2017 ANNUAL REPORT Photo by: Hufton + Crow CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS RESEARCH WITH IMPACT 24 Research programmes 27 New faculty research grants 28 DPhil in Public Policy 31 CHAPTER 1 WELCOME FROM THE DEAN 3 Featured awards and publications 33 Our vision and strategy 4 Year in review 5 CHAPTER 4 ENGAGING WITH GOVERNMENTS AND PRACTITIONERS 34 Governance of the School 6 Short courses 35 International Advisory Board 7 Oxford’s first MOOC 37 Academic Advisory Board 8 The Challenges of Government Conference 38 Our faculty 9 The Kyoto Prize at Oxford 40 Visiting Practitioners 41 CHAPTER 2 TEACHING TO ADDRESS POLICY CHALLENGES 11 The MPP year 12 CHAPTER 5 DEVELOPING THE SCHOOL 42 Innovations in teaching on the Master of Public Policy 14 Finance 43 Summer Project 16 Thanking our supporters 44 MPP Student Recruitment 18 Events 45 Alumni 20 Press and Media 47 Web and social media 49 2 more fully developed. New research projects and At this year’s Challenges of Government WELCOME FROM THE grants are underway. Conference we enjoyed provocative and stimulating discussion around our theme ‘Bridging DEAN We’ve had fantastic global feedback from our the Gap’. Our guests explored how to renovate launch of Oxford’s first MOOC (Massive Open politics so as to bridge the gap between citizens and Online Course entitled “From Poverty to those who claim to represent them; how to shape Prosperity”) which brought Paul Collier’s expertise economies so as to reduce rapidly growing in Economic Development to over 44,000 inequality; and how to innovate in the delivery of learners from all regions of the world. Many public services so as to reduce the gap e.g. between students and learners just thrilled to seize a slice of the health needs of an ageing population and what an Oxford education. government can aford. In May, we celebrated a new partnership with the Each year brings fresh challenges and opportunities Inamori Foundation which brings the Kyoto Prize for the School and I am delighted by our Laureates to the Blavatnik School each year and achievements in teaching, research and has provided the School with a generous engagement. Our successes in contributing to a This has been an astonishing year of politics in the benefaction which we have recognized in the world better led, better served and better governed United Kingdom, the USA, and elsewhere, naming of the Inamori Forum. are testament to the hard work of our faculty, underscoring the importance of our mission and We are delighted to be taking forward a five-year researchers, staf and students and the generosity setting us many new challenges. partnership with the Africa Initiative for and support of our partners and friends. This year the new building has filled up with Governance (AIG) which we launched at a public Ngaire Woods, Dean activities, people, and new research projects. The event with former UN Secretary General Kofi public have flooded in to participate in debates Annan last June. This partnership supports a about Brexit, US politics, the refugee crisis, and Distinguished AIG Fellow each year and 5 AIG others. We have our largest ever cohort of MPP scholarships for successful MPP candidates from students – 124 students from 70 diferent West Africa. countries, and 15 DPhil students. Our alumni continue to achieve great successes in The new senior faculty members who joined us last their post-MPP careers – from being the first year have enabled us to drive forward the next female cabinet minister in the UAE; to serving as phase of the School’s development. A advisor to the Finance Minister of South Sudan; to comprehensive 5-year review of the MPP has been becoming Director of a Chilean Law School; to launched and yet more innovative teaching is being named one of Germany’s 100 smartest springing up. The doctoral program is now being innovators. 3 Combining the most powerful insights from a range multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral and we use our OUR VISION AND of academic disciplines our three core convening power to bring people together to share STRATEGY objectives are to deliver: knowledge, exchange ideas and create solutions. 1. TEACHING TO ADDRESS POLICY Our human, financial and physical resources are CHALLENGES key to supporting the delivery of our programmes Our aim is to deliver education that combines deep and mission: expertise with analytical thinking and practical 4. DEVELOPING THE SCHOOL skills. Through the Master of Public Policy (MPP), we educate leaders who can learn from and teach We pursue the recruitment and retention of each other, and build coalitions to get difcult jobs outstanding staf and faculty who are committed to done. The objective is to enable participants to the School’s vision, and who will contribute to the develop the academic knowledge and professional goal of making it the best in the world. Financially skills required to address some of this century’s our objective is to manage finances and steward most complex public policy challenges. resources to support the long-term success of the School and to raise and generate new funding to Our vision is of a world better led, better served and better governed. We believe the Blavatnik 2. RESEARCH WITH IMPACT support the School’s goals. Our new building provides us with up-to-date facilities that enable School of Government can improve the quality of We take steps to inspire research excellence and staf, students and visitors to work together government and public policy-making worldwide, facilitate its application to address practical policy efectively. Externally, we are developing and so that citizens can live more secure and more challenges. Through the research of our faculty, promoting the School’s reputation in Oxford, the fulfilled lives. researchers and DPhil students, the School seeks UK and globally so that it is recognized as a place of to take on the real-world problems which confront Our goal is to make the Blavatnik School excellence and influence in public policy. governments, provide well-researched answers and distinctive, impactful and excellent in all that it propose solutions. does. Our approach is unique in its emphasis on three attributes: 3. ENGAGEMENT WITH GOVERNMENTS • Global – deriving lessons for better government AND PRACTITIONERS from countries around the world Through our engagement with governmental and • Focused on practice – with a particular emphasis non-governmental organisations, policymakers, on implementation and delivery alumni and expert practitioners, we work to create • Multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral – drawing and support global networks to generate solutions lessons from public, private and third sectors and share best practice. The School’s approach to improving government is collaborative, 4 YEAR IN REVIEW 5 NEW 44,000 ONLINE 37% GROWTH IN RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS LEARNERS FROM INCOME PER YEAR FOR WEST ALMOST EVERY AFRICA THROUGH COUNTRY ENROLLED FROM £1.57M IN 2015/16 TO NEARLY 4,000 IN THE MOOC £2.15M IN 2016/17 AIG PARTNERSHIP APPLICATIONS (FOR MPP AND DPHIL) ACROSS THE LIFE OF THE SCHOOL 120 SHORT ALL PUBLIC LECTURES COURSE LIVESTREAMED PARTICIPANTS GO LAB DIRECTOR FROM ALL REGIONS NEARLY 20% AND RECORDED OF THE WORLD INCREASE IN APPOINTED RESEARCHERS THE IGC COMMISSION ON INAUGURAL KYOTO STATE FRAGILITY, GROWTH 22% PRIZE AT OXFORD 124 MPP STUDENTS – AND DEVELOPMENT INCREASE IN OUR LARGEST EVER ESTABLISHED WITH FORMER UK PM MPP APPLICATIONS COHORT DAVID CAMERON 27 BOOKS AND PEER-REVIEWED ARTICLES PUBLISHED NEW FULL 12+ BY OUR FACULTY 19 NEW SCHOLARSHIPS CONFIRMED COUNTRIES FOR 2017/18 REPRESENTED ON THE MPP 500% PROFESSIONAL INCREASE IN 293 MEMBERS OF VIEWS OF OUR THE ALUMNI SKILLS PROGRAMME VIDEOS OF PUBLIC COMMUNITY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE EVENTS AND A WATCH TIME CASE STUDIES CAREER CLUSTERS, UK PUBLIC INCREASE OF ALMOST APPROACH POLICY SERIES AND LEADERSHIP 3000% USED IN CORE MPP OVER 9,000 DEVELOPMENT CURRICULUM ATTENDEES AT SCHOOL EVENTS 5 GOVERNANCE OF THE SCHOOL Management Board Responsibilities: To govern, manage, and regulate the School’s strategy, budgets and senior appointments Members include: Dean, Heads of Divisions, Heads of Departments Meeting frequency: Three times a year in Oxford Strategy and Resources Group Responsibilities: Responsible for strategy and key resourcing Academic Advisory Board Responsibilities: Advise on all decisions of the School aspects of the School’s academic Membership: Dean, Vice-Dean, Senior Faculty Representatives, International Advisory Board activities, including programmes, COO, Head of Finance & HR, Director of External Relations Responsibilities: Advise on the student engagement, faculty Meeting frequency: Minimum of 8 per year strategy and priorities of the School recruitment and development, and Membership: Globally renowned academic life Senior Management Team leaders from all parts of the world Membership: Deans/Presidents/ Responsibilities: Delegated decision-making responsibility for Meeting frequency: Annual meeting in Oxford, and ad hoc Heads of School from prominent operational and urgent decisions in light of the direction set by SRG requests from the Dean for advice public policy institutions around the Membership: Dean, Vice-Dean, COO, Senior Professor, Head of world Finance & HR, Director of External Relations Meeting frequency: Termly conference calls Meeting frequency: Weekly Admissions Academic Administrative Admissions and Funding Committee DPhil Committee Senior Administrative Team Taught Programmes Committee 6 INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Persio Arida, Former Chairman of William Jeferson