street, London, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom
