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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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 qualitiesThe art of effective opposition and developing alternative policies for the nationAchievements and regrets of the Abbott Government in officeThe role of government in fostering trust and cohesion in communities National service and giving back to the countryNational identity, immigration, and multiculturalismIndustrial and energy policyThe state of right of centre politics globally, and what a conservatism for the 21st century might look likeThe importance of promoting classical education and an understanding of western civilisation to strengthen cultural self-confidenceThe 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 KoreaPoetic reflections on Australia and advice to young Australians abroad
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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.
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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 schoolJupneet’s Sikh heritage and cultureJoining the US Air Force and Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) while at universityQuestions of identity within the US military, and the experience of walking in different worldsJupneet'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, CaliforniaPolicy issues such as education, equity, healthcare, diversity and belongingLeadership and the importance of mentorshipJupneet's experience at Oxford, and advice for future MPP students***
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 policyHow to prioritise activities and times in the swirl of OxfordDita's top tips for incoming students to maximise their time at the Blavatnik School and University of Oxford more broadlyDita 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!
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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 UniversityThe state of higher education in the United Kingdom - including freedom of speech on campus and the rise of cancelThe Israel-Hamas war, and the University of Oxford's response to recent student protests and demands, and his work with Medical Aid for PalestiniansLord Patten’s Governorship of Hong Kong and the 1997 handoverThe current political situation in Hong Kong and the erosion of civil and political rights, and hope for Hong Kong's futureThe rise of China and its increasing authoritarianismReflections on the recent 14 years of Tory rule in Britain, andThe future of right of centre political movements in the United Kingdom
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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.
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Damien Shannon is a DPhil candidate in Economic and Social History at New College, Oxford.
In this episode, Nick and Damien speak about:
Damien's experience in suing Oxford University over its admissions criteria, which initially prevented him from taking up his degree place on financial groundsEducational access and equityDamien's current DPhil research on the abolition of tenure at British universities and the impact on research outcomes and long term institutional performanceThe history of universities as institutions from their earliest roots in Bologna and OxfordIntellectual freedom and the ideal conditions for free inquirySir Keith Joseph and the economic and philosophical foundations of the Thatcher administration The corporatization of universities and modern employment conditions for academics
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Denisse Salazar hosted Emeritus Professor Colin Mayer to delve into philosophical and moral discussions surrounding capitalism in modern society. They discussed why capitalism has persisted despite several attempts to diminish it and how its survival represents its moral superiority in comparison to other economic systems.
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Colin Mayer is Emeritus Professor of Management Studies at the Blavatnik School of Government and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford and an Honorary Fellow of Oriel College, Oxford and St Anne’s College, Oxford. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Centre for Economic Policy Research, and the European Corporate Governance Institute. He was Chair of the Scottish Government Business Purpose Commission, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Oxford Playhouse, the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, the UK Government Natural Capital Committee, the International Advisory Board of the Securities and Exchange Board of India, and the UK Financial Markets Law Committee Working Group on Pension Fund Trustees and Fiduciary Duties.
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In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with George Brandis, former Australian Attorney-General and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. They discuss George's time at Oxford and Magdalen College as a law student, his career in the law, the philosophical traditions of liberalism and conservatism and how they might be applied to policy issues in the 21st century, some major security and social policy reforms George influenced, George's time as High Commissioner to the UK during Brexit negotiations, the COVID pandemic, and Tory party leadership changes, and international security issues.
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Professor the Honourable George Brandis KC is a lawyer, former Australian Senator and Attorney-General, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and now Professor of National Security at the Australian National University.
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In this episode, Nick Fabbri speaks with Bob Carr, a former Australian Foreign Minister and long-serving Premier of New South Wales. They discuss politics and embarking on a political career, the art of good policymaking and some of the major policy reforms of the Carr Labor Government, international affairs and security issues, Australia and its natural beauty, and the love and grief that Bob has for his late wife Helena Carr.
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Professor the Honourable Bob Carr was the longest continuously serving premier in the history of New South Wales, a major Australian state, from 1995-2006. He then entered the Australian Senate in 2012 and served as foreign minister for eighteen months. Since leaving politics Bob has led a distinguished career as an author and academic. Bob is also an accomplished writer and has published many books, including My Reading Life, Diary of a Foreign Minister, and Run For Your Life.
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In this episode, Denisse Salazar speaks with Karen Sichel, an alumna of the Blavatnik School of Government, about women's rights, gender equality, politics, and leadership.
Karen Sichel is an Ecuadorean lawyer, and served as Undersecretary of Regulatory Affairs in the Ecuadorean Presidency in 2023. Karen was also at the forefront of Ecuador's 2023 constitutional referendum.
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