A huge welcome and welcome back to our new and returning SPP students!
In September we welcomed over 250 new students to our Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA), Executive Master of Public Policy (EMPP) and MPA double degree programmes. Our new cohort represent over 50 nationalities and a broad range of professional backgrounds and areas of expertise. We are excited to welcome our new students to our growing SPP community of global policy change-makers.
Our new first year Master of Public Administration (MPA) cohort of 103 students were welcomed to the start of their 2-year programme by faculty and current second year MPA students who shared insights into what lies ahead during their studies as well as advice and guidance on student life, campus amenities and support available throughout their studies and beyond. 
The Master of Public Policy (MPP) cohort of 90 students started their 9-month programme with a welcome from SPP Dean Andrés Velasco and MPP Programme Director Dr Simon Bastow who emphasised the importance of bringing the cohort together to further develop their understanding of the ‘craft of government’ in order to help tackle some of the world's most pressing policy challenges.
This year also marked the first intake of our new MPA double degree students who will spend one year studying at LSE School of Public Policy and one year at one of our partner schools; University of Toronto, Columbia SIPA and Sciences Po. 
We also welcomed over 60 executive students to our Executive MPA and MPP programmes who will combine their studies alongside their working roles by attending eight study periods across 22 months. They were introduced to their studies by Professor Andres Velasco and the EMPA/ EMPP Programmes Co-director, Professor Sir Charles Bean, who delivered a session on Managing Crises. We look forward to welcoming our executive students back for their next week-long module in November. 
We are excited to bring our dynamic new cohorts together and to follow their journeys during their studies and as they go on to make an impact in their careers as policy professionals around the world.