Oxford Policy Pod

"Something’s Brewing" is a laid-back podcast hosted by MPP student Wynsey, where conversations flow freely—just like the drinks. In each episode, a member of the Blavatnik School community joins over a favorite beverage from home to share personal stories, career reflections, and the life that happens beyond policy. In this episode, Wynsey sits down with Mamiko and Shinnosuke, two MPP students fro...

This episode takes a step back from policy topics to dive into a pervasive phenomenon in public service work: constant busyness and burnout. Ronan Harrington, an international speaker, expert on burnout and resilience, and MPP alumnus, joins MPP student Nate for a conversation on why burnout is so pervasive in public service careers and what we can do about it. The conversation explores: • Why is...

Siviwe Gwarube is South Africa’s Minister of Basic Education and one of the country’s youngest-ever Cabinet members. A fierce advocate for gender equity, evidence-based policymaking, and the foundational right to education, she brings a new voice and vision to the continent’s education leadership.  In this episode, hosted by MPP students María Turner and Bautista Fazio, Minister Gwarube refle...

Carlos Scartascini is a global leader in behavioral economics and its real-world application to public policy. As Deputy Chief Economist and head of the Behavioral Economics Group at the Inter-American Development Bank, he’s led research and projects that use behavioral science to tackle everyday policy challenges—like boosting tax compliance, improving public health, and building trust in governm...

Jaime Saavedra is one of the world’s most influential education reformers. Former Minister of Education in Peru and now Director of Human Development for Latin America and the Caribbean at the World Bank, he has led and advised some of the region’s most ambitious efforts to improve learning outcomes at scale.  In this episode, hosted by Helen Orjuela Tacha and Bautista Fazio, Jaime unpacks wh...

"Something’s Brewing" is a laid-back podcast hosted by MPP student Wynsey, where conversations flow freely—just like the drinks. In each episode, a member of the Blavatnik School community joins over a favorite beverage from home to share personal stories, career reflections, and the life that happens beyond policy. In this episode, Wynsey sits down with Nami and Kenneth, two MPP students from Mon...

Juan Gabriel Vásquez has a central preoccupation: the past —a theme that has shaped much of his fiction. His latest novel, Los nombres de Feliza , published in January, explores the life of Colombian sculptor Feliza Bursztyn, who was politically persecuted and forced into exile during the Cold War. In this episode of Oxford Policy Pod , the acclaimed Colombian author —winner of the 2011 Alfaguara...

Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo is one of Spain’s most prominent political voices. A historian and journalist, she is a Member of the Spanish Parliament and a staunch advocate for democracy, freedom, and constitutionalism. Educated at Oxford, where she studied under Sir John H. Elliott, she transitioned from academia to journalism at El Mundo before stepping into politics.  In this episode, hosted...

🎙️🌎 Sacrifice Zones: The Price of Progress? In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, we sit down with legal scholar Iza Linazasoro to uncover the harsh realities of sacrifice zones—communities forced to bear the cost of industrial development at the expense of their health and environment. Featuring the Quintero Bay case in Chile, Linazasoro highlights the environmental, social, and health i...

Martin Baron led two of the world's most important newsrooms, those of The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. He was at the former when the newspaper exposed the network of cover-ups of pedophile Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Boston. At the latter, he was present during the Edward Snowden leaks about the National Security Agency (NSA)'s spying activities and during Trump’s first presid...

Releasing Possible Utopia – the podcast where we explore the intersection of politics, gender, and leadership to imagine a better world. From navigating challenges of safety and well-being in public life to uncovering the motivations that drive them, we’ll delve into the stories behind the individuals shaping our societies. Together, we’ll tackle the tough questions, confront systemic issues, and...

"Something's Brewing" is a relaxed podcast series hosted by MPP student Wynsey. Each episode features a guest from the Blavatnik School of Government, sharing candid stories about their journey, experiences, and life beyond policy—all over a favorite drink from their home. In this episode, we hear about the life of Juan Pablo, a fellow MPP candidate from Colombia, as he reflects on his upbringing,...

🌍🎙️ How does a world-renowned climate scientist become a leading environmental policymaker? In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, we sit down with Chile's Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, to explore her journey from Oxford's labs to global climate negotiations. 👩‍🔬From Lead Author of IPCC's Assessment Reports researching paleoclimate to shaping Chile's climate policies and secu...

What are the threats to Democracy? In this episode, Helen Orjuela and Marie Vanolli are joined by Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, to discuss the global state of democracy. Together, they explore critical issues, including the erosion of freedoms like press and expression, the rise of the far right and its implications...

"Something's Brewing" is a relaxed podcast series hosted by MPP student Wynsey. Each episode features a guest from the Blavatnik School of Government, sharing candid stories about their journey, experiences, and life beyond policy—all over a favorite drink from their home. In this episode, we hear about the life of Binka, a fellow MPP candidate from Slovakia - her childhood, career ups and downs a...

What does it mean to lead in the field of public policy? How do leaders navigate uncertainty and social pressures when making key decisions In this inaugural episode, we sit down with two special guests—Marcos Peña, Former Chief of Staff of Argentina (2015-2019), and Francisco Sánchez Moreno, a leadership expert with extensive experience in the public sector. Together, they offer unique insights i...

Mexico is undergoing a constitutional and institutional crisis that is eroding its already fragile democracy. This is due to a recently approved constitutional reform that jeopardises checks and balances, the division of powers, the rule of law, judicial independence and democracy itself. (For more context of this reform, please read this article by Mariana De Lucio on the Blavatnik School of Gove...

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, MPP student and Australian Rhodes Scholar Tahlia Smith sits down with John Roome , who recently retired after a distinguished 35-year career at the World Bank. A fellow Oxford alum, John reflects on how his time at Oxford and the Rhodes Scholarship shaped his path to international public service and leadership within the World Bank, one of the world’s...

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, host Nick Fabbri sits down with Haibado Abdoulkader Yacin , a Mastercard Foundation AfOx Scholar and Master of Public Policy student at Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. Haibado, a dedicated public servant from Djibouti, shares her incredible personal story and journey from Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, to studying and working across three co...

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with Gargi Sharma Goel about her life and career in New Delhi, India, her work in the Ministry of Finance and Indian Revenue Service, key economic and tax policy interests, her journey to the Master of Public Policy at Oxford, balancing parenthood with studies, and the happiest memories from her time in the UK. *** Gargi Sharma Goel is career civil servant, part...

In this episode, Oluwatamilore Oni speaks with Dr Christian Johannes Meyer , the Director of the Future of Development programme at the Oxford Martin School . Christian’s career spans research and programming focused on livelihoods and labour market interventions for vulnerable groups at the University of Oxford, the World Bank and the Center for Global Development. From this rich background, he s...

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with The Hon. Tony Abbott AC , Former Prime Minister of Australia. They discuss: The influence of the Jesuits, Oxford, and Father Paul Mankowski on Mr. Abbott's life and leadership qualities The art of effective opposition and developing alternative policies for the nation Achievements and regrets of the Abbott Government in office The role of government in fost...

In this episode, Oluwatamilore Oni speaks with Adenike Adeyemi, CEO of FATE Foundation – Nigeria’s foremost business incubator and accelerator program set up to enable aspiring and emerging Nigerian entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale their businesses. Adenike shares highlights from her more than two decades of experience in the social impact space, with a specific focus on entrepreneurs and th...

This episode features Jupneet Singh , an MPP student, Rhodes Scholar, and 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force. It covers: Jupeet’s personal story before coming to Oxford, including her time at MIT and volunteering at high school Jupneet’s Sikh heritage and culture Joining the US Air Force and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) while at university Questions of identity within the US military, a...

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with fellow MPP students Anushka Jadhav and Rafaela Viana about the 2024 Education World Forum , their personal education journeys in India and Brazil respectively, Education Policy in Oxford, and some of the major education policy issues and developments globally. Anushka and Rafaela also reflect on their time at Oxford and in the 2023-24 MPP cohort, and offer...