News and views from the Blavatnik School of Government community 
Anna Stewart passed away on 6 October 2017. She was the CEO of UK engineering and construction giant Laing O’Rourke (who have led the construction of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government building), and less notably, served as my mentor at the School. When I first met Ms. Stewart, a quick-witted and proud […]
In March 2018, the Australian cricket team became embroiled in scandal as two of its players admitted to ball tampering in a match against South Africa. Both players were subsequently suspended as was the Captain. The team’s coach, Darren Lehmann, later resigned. As one of the people asked to review the Australian […]
On March 23, a U.S. representative raised concerns at the World Trade Organization, claiming that “China’s import restrictions on recycled commodities have caused a fundamental disruption in global supply chains for scrap materials.” His concern related to China’s decision in mid-2017 to impose a ban on the importation of 24 […]
April 23th 2018 marked an incredibly important milestone in the history of Armenia and perhaps in the history of the whole post-Soviet space. After 11 days of peaceful protests demanding the resignation of newly elected prime minister Serzh Sargsyan, he resigned, wishing peace and harmony to the Armenian nation. It […]
How can countries step up climate action to meet the goals they set for themselves in Paris? A big part of the answer lays in building stronger links to local governments, the private sector, and civil society. In 2018, an international effort to increase climate action and raise ambition has […]
“Don’t get mad, get even.” That aphorism needs to become the new norm in democratic politics across Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Rather than complaining about populist successes, established political parties should take a page from the populist playbook. Three lessons, in particular, cry out for attention. The first […]
March was quite an intense month for me. Several deadlines – almost nerve-wrecking deadlines. It was also the month in which the Blavatnik School admission decisions were released. As the decision week drew close in mid-March, I felt sorry for many of the applicants that would be rejected. Last year, […]
One of the most exciting activities I did during my Erasmus Mundus International Joint Master Degree in Europe was a trip to Paris with my cohort classmates. Standing just underneath the Eiffel Tower, I was completely amazed by its grandness and elegance, particularly when it lit up at night with […]