Oxford Policy Pod

"Something's Brewing" is a relaxed podcast series hosted by MPP student Wynsey. Each episode features a guest from the Blavatnik School of Government, sharing candid stories about their journey, experiences, and life beyond policy—all over a favorite drink from their home. In this episode, we hear about the life of Juan Pablo, a fellow MPP candidate from Colombia, as he reflects on his upbringing, his transition from law to investigative journalism, and his evolving perspective on success. Through his search for meaning in a public service career, Juan offers a fresh take on what success truly means to him.

🌍🎙️ How does a world-renowned climate scientist become a leading environmental policymaker? In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, we sit down with Chile's Minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas, to explore her journey from Oxford's labs to global climate negotiations.

👩‍🔬From Lead Author of IPCC's Assessment Reports researching paleoclimate to shaping Chile's climate policies and securing the historic Loss & Damage Fund at COP27, Minister Rojas shares her insights on the intersection of science, policy, and leadership in the fight against climate change.

⛴️ Discover a journey that begins with writing a DPhil thesis on a canal boat in Oxford, evolves into integrating scientific evidence into policymaking, and culminates in leading Chile's climate diplomacy on the global stage.

🎧 Tune in now and discover how a scientist-turned-minister is working to bridge the gap between research and action.

What are the threats to Democracy?

In this episode, Helen Orjuela and Marie Vanolli are joined by Dr. Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, to discuss the global state of democracy.

Together, they explore critical issues, including the erosion of freedoms like press and expression, the rise of the far right and its implications for representation, and the challenges facing democratic institutions. Amidst these concerns, the conversation also highlights opportunities for renewal, including advancements in the rule of law and citizen engagement.

Join us for an insightful discussion on whether democracy as we know it is at risk and how we can work to protect and strengthen it in an evolving global landscape.

🎧 Listen now for expert analysis and fresh perspectives on the future of democracy.

"Something's Brewing" is a relaxed podcast series hosted by MPP student Wynsey. Each episode features a guest from the Blavatnik School of Government, sharing candid stories about their journey, experiences, and life beyond policy—all over a favorite drink from their home. In this episode, we hear about the life of Binka, a fellow MPP candidate from Slovakia - her childhood, career ups and downs and the formative experiences that have brought her into the world of policy evaluation. Binka shares her insights about evidence-based policy making and articulates her ambitions and vision for a career back home.

What does it mean to lead in the field of public policy? How do leaders navigate uncertainty and social pressures when making key decisions

In this inaugural episode, we sit down with two special guests—Marcos Peña, Former Chief of Staff of Argentina (2015-2019), and Francisco Sánchez Moreno, a leadership expert with extensive experience in the public sector. Together, they offer unique insights into leadership in contemporary politics after their time in government.

This episode takes an introspective journey, reflecting on both the personal and professional paths that shape political leaders. They explore "The Art of Climbing (and Descending) the Mountain", Marcos Peña’s book, which discusses the lessons he learned about the human side of leadership. We delve into how leadership in the public sphere not only impacts policies but also shapes the individuals behind those decisions.

Mexico is undergoing a constitutional and institutional crisis that is eroding its already fragile democracy. This is due to a recently approved constitutional reform that jeopardises checks and balances, the division of powers, the rule of law, judicial independence and democracy itself. (For more context of this reform, please read this article by Mariana De Lucio on the Blavatnik School of Government blog.)

These constitutional reforms have resulted in mass resignations among federal judges and even Supreme Court justices, who are stepping down from the judiciary. They will be replaced by candidates elected through popular votes, whose requirements to run for these positions are only holding a law degree with a minimum average of 8 out of 10 and providing five letters of recommendation.

This fight for protecting democracy has led to authorities, including the executive and legislative branches, disregarding judicial rulings and, in essence, the Constitution itself.

To discuss this situation further, we invited Lilia Monica Lopez Benitez, a current Counselor of Mexico's Federal Judiciary, with over 34 years of experience in the system. Her career includes roles as a federal district and circuit judge. During these challenging times, Lilia Monica has been a strong advocate against the erosion of democracy and for the protection of the separation of powers. As a woman, her leadership has inspired many Mexicans who are eager to help rebuild the democracy that has been weakened.

During the week this episode was recorded, Lilia Mónica, in an act of dignity and integrity, submitted her withdrawal to the Senate regarding her candidacy in the judges' elections. She stated:"I withdraw because, according to democratic and republican principles, the Judicial Reform has weakened the most sacred pact of the Union: to ensure the balance of powers and to protect human rights. This reform contravenes the principle of the law's progressivity and undermines the patriotic values of the common good and national interest."

When Lilia Mónica tried to present her withdrawal letter, she was denied entry to the Senate and subsequently escorted out by security, illustrating the unjust treatment and the restriction of freedom of speech judges face when they speak out.

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, MPP student and Australian Rhodes Scholar Tahlia Smith sits down with John Roome, who recently retired after a distinguished 35-year career at the World Bank. A fellow Oxford alum, John reflects on how his time at Oxford and the Rhodes Scholarship shaped his path to international public service and leadership within the World Bank, one of the world’s most influential development organisations.

Tahlia and John discuss the evolving role of the World Bank in addressing complex global challenges such as climate change and development, and how international organisations can balance large-scale initiatives with local needs. John shares his experiences building coalitions to tackle climate change amidst political polarisation, his leadership of diverse teams across continents and cultures, and making tough decisions under pressure in high-stakes environments.

With insights on leadership, the role of public service, and navigating the challenges of global governance, this episode provides a unique look into the career of someone who has played a key role in shaping international development policy. Tune in to hear John’s reflections on maintaining resilience in the face of global crises and his advice for the next generation of international public servants.

***

John Roome recently concluded his role as Regional Director, South Asia Sustainable Development at the World Bank. Before that he was Senior Director for Climate Change. He joined the World Bank in 1989, working initially in Africa, and has since held various positions including Operations and Strategy Director for Global Practices and Cross Cutting Solutions, Director for Sustainable Development in the Bank’s East Asia and the Pacific Region, Operations and Strategy Director in the Bank’s South Asia region and as Operational Quality Director in the Bank’s Africa region. His experience spans water, urban, transport, energy, rural, agriculture, environment, and social sectors, as well as disaster risk management and climate change. Before joining the World Bank, John worked in Europe for Monitor Company, a leading corporate strategy consulting firm, and at Old Mutual, a South African Life Assurance Company. He was educated at Oxford University, where he obtained Masters Degrees in Econometrics and in Management Studies, and the University of Cape Town where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Statistics and Actuarial Science.

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, host Nick Fabbri sits down with Haibado Abdoulkader Yacin, a Mastercard Foundation AfOx Scholar and Master of Public Policy student at Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government. Haibado, a dedicated public servant from Djibouti, shares her incredible personal story and journey from Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, to studying and working across three continents.

Haibado’s experiences span her role advising the Minister of Finance in Djibouti on youth employment and entrepreneurship, to her involvement in civil society movements focused on educational reforms. As someone passionate about sustainable development and the empowerment of Africa’s youth, Haibado reflects on how her international education shaped her perspective, and discusses her work in shaping opportunities in Djibouti through policy and public service.

Nick and Haibado discuss Djibouti’s strategic role in international security, its unique cultural and diplomatic identity, its history of colonisation and migration, as well as some poetical reflections on Haibado's home. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on leadership, policy innovation, and the future of development in Africa.

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with Gargi Sharma Goel about her life and career in New Delhi, India, her work in the Ministry of Finance and Indian Revenue Service, key economic and tax policy interests, her journey to the Master of Public Policy at Oxford, balancing parenthood with studies, and the happiest memories from her time in the UK.

***

Gargi Sharma Goel is career civil servant, part of the Indian Revenue Service, and works in the Ministry of Finance of the government of India. Gargi lives in New Delhi. Gargi focuses on tax policy and has been involved in the preparation of the Union Budget. She keeps a close watch on the pulse of the Indian economy and has undertaken many policy initiatives for its growth and development. Her key area of interest has been the utility of tax policy for socio-economic welfare, and she is interested in exploring tax policy as a tool for promoting equitable growth across all sections of society.

Gargi's other field of interest has been international taxation and transfer pricing. She has also been involved with OECD two-Pillar International Tax negotiations for tax-sharing in the digitalised and borderless world, where she endeavours to establish cooperative and fair tax sharing mechanisms.

Gargi is a World Bank Scholar.

In this episode, Oluwatamilore Oni speaks with Dr Christian Johannes Meyer, the Director of the Future of Development programme at the Oxford Martin School.

Christian’s career spans research and programming focused on livelihoods and labour market interventions for vulnerable groups at the University of Oxford, the World Bank and the Center for Global Development. From this rich background, he shares insights on the interactions between micro and macro economics and the confluence of international and domestic policymaking. He also underscores the necessity of humility when working on technology-enabled solutions and how understanding beneficiary behaviours and backgrounds is crucial to effective programming.

He likens his work to gardening as in nurturing the seeds of inquiries about the best policies and practices and also to plumbing as in digging into the inner workings and bottlenecks of policy making and implementation.

We invite you to enjoy Christian’s unique perspective!