Termly newsletter from the Blavatnik School of Government
Summer 2021
Discover what's been going on over the past few weeks, during the Summer, and what's coming up at your School.
News
A message from Ngaire
Dear Blavatnik School alumni,
As we reach the end of the academic year here in Oxford, I write to say a huge thank you for being a part of our alumni community – and a huge congratulations on your resilience, energy, and commitment to public service in the face of a truly extraordinary year.
It has been terrific to see so many of you on screen over the past month at various virtual reunions. I cannot tell you how proud it makes all of us here at the School to see you flourishing across so many sectors, including those elected to office in Germany, Panama, Mongolia, Brazil, and Canada; and those operating behind the scenes in the White House, in the Cabinet Office, across several states in India, and in the offices of the Presidents in Slovenia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Malawi, and beyond.
All that said, I know that it has been an incredibly tough year for many – be that due to the continued effects of the pandemic, political instability in your countries, or difficult personal circumstances. In spite of it all, it’s been wonderful to see the different ways in which our alumni community has come together and continued to build extraordinary fellowship and networks over the past year – across regions, cohorts and sectors. Do keep that up… And if there are ways in which the School could be doing better to connect you and support you – or if you have creative ideas for other ways in we can continue to build our community – do just let me (or Jo and Polly) know…
Let me end with a heartfelt thank you for being a part of our alumni community, and with all my warmest wishes to you and your family,
Ngaire
Missed your class catch-up?
It was fantastic to see so many of you at the MPP class catch ups over the last eight weeks. Did you miss yours? You can watch it here:
Summer project This year, despite the situation with Covid and travel restrictions, our students have secured a diverse range of placements from the Bank of England, Inter-Peace, OECD, Rio Tinto, MP Layla Moran and a whole host of interesting research placements covering a plethora of different topics and interests.
As ever, the Summer Project Team are grateful to all alumni who have offered placements and proud that so many have worked to the benefit of all parties this year. As ever, if you are interested in joining as a host next year or would like to chat over how the summer project works as a host, please contact Vanessa in the Summer Project team.
Admissions update The admissions team are working hard, finalising the MPP class for 2021, to ensure those who hold offers meet all of their conditions.
Thank you to all the alumni who encouraged friends, colleagues and professional contacts to apply. Your help on this is fantastic and enables us to reach out to and spread the word to ever more people.
We have an outstanding and committed pool of candidates this year, who are showing great perseverance, despite the challenging environment – to do everything they can to attend the MPP in 2021 – even if, for some, this will mean attending virtually in the first few months because of government travel restrictions.
We now have offer holders from 51 different countries and we are anticipating a good size class in 2021-22. We look forward to introducing the new class to you when they join us in September!
A year in review Don't forget to read our 2020-21 annual report. It features interviews by Stefan Dercon on foreign aid and Emily Jones on trade policy plus alumni profiles, updates on our new online courses, the COVID-19 Government Response Tracker, the MPP and much more! You can read it here.
Events
Save the date: MPP's 10 year anniversary
Please hold 22-24 September 2022 in your calendars. Celebrations will be held in Oxford and there are plans for regional and hybrid celebrations for those who are unable to attend.
Connecting with the alumni community
Meet up with alumni in your region or working in the same by sector
In the regions there are 31 regional reps, WhatsApp groups and financial support for meet ups. More details can be found on the hub.
There are 11 industry/sector groups and reps. More details can be found on the hub.
Some profiles on the hub might not contain the most up to date information, due to alumni preference. Do contact Jo and Polly via [email protected] and, respecting privacy laws, they will connect you directly with alumni working in your industry/sector or region.
In summary, if you need help with keeping connected with each other and/or with the School contact Jo and Polly and they can help you.
Tell us your news! The recent class catch-ups highlighted how many marriages and births have happened over the last year.
Please do let us know of any personal celebrations/milestones; they brighten up our day!
Can't remember your login details for the School's hub? You can reset your password on the homepage (community.bsg.ox.ac.uk) or contact Polly at [email protected] who'll be able to advise you.
