All Posts by CUSPE (Page 22)

Date: Friday 6th March, 2015
Start Time: 17:30 hrs
Venue: Winstanley Lecture Theatre, Trinity College

Humanitarian and development organisations are increasingly pressured to show that their decisions are based on the ‘best available evidence’ and that their interventions and programmes do have an impact. But where is the evidence for this, how does it reach these organisations and who decides what is ‘best’?

Join the Cambridge University Science & Policy Exchange and Giving What We Can as we debate this important topic from both a practice and research perspective.

The lecture will be followed by a wine reception.

Students working in a relevant area to the policy debate can apply to attend the post-lecture dinner with the speakers and will be notified if they have a place prior to the event date.

Speakers for this policy debate include:

Ewen Macleod has been head of UNHCR’s Policy Development and Evaluation Service. PDES is committed to the systematic examination and assessment of UNHCR policies, programmes, projects and practices. It also promotes rigorous research on issues pertinent to UNHCR’s work and encourages an active exchange of ideas and information between humanitarian practitioners, policymakers, and the research community with the purpose of strengthening operational effectiveness. Ewen Macleod has considerable field experience of many major refugee emergencies and situations acquired over three decades.

Professor Christopher Whitty is Chief Scientific Adviser and Director of Research & Evidence at the Department for International Development. In this role he is responsible for DfID’s diverse research programmes. Prior to joining DfID he was Professor of International Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine where he continues to run a research programme, and Chair of the UK National Expert Panel on New & Emerging Infections, which included animal as well as human infections.  He is also a Cambridge Fellow in Science & Policy.

Dr Shailaja Fennell is a university lecturer in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. In 2013 she organised a workshop on Evidence Based Policy jointly with the World Bank Institute, examining the evidence of institutional change on poverty reduction. The presentations and discussions were located around the consequences of not having clear evidence of the impact of such interventions. Her further research interests include institutional reform, gender and household dynamics, kinship and ethnicity, comparative economic development, and provision of public goods and partnerships.

Alex MacGillivray is the Director of Development Impact at CDC. Alex’s background is in sustainable development, competitiveness and business strategy. Before joining CDC, he held senior positions at AccountAbility and the New Economics Foundation, and has worked with a broad range of businesses, government and non-profits. Alex has developed and embedded evaluation and management systems for innovators of all shapes and sizes around the world, particularly in emerging markets. He has a keen interest in low-carbon innovation.

This policy debate is generously sponsored by Astra Zeneca , Analysys Mason , Medimmune , and Science.

#CamDigital

Date: Wednesday 15th October 2014
Start Time: 17:15 hrs
Venue: Riley Auditorium, Gillespie Centre, Clare College

The Digital Agenda for Europe has been heralded as delivering smart, sustainable and inclusive growth by completing the digital single market. It aims to reboot Europe’s economy and help Europe’s citizens and businesses to get the most out of digital technologies. But what has it achieved and is it on target to deliver its original aims?

Join the Cambridge University Science & Policy Exchange on Wednesday 15th October 2014 as we debate this topical and fascinating policy.

The lecture will be directly followed by a wine reception. Students working in a relevant area to the policy debate can apply to attend the post-lecture dinner with the speakers and will be notified if they have a place prior to the event date.

This policy debate is generously sponsored by our partner Analysys Mason, the global telecoms, media and technology (TMT) consultancy.

Dr David Cleevely is a serial entrepreneur, international telecoms expert and the Founding Director of the Centre for Science & Policy at the University of Cambridge. He has invested in over 35 companies based primarily in the Cambridge cluster and is currently Chairman of four of them. He has decades of experience in advising governments and industry in telecoms matters. He was a member of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board for 8 years.

Mr Iarla Flynn is Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the Internet heavyweight Google. He is a public policy and government affairs professional with a strong track record in the technology and telecomms sectors, built across senior roles in government, global ICT players, and start-ups in the European and Asia-Pacific region.

Dr James Allen is a Partner at the global telecoms, media and technology consultancy Analysys Mason and one of the company’s most senior regulatory experts. His experience includes providing specialist advice to operators, regulators and governments on the economic costs of telecoms services, and the consequential policy implications. With over twenty years of experience he has expertise in a range of strategically important telecoms areas covering both fixed and mobile technologies.

Dr Jörgen Gren is currently the Head of Unit for Growth & Jobs at the Digital Agenda for Europe Coordination and Digital Single Market Policy Unit in the European Commission’s DG CONNECT. Having started his career in the private sector at IBM, he later joined the Commission in 1996 to work on the evaluation of EU structural policy. Dr Gren has also been heavily involved in recent years with the Connecting Europe Facility on broadband and digital services.

#CamDigital