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Politics and international relations
Politics and international relations today are increasingly characterised by a landscape of sustained crises — from Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Concurrently, as the world becomes ever more interconnected, the scale and complexity of global challenges, such as climate change, require nations to transcend their differences and collaborate more closely.
In the past year, CSaP Policy Fellows and Workshops have addressed policy challenges which span the range of political organisation: from local to international. Our workshops have considered the geospatial-data-driven digital planning for local authorities, as well as the UK’s approach to international research collaboration. Furthermore, CSaP Policy Fellow Judith Herbertson has used her Fellowship to gain critical insights on improving education access and quality for girls and marginalised groups internationally.
Geospatial-data-driven digital planning for local authorities
A policy workshop was held in partnership with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities on geospatial-data-driven digital planning for local authorities. The discussions addressed key challenges and opportunities regarding the use of geospatial data in local authority planning. A major focus was on generating recommendations to practically support local authorities to become more geospatial-data driven and build capacity for digital planning locally. Another focus was on aligning relevant geospatial data sets without requiring high-end tech skills for access and use. The discussions also highlighted the need to learn from recent and ongoing projects — including how these practices might scaled up nationally.
The UK’s approach to international research collaboration
A policy workshop was held, in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, on the UK’s approach to international research collaboration, with a focus on promoting resilience and sustainability. A policy workshop was held, in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, on the UK’s approach to international research collaboration, with a focus on promoting resilience and sustainability. Participants stressed the need for interdisciplinary, intersectional, and intergenerational approaches — calling for greater support for interdisciplinary research and highlighting the value of social sciences in framing and interpreting STEM findings. Concerns arose around entrenched hierarchies, particularly favouring STEM over SHAPE disciplines. Effective science communication was also emphasised, pointing out the need to craft messages for various audiences and platforms, especially in policy contexts. Challenges were noted in translating research into actions relevant to diverse global communities, with power imbalances and access barriers — such as costly open-access publishing — hindering knowledge sharing and the inclusion of voices from the Global South.
Case study 2024: Judith Herbertson
This year, CSaP has continued to bridge the gap between government and academia via their Policy Fellowship programmes. Judith Herbertson is the Head of Girls’ Education at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Her work focusses on improving education access and quality for girls and marginalised groups around the world —particularly in low-income and lower-middle-income countries, and in conflict- and climate-affected areas. Her time as a Policy Fellow has expanded her professional skills and her network — putting her in contact with Cambridge academics whose expertise intersects with her own. Her meetings with academics provided critical insights on educational challenges in conflict-affected states, the barriers to equal participation in traditionally male-dominated subjects, and the importance of incorporating disability-inclusive practices into educational policies. The Fellowship empowered her to present and defend emerging ideas and build a case for expanding her focus away from a narrow emphasis on girls’ education to a broader approach to equity and inclusion.