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PODCAST

Oxford Policy Pod

Students at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University

A bi-weekly policy podcast based out of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford. The Oxford Policy Pod explores pressing policy issues around the globe and is produced by students reading for a Master of Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government. The podcast explores contemporary policy challenges that policymakers face all over the world, and taps into the rich diversity of policy experience and insights of the student body and faculty. The podcast is supported

government politics

All Episodes

30:26

How can climate diplomacy keep pace with a world...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/10/21

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, host Begim Zhanuzakova speaks with Joanna MacGregor, Chief of Strategy and UN Affairs at UN Climate Change (UNFCCC). With a career spanning governments, international organisations, and global climate negotiations, including the UK's COP26 negotiation strategy and advising the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, Joanna offers a unique perspective on the future of international climate governance.Together, they explore the outcomes of the Bonn Climate

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01:06:26

Returning Refugees navigating a Public Health Crisis...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/10/14

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, Jackson Sandler-Bussey sits down with Rachel Sider, Executive-in-Residence at the Geneva Centre for Security policy, and Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford MPP alumnus. Drawing from Rachel's latest report: Diagnosing return — Health conditions and experiences of returnees in Syria, we explore how Syria is rebuilding after the end of the civil war and tackling its public health crisis, from what has worked, what still needs to be done, and

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55:32

Paul Collier on Development, Growth and What...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/09/25

Sir Paul Collier joins Cristian Iftodii (Oxford Policy Pod) and Richard Heydarian at the Blavatnik School of Government in Oxford for a conversation on the new economics of development.We talk about why the poorest countries have not caught up in the way economists once expected, what has changed in how we think about growth, the role of firms and of the state, and what Collier would tell a government that wants to get its country moving.Paul Collier is Professor of Economics and Public Policy at

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44:06

Transforming Government in the Age of AI with Aaron...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/09/22

How should governments adapt as artificial intelligence reshapes our economy, culture, and society? In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, students Felix Wu and Marc Naro speak with scholar and poet Aaron Maniam about how public policy can keep up with rapidly evolving AI models.They discuss Aaron Maniam's latest documentary series, titled "Raising Expectations", as well what human values governments must safeguard and preserve as AI plays an increasingly integral role in our daily lives.

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30:43

The New Rules of Middle East Investment |...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/09/20

In this new episode of the Policy Pod, MPP students Marc Naro and Tara Shwani host François-Aïssa Touazi, a former diplomat who advised France's foreign minister on North Africa and the Middle East before joining Ardian, the largest private equity firm in Europe, where he now sits on the executive committee, chairs the Abu Dhabi arm and handles the firm's relationships with sovereign wealth funds.Mr Touazi is a 2025-26 Transformational Leadership Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government and

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44:59

Scaling What Works: Asheesh Advani on Education,...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/09/09

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, Cecilia Esteche and Howard Leong sit down with Dr. Asheesh Advani, President and CEO of JA Worldwide, one of the world’s largest youth-serving nonprofits.JA Worldwide delivers millions of learning experiences each year across more than 120 countries, helping young people develop skills in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial capability.We explore how JA scales impact through partnerships with governments, businesses, educators, and volunteers; how

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32:02

From U.S. Ambassador to Impact Investment | John Simon

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/09/03

In this new episode of the Policy Pod, MPP students Marc Naro and Yacine Ouahioune host John Simon, former U.S. Ambassador to the African Union and now CEO of Total Impact Capital, an impact investment firm mobilising private capital to address global development challenges.Ambassador Simon previously held senior roles at the White House, USAID and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), working at the intersection of diplomacy, development finance and investment.Drawing on his

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55:16

Building A New Economics for Human Flourishing | Eric...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/08/28

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, MPP students Diego Peñaranda and Isabella Notarpietro sit down with Eric Beinhocker, founder and Executive Director of the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) at the University’s Oxford Martin School and Professor of Public Policy Practice at the Blavatnik School of Government.Beinhocker introduces complexity economics, or “new economics” as he calls it, and explains how this emerging paradigm changes the way we understand the economy, approach public

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01:13:42

Navigating Climate, Artificial Intelligence and...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/08/16

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, host Begim Zhanuzakova, joined by co-host Memo Some, sits down with Mr. Suresh Yadav, Director at the Commonwealth Secretariat, to discuss the future of global governance in an era of geopolitical uncertainty, climate change and artificial intelligence.Drawing on a career spanning the Government of India, the World Bank Group and the Commonwealth Secretariat, Mr. Yadav shares insights on leadership, multilateral cooperation and the challenges of governing an

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49:12

How Poverty Shapes the Way We Think | Anandi Mani

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/08/13

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, MPP students Isabella Notarpietro and Diego Peñaranda sit down with Professor Anandi Mani, Professor of Behavioural Economics and Public Policy at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. Drawing on her influential research on poverty and cognitive function, Professor Mani answers why people sometimes make decisions that seem to go against their own interests, and how poverty itself changes the way we think and make choices.The conversation

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36:14

How Ukraine Plans to Win the War & Rebuild the Nation...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/08/04

How does a country rebuild while fighting for its survival?In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, MPP student Marc Naro interviews Oleksandra Azarkhina, International Lead of the Small Air Defence Command of the Ukrainian Air Force, former Deputy Minister for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine.Drawing on her experience at the highest levels of government throughout Russia's full-scale invasion, Oleksandra discusses Ukraine's reconstruction strategy, the creation of

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21:05

Rethinking Britain's Strategy for a Changing World...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/08/01

As the global economic order undergoes profound change, what kind of national strategy does the UK need? In this episode, Jenny Bates, 2025–26 Heywood Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government and Former Director General at the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), discusses how Britain can navigate an increasingly uncertain global landscape.Interviewed by MPP students Marc Naro and Eleanor Williams, the conversation explores the changing global economic order, strategic

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51:18

From Evidence to Action: How Research Can Strengthen...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/07/29

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, Nawaz sit down with Dr Monazza Aslam, Research Director of the Data and Research in Education Research Consortium (DARE-RC), a leading education researcher, to explore how evidence can strengthen education systems and shape better public policy.Together, they discuss why improving learning outcomes remains one of the most persistent challenges facing low and middle income countries, why investing in research is just as important as investing in schools, and

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54:35

Inside Afghanistan's Resistance: A Conversation with...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/07/27

In this episode, BSG MPP student Claire Astrid Fuchs speaks with Ali Maisam Nazary, Head of Foreign Relations of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), about the country's evolving security landscape. Together, they examine the collapse of the former Afghan government, the impact of the Doha Agreement, and the rise of Taliban rule, exploring how these developments have reshaped Afghanistan's political and security environment. The conversation also considers the role of the National

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50:05

Beyond Income: Rethinking Poverty with Sabina Alkire

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/07/23

Is poverty simply about income, or is it about opportunities, health, education, dignity, and the freedom to live the life you value? In this episode, we are joined by Professor Sabina Alkire, Director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford and one of the pioneers of multidimensional poverty measurement. We talk about her remarkable academic journey, the ideas behind the Multidimensional Poverty Index, how it has shaped public policy around the

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50:43

The Politics of Care: A conversation with Belén...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/07/20

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, Belén Tomic sits down with Dr. Belén Villegas Plá and Dr. Rossella Ciccia to talk about care, its many forms, and who bears its weight.Belén Villegas Plá is Lecturer in the Political Economy of Latin America at the Oxford Department of International Development, and Rossella Ciccia is Associate Professor of Social Policy at the Oxford Department of Social Policy and Intervention.Together, they explore how and why care has become such a politically salient

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42:03

Rethinking Development Aid with Kevin Watkins

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/07/14

In this episode of Policy Pod, Nawaz Khan and Cristian Iftodii sit down with Kevin Watkins, visiting professor at LSE's Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa and former chief executive of Save the Children UK. Having spent three decades moving through Oxfam, the United Nations, the Overseas Development Institute, and the top of the international aid sector, Kevin Watkins has become one of its sharpest internal critics, unafraid to challenge the assumptions his own field runs on. Together, they explore

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41:50

James Robinson on Latin America's Development...

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/07/09

Why do some countries succeed while others remain trapped in cycles of weak institutions and slow development?In this episode of the Oxford Policy Pod, hosts Cecilia Esteche and Diego Peñaranda speak with Professor James Robinson, 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize laureate in Economic Sciences, Professor at the University of Chicago, and co-author of Why Nations Fail and The Narrow Corridor.The conversation explores Robinson's intellectual journey, his reflections on winning the Nobel Prize, and his latest

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38:43

The Future of Democracy: A Conversation with Maya Tudor

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/07/01

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01:06:31

The "Almost Prime Minister" | Pita Limjaroenrat

Oxford Policy Pod ·

2026/06/12

The "Almost Prime Minister" | Pita LimjaroenratIn this episode of Policy Pod with Deep Dive, Master of Public Policy students Marc Naro and Richard Heydarian sit down with Pita Limjaroenrat, the former leader of Thailand's Move Forward Party and the man widely seen as Thailand's "almost prime minister."Following his party's landmark victory in the 2023 general election, Pita appeared poised to lead Thailand's next government. Yet despite winning the popular mandate, a complex political and

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151 results

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