News and views from the Blavatnik School of Government community 
In announcing the merger of the Department for International Development (DfID) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Boris Johnson has not created a centaur, with the hindquarters of a development agency and the head of a diplomatic service, but a puggle: an entirely new animal. Merging two departments does […]
As the world seeks to “build back better” from the COVID-19 crisis, and as China seeks a political re-set with the world, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) must adapt to a new reality. If China embraces and enforces social and environmental standards, its financial support can play a major […]
After COVID-19 there is a risk the world could be yet more divided, conflictual and nationalistic. But an alternative scenario is within reach. In this scenario, collective action within communities and, where necessary, internationally, will make a more rapid and peaceful exit from the crisis possible. The high-risk scenario […]
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted many aspects of our lives and has affected hundreds of economies around the world. The Bank of England announced last week that the UK will probably be hit by one of the worst recessions in the last 300 years (with the crisis wiping out 14 […]
I’ve just finished running a global commission based here at the Blavatnik School of Government: Pathways for Prosperity, co-chaired by – among others – Melinda Gates. It was set up to challenge the narrative that in developing countries, technology necessarily equals catastrophic job losses and widening inequalities, and to explore […]
The bushfires in Australia are unprecedented and devastating. Yet one of the most inspiring things in the wake of the destruction is the outpouring of support from Australians and friends overseas to donate to the rural fire services, humanitarian organisations and animal support agencies. Giving to these organisations is meaningful […]
There is much discussion on possible causes for the unrest of people around the world, even in countries with good macroeconomic performance. A common cause seems to be the sense of exclusion, either because of the perception that other groups are doing better or for fear of losing political rights and […]
Although the media often depict giant corporations as the engine of the American workforce, the opposite is closer to the truth. Global retail giant Walmart, for example, employs about 1.5 million workers in the US alone – about 1% of America’s workforce. Other major corporations such as Amazon, Home Depot, […]