Oxford Policy Pod

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with The Hon. Tony Abbott AC, Former Prime Minister of Australia. They discuss:

• The influence of the Jesuits, Oxford, and Father Paul Mankowski on Mr. Abbott's life and leadership qualities
• The art of effective opposition and developing alternative policies for the nation
• Achievements and regrets of the Abbott Government in office
• The role of government in fostering trust and cohesion in communities
• National service and giving back to the country
• National identity, immigration, and multiculturalism
• Industrial and energy policy
• The state of right of centre politics globally, and what a conservatism for the 21st century might look like
• The importance of promoting classical education and an understanding of western civilisation to strengthen cultural self-confidence
• The global security situation and the need for a military, industrial, and cultural re-armament to resist the authoritarian axis of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea
• Poetic reflections on Australia and advice to young Australians abroad

In this episode, Oluwatamilore Oni speaks with Adenike Adeyemi, CEO of FATE Foundation – Nigeria’s foremost business incubator and accelerator program set up to enable aspiring and emerging Nigerian entrepreneurs to start, grow and scale their businesses.

Adenike shares highlights from her more than two decades of experience in the social impact space, with a specific focus on entrepreneurs and the role they play in catalysing growth in developing economies. We discuss the interplay between national and local policymaking and what an enabling environment for business growth really means. Adenike offers insightful perspectives into the vital role that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play in job creation and socio-economic sustainability, delving into the intricacies of business formalisation, taxation and other macroeconomic policies that can help or hinder.

Adenike can be considered an entrepreneur herself, having led and grown the FATE Foundation team over the last nine years. She also shares about her roles on multiple board and advisory committees, how she manages her time, and what guides her decision-making process when opportunities come her way. She is a Google.org Leader to Watch, trustee of Youth Business International, and lead facilitator for the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) MSME Community of Practice.

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with fellow MPP students Anushka Jadhav and Rafaela Viana about the 2024 Education World Forum, their personal education journeys in India and Brazil respectively, Education Policy in Oxford, and some of the major education policy issues and developments globally. Anushka and Rafaela also reflect on their time at Oxford and in the 2023-24 MPP cohort, and offer advice and inspiration to future students.

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Anushka Jadhav is an educational professional with over seven years of experience, based in Mumbai, India. As a co-founder of an educational trust (NCFW), she has engaged students and institutions in meaningful discussions about gender norms and discrimination. At Whistling Woods International (WWI), Anushka led the curriculum development and served as a faculty member. She also spearheaded India's venture into media and film education for grades 9-12 under the Delhi Board of School Education. As the Creative Director at Gaysi Family since 2016, she has worked extensively to mainstream narratives from the LGBTQIA+ community through diverse initiatives. She has also actively participated in fellowships with change.org and the British Council.

Rafaela Viana dos Santos is from Sao Paulo city, Brazil and in 2021 obtained her undergraduate degree in international relations at the University of Sao Paulo. She has pursued studies and attended conferences in Taiwan, China, and Egypt. Rafaela's four years of professional experience are mainly in the ESG field, including sustainable development finance and government projects. As such, her key policy interests are ESG, sustainable development, China, the third sector, and project management. Likewise, she has extensive experience working in non-profit and non-governmental organisations. Rafaela enjoys travelling, playing with dogs, and watching movies. Rafaela is a Chevening Scholar.

This episode features Jupneet Singh, an MPP student, Rhodes Scholar, and 2nd Lieutenant in the US Air Force. It covers:

• Jupeet’s personal story before coming to Oxford, including her time at MIT and volunteering at high school
• Jupneet’s Sikh heritage and culture
• Joining the US Air Force and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) while at university
• Questions of identity within the US military, and the experience of walking in different worlds
• Jupneet's personal and professional interests in medicine, healthcare, and public service 
• Volunteering and public service, and Jupneet's role in establishing "Pathways to Promise", a nonprofit program supporting children affected by domestic violence in Ventura, California
• Policy issues such as education, equity, healthcare, diversity and belonging
• Leadership and the importance of mentorship
• Jupneet's experience at Oxford, and advice for future MPP students

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Jupneet is originally from Somis, California, USA, and graduated from MIT where she majored in chemistry (with a flex in biomedical engineering) and concentrated on history.

Jupneet is currently a 2nd Lt in the U.S. Air Force and will be attending medical school immediately after her studies in Oxford. As a trauma surgeon in the Air Force, Jupneet hopes to advocate for the representation of minorities and culturally adaptive practices in healthcare. At MIT, Jupneet was Commander of the Air Force ROTC detachment. She also worked in the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program in the Shalek Lab studying fatty liver disease.

This past summer, Jupneet worked in de-addiction centers in India. She previously worked at the Ventura County Family Justice Center and Medical Trauma Center, and published a paper as first author in The American Surgeon. She also received four fellowships for the program she founded, Pathways to Promise, to support the health of children affected by domestic violence.

Jupneet is a Rhodes Scholar.

In this episode of the Oxford Policy Podcast, Mykhailo Kiktenko speaks with Manal Fouani, the UNDP Chief of Country Support and Oversight for the Regional Bureau of Arab States. In 2022, Manal served as the UNDP Resident Representative ad interim in Ukraine, where she led the organization's response during the full-scale Russian invasion.

We discuss her leadership in navigating this crisis, transitioning from sustainable development to emergency relief and resilience building. Manal shares the challenges she faced, the critical decisions she made, and the moments of inspiration that sustained her.

We also explore how emergency response can align with long-term development goals and gain insights into human resilience during conflict.

Join us for an inspiring discussion on the intersection of policy, crisis management, and human resilience.

In this episode, Erik Kucherenko speaks with Professor Dapo Akande, Oxford Chichele Professor of Public International Law, Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict, a Member of the UN International Law Commission.

We discuss how the International Law Commission functions behind the scenes, how Professor Akande prepares for pleadings in the International Court of Justice, and how one of the biggest international law blogs (the European Journal of International Law) works from the inside.

We also explore the latest trends in the development of international law, discussing in detail Professor Akande's opinion on the attempts to confiscate Russian sovereign assets and establish an ad hoc international criminal tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

Professor Akande also shares his current academic interests and how they evolved over time.

Anindita (Dita) is a member of the 2023/24 MPP Cohort . In this episode, host Oluwatamilore Oni and Dita discuss:

• Dita's experience at the Central Bank of Indonesia and how her experiences during the MPP have influenced her new perspectives on life, work and policy
• How to prioritise activities and times in the swirl of Oxford
• Dita's top tips for incoming students to maximise their time at the Blavatnik School and University of Oxford more broadly

Dita really wanted to focus on sharing insights and tips to ease the incoming students’ transition. We hope it will be helpful for all those preparing to begin their MPP journey!

His Excellency Governor Godwin Obaseki of Nigeria’s Edo State joins MPP student Mobayo Oguntunde to discuss the policy and politics behind some of his signature achievements, creating an environment for results and how Nigeria might address some emerging policy challenges.

Lord Christopher Patten is the Chancellor of the University of Oxford, having served in the role since 2003. Lord Patten was the 28th and final British Governor of Hong Kong, who oversaw its handover to the People's Republic of China in 1997, symbolically marking the end of the British Empire. Lord Patten was also a Conservative Member of the UK Parliament from 1979-1992, where, as Conservative Party Chairman from 1990-1992, he was credited with architecting the election of the Major Government.

In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with Lord Patten about:

• His lifelong relationship with Oxford University
• The state of higher education in the United Kingdom - including freedom of speech on campus and the rise of cancel
• The Israel-Hamas war, and the University of Oxford's response to recent student protests and demands, and his work with Medical Aid for Palestinians
• Lord Patten’s Governorship of Hong Kong and the 1997 handover
• The current political situation in Hong Kong and the erosion of civil and political rights, and hope for Hong Kong's future
• The rise of China and its increasing authoritarianism
• Reflections on the recent 14 years of Tory rule in Britain, and
• The future of right of centre political movements in the United Kingdom

In this conversation, Erik Kucherenko and Artem Shaipov speak with Oleksandr Novikov, Head of Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention between 2020-2024, about his experience of building state capacity.

We discuss the implementation of Objectives and Key Results methodology, business school training for civil servants working on anti-corruption, and the role of organisational mission and values. Oleksandr shares his successful experience of building an effective institution and recommends books that motivated him to achieve these recognised results.