Deisigan Shammugam

Deisigan is an Economist at the World Bank

Prior to LSE, I spent nearly a decade shaping high-impact policies and navigating complex fiscal and monetary considerations at the Central Bank of Malaysia. While this experience gave me a strong technical foundation, I chose to pursue the Master of Public Policy (MPP) at LSE because public policy is more than just economic analysis. It is a fusion of a philosophical core with a philanthropic heart. The intellectual intensity of the program, coupled with its emphasis on real-world impact, resonated deeply with me. I saw it as an opportunity not just to broaden my technical skills but to broaden my perspective and grow into a well-rounded policymaker, which is a lifelong goal.

Among the many rewarding experiences at LSE, one of the most defining was PP402: Quantitative Methods for Public Policy with Professor Mark Schankerman. It was the most challenging quantitative course in the program, but also the one from which I learned the most. Coming from a background where my work was almost exclusively in time series forecasting, I found the course’s deep dive into causal inference techniques both rigorous and transformative.

Immediately after LSE, I joined the World Bank as a macroeconomist. The causal techniques I learned in PP402 have allowed me to contribute more meaningfully to policy discussions and research. In fact, I have already had the opportunity to expand on ideas on the microeconomics side, an area where I previously lacked the technical capacity. For example, I first explored econometric exercises to analyse the impact of a sugar tax on sugar consumption in the course’s graded problem sets and have continued working on and expanding them at the World Bank.

At the same time, PP414: Policy-Making: Process, Challenges and Outcomes with Professor Vanessa Rubio provided an entirely different but equally valuable perspective. The course combined lectures with practical lessons on how to communicate effectively with high-ranking officials. Learning from such an experienced policymaker shed light on the real-world challenges of navigating information, communication, negotiation, and implementation, as well as the politics behind policy decisions. These are lessons that go beyond typical textbooks but are critical for anyone working in policy.

Beyond the rigorous coursework, learning alongside exceptional individuals from around the world who shared a deep commitment to public service was one of the most rewarding aspects of the experience. The foundation of public policy is built on philosophy, and having such diversity in class meant engaging with and debating ideas that often challenged my own beliefs. These discussions were not always easy. They required sharpening my clarity of thought, strengthening my arguments, and considering perspectives I might have otherwise overlooked. Some issues that were not pressing in my own country were deeply significant to others, broadening my understanding of policy in ways I had not previously considered.

The exchange of ideas, whether in class discussions, group projects, or casual conversations, expanded my understanding of policy challenges beyond the macroeconomic sphere I was accustomed to. More than just classmates, they became a global network of peers and friends. Now, whether in Chile, Ethiopia, Japan, or anywhere in between, I have familiar faces to grab a meal or coffee with.