Policy in Practice

Seminar Series

The Policy in Practice seminars are aimed at engaging with professionals, policy actors and practitioners involved in public policy in various capacities in order to bring together practice and academia and to deepen the learning experience of SPP students.

These seminars are organised by Professor Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Associate Dean for Extended Education in SPP.

Upcoming seminars

Information on upcoming seminars in the Policy in Practice series can be found below. Please note the sign-up and further details of each seminar will be circulated via email.


  • Charles Okehalam - Wednesday 13 November
  • Tim Leunig - Wednesday 27 November 

Past seminars

2024-25

Policy in Practice seminar with Bill Morneau

Wednesday 30 October

Speaker: Bill Morneau, Canada's 39th Minister of Finance 2015-2020, and was also Governor at the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. His talk with on 'the challenges of developing policy on growth and productivity in our current polarised political environment'.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


 

Policy in Practice seminar with Ali Cheema

Thursday 17 October

Speaker: Ali Cheema, Vice Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) and co-lead academic of the International Growth Centre’s Pakistan programme. His talk was on 'Norms and Gender Inequality: Pathways and Limitations to Change in Pakistan'.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Irene Espinosa

Wednesday 9 October 

Speaker: Irene Espinosa, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Mexico. She is also Former Treasurer of the Federation, with over 25 years’ experience in financial and academic sectors. Her talk was on “the institution, its challenges and the experiences of a policy-maker” in relation to her current role at the Bank of Mexico.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

2023-24

Policy in Practice seminar with Pedro Gomes

Wednesday 5 June 

Speaker:  Pedro Gomes (Professor in Economics at Birkbeck, University of London, previously worked for the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, author of 'Friday is the New Saturday' which was featured in the Financial Times as one of the “Business books of the month”.)
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Rosehanna Chowdhury

Wednesday 15 May

Speaker: Rosehanna Chowdhury (Senior Director in the Department for Levelling Up, Emeritus Governor at LSE, member of the advisory board for the international publication 'The Crisis Response Journal')
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Richard Davies

Wednesday 8 May

Speaker: Richard Davies (Director of Growth Co-Lab at LSE, founding director of the UK's Economics Observatory, Professor of the Public Understanding of Economics at Bristol University)
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Carmine Soprano

Tuesday 12 March

Speaker: Carmine Soprano (Development economist, policy advisor, academic lecturer, proud LSE SPP alumnus)
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Paloma Merodio 

Thursday 15 February

Speaker: Paloma Merodio (Vice President and Member of the Board at National Institute of Statistics and Geography of Mexico (INEGI))
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Lisa Quest

Thursday 8 February

Speaker: Lisa Quest (Market Head for UK&I and European Head of the Public Sector Practice for Oliver Wyman)
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Hugh Cole

Thursday 25 January 2024

Speaker: Hugh Cole, Director of Policy and Strategy for the City of Cape Town, reporting to the city leadership including the Mayor
Chair: Simon Bastow, Associate Professorial Lecturer and MPP Programme Director at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Manuel Atunes

Wednesday 29 November 2023

Speaker: Manuel Atunes, VC investor at Mustard Seed, previously in businses development at Bloomberg, covering the Nordics.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Sapana Agrawal

Wednesday 8 November 2023

Speaker: Sapana Agrawal, director for modernisation and reform in the UK Cabinet Office, responsible for the strategy and delivery of the cross-government Modernisation and Reform and for the Evaluation Task Force.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Dame Marcela Contreras

Monday 30 October 2023

Speaker: Dame Marcela Contreras, leading blood expert in the UK, immunologist and university educator.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Luis Garicano

Wednesday 11 October 2023

Speaker: Luis Garicano, SPP Professor. Former member of the European Parliament (2019-22), Vice president of Renew Europe (Renew) and Vice President of Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE Party).
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

2022-23

Policy in Practice seminar with Irene Mia

Thursday 1 June 2023

Speaker: Dr Irene Mia, editor, 'Armed Conflict' Survey, Senior Fellow for Latin America, Conflict, Security, and Development.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Galya Molinas

Monday 22 May 2023

Speaker: Galya Molinas, investor, board advisor and leadership mentor with over 30 years in global leadership experience.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Charles Okehalam

Thursday 30 March 2023

Speaker: Charles Okehalam, Visiting Professor in Practice at LSE SPP.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


 

Policy in Practice seminar with Lisa Quest

Wednesday 15 March 2023

Speaker: Lisa Quest, leads Oliver Wyman's Public Sector Practice in UK and Ireland.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Luis Miguel Castilla

Wednesday 8 March 2023

Speaker: Luis Miguel Castilla, Former Minister of Economy and Finance of Peru.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Dr Barry Quick

Tuesday 28 February 2023

Speaker: Dr Barry Quick, London Council Chief Executive 1993-2022.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Valeria Gontraneva

Wednesday 8 February 2023

Speaker: Valeria Gontraneva, former governor of the National Bank of Ukraine.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Ousmène Jacques Mandeng

Wednesday 25 January 2023

Speaker: Dr Ousmène Jacques Mandeng, Senior Advisor and Lead of Economic and Financial Strategy with Accenture's Blockchain and Multiparty Systems.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Ana Maria Aguilar

Thursday 1 December 2022

Speaker: Ana Maria Aguilar, Regional Advisor at the BIS Americas Office, on Monetary Policy in Latin America, Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead. 
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Gene Frieda

Monday 21 November 2022

Speaker: Gene Frieda, Executive Vice President and Global Strategist at Pimco, on the role of financial markets in public policy.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice Seminar with Baroness Kate Fall

Thursday 10 November 2022

Speaker: Baroness Kate Fall on life at the heart of No.10 Downing Street.


Policy in Practice Seminar with Dr Zainab Usman

Monday 31 October 2022

Speaker: Dr Zainab Usman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Africa Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice Seminar with Natalie Samarasinghe

Thursday 13 October 2022

Speaker: Natalie Samarasinghe, the Global Director for Advocacy at Open Society Foundations.
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

2021-22

Policy in Practice seminar with Hallelujah Lulie Wondimu

Wednesday 1 June 2022

Speaker: Hallelujah Lulie Wondimu, a specialist in the politics and security of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. 
Chair: Dr Lloyd Gruber, Assistant Professor in Political Economy of Development within the Department for International Development and the School of Public Policy.


Policy in Practice seminar with Victoria Marquez-Mees

Tuesday 24 May 2022

Speaker: Victoria Marquez-Mees, first Chief Accountability Officer of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and Managing Director of the Independent Project Accountability Mechanism, the Bank's non-juidicial project grievance mechanism. 
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Dr Mohammad Haqmal

Tuesday 15 March 2022

Speaker: Dr Mohammad Haqmal, Former head of the Strengthening Mechanism Department of the Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health, Lecturer at City, University of London, and Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Emmi Poteliakhoff MBE

Monday 28 February 2022

Speaker: Emmi Poteliakhoff MBE, Director of Information, Covid Vaccination Rollout Programme at NHS England and NHS Improvement
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy 

Please note: this session was not recorded.


Policy in Practice seminar with Louise Smith - Supporting arts and culture through COVID

Thursday 15 February 2022

Speaker: Louise Smith, Deputy Director for Arts and Libraries at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Valeria Gontareva – Comprehensive Banking Sector Reform in Ukraine 2014-2017

Tuesday 8 February 2022

Speaker: Valeria Gontareva, Former Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine
Chair: Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Dimitri Demekas - Financial Regulation, Climate Change, and the Transition to a Low-Carbon Economy

Thursday 3 February 2022

Speaker: Dimitri Demekas, Visiting Senior Fellow at the SPP
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Rodrigo Cerda

Wednesday 2 February 2022

Speaker: Rodrigo Cerda, Finance Minister of Chile
Chair: Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Hugh Cole

Thursday 18 November 2021

Speaker: Hugh Cole, Director of Policy and Strategy for the City of Cape Town
Chair: Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice and Academic Director at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Marcela Meléndez

Thursday 11 November 2021

Speaker: Marcela Meléndez, Chief Economist for LAC at the United Nations Development Programme UNDP
Chair: Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice and Academic Director at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado

Thursday 28 October 2021

Speaker: Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, the first woman elected Vice-President in Panama
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu

Thursday 21 October 2021

Speaker: Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria from 2009-2014
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with José Antonio Meade

Thursday 14 October 2021

Speaker: José Antonio Meade, former Secretary of Finance and Public Credit in the federal government of Mexico
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.

2020-21

Policy in Practice seminar with Alan Elizondo 

Thursday 3 June 2021

Speaker: Alan Elizondo, CEO of FIRA
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Rafat Ali Al-Akhali

Monday 24 May 2021

Speaker: Rafat Ali Al-Akhali, former Minister of Youth and Sports in the Government of Yemen
Chair: Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Barbara Rambousek

Monday 17 May 2021

Speaker: Barbara Rambousek, Director of Gender & Economic Inclusion within the Department of Country and Sector Economics at the EBRD
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Alan Hirsch

Monday 10 May 2021

Speaker: Alan Hirsch, Emeritus Professor at The Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance at UCT in South Africa
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Frank Muci

Thursday 25 March 2021

Speaker: Frank Muci, Policy Fellow, Growth co-Lab, LSE
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy

Please note, this session was not recorded.


Policy in Practice seminar with Valerio Riavez: Harnessing Digital Persuasion For Politics and Policy-Making

Thursday 18 March 2021

Speaker: Valerio Riavez, Co-Founder of political technology start-up Electica and Professor of Political Entrepreneurship
Chair: Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy


Policy in Practice seminar with Mirian Vilela

Thursday 4 March 2021

Speaker: Mirian Vilela, Executive Director of the Earth Charter International Secretariat
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice at the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Carlos Raúl Morales

Thursday 25 February 2021

Speaker: Carlos Raúl Morales, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala 2014 - 2017 
Chair: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast. 


Policy in Practice seminar with Sir Peter Hendy

Thursday 11 February 2021

Speaker: Sir Peter Hendy, Chair of Network Rail
Chair: Professor Tony Travers, Associate Dean of the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Vanessa Rubio-Márquez

Thursday 4 February 2021

Speaker: Vanessa Rubio-Márquez, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy
Chair: Professor Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy

Listen to the podcast.


Policy in Practice seminar with Greg Fischer

Thursday 3 December 2020

Speaker: Greg Fischer, Chief Economist at Y Analytics
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy, LSE

Listen to the podcast.


How we think, who we trust and what we do… What do public policy professionals need to get better at?

Thursday 19 November 2020

Speaker: Nick Rowley, Former Advisor on Sustainability and Climate change to UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy, LSE

Listen to the podcast


State capacity and what it takes to reform from the grassroots 

Thursday 5 November 2020 

Speaker: Yamini Aiyar, President and Chief Executive of Centre for Policy Research India 
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy, LSE

Listen to the podcast


"What I wished I knew then..."

Thursday 29 October 2020

Speaker: Lant Pritchett, RISE Research Director at the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, UK 
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy, LSE 

Listen to the podcast.


Transforming Governance in Africa: Insights from a Personal Journey

Thursday 15 October 2020

Speaker: Jennifer Musisi, City Leader In Residence at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School  
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy, LSE 

Listen to the podcast.

2019-20

Being a Policymaker

Wednesday 11 March 2020

Speaker: Baroness Minouche Shafik, LSE Director
Chair: Professor Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy, LSE


The Craft of Governance for Development in Africa

Wednesday 4 March 2020

Speaker: Mo Ibrahim, Founder and Chair of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Chair: Professor Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy, LSE


The Office for Budget Responsibility: external watchdog, executive agency, or both?

Wednesday 12 February 2020

Speaker: Robert Chote, Chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy, LSE.


Evidence-based policymaking: how do you make it work in practice

Wednesday 5 February 2020

Speaker: Rachel Glennerster, Chief Economist, Department for International Development.
Chair: Professor Adnan Khan, Professor in Practice, School of Public Policy, LSE.


Reflections on Policymaking: From the World Financial Crisis until Today

Tuesday 28 January 2020

Speaker: Baronness Shriti Vadera, Chairman of Santander UK and Senior Independent Director of BHP
Chair: Professor Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy, LSE