Bennett Institute for Public Policy

The Bennett Institute for Public Policy has expanded to become the Bennett School of Public Policy, @Cambridge_Uni The @BennettSchoolPP will continue to lead in public policy research, teaching & engagement, for the right kind of growth fairly shared. Follow @BennettSchoolPP

The English devolution bill marks a major shift in how England is governed, with more powers for mayors & local areas—but concerns remain over accountability & neighbourhood representation Alex Walker explores this big moment for the governance of England. bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/english-d…

Social & cultural infrastructure fosters civic trust, reduces isolation & builds democratic resilience. Its erosion fuels pessimism & populist thinking. Investing in community—e.g. parks, pubs, libraries & lunch clubs—supports democracy & the lives of citizens across the UK.

Studies show clear links between the decline of public amenities & the rise of populist parties: Pub closures → more UKIP votes GP closures → far-right support High street vacancies → Reform UK surge

Populist politics is on the rise—from Trump to Reform UK. Why? It's not just economic hardship or distrust in elites. In a new blog, Rosa Marks argues something deeper is at play: the collapse of social & cultural infrastructure.🧵 bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/social-cu…

At the Lien International Conference, @michaelkenny_ discussed: "Governing well in the age of turbulence: is there a way forward for evidence-based policymaking?"

. @michaelkenny_ recently visited the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) at @NTUsg, Singapore. Highlights included: 🌐 A keynote at the Lien International Conference 📚 A talk to NCPA Executive Master students 🤝 Productive dialogues with NCPA scholars

🎙️What’s the value of speaking other languages? In this month’s Crossing Channels podcast, Wendy Ayres-Bennett points out a major AI issue: big languages dominate training data, so smaller languages & dialects get left behind. That’s a problem. 🎧pod.fo/e/2fb7e1

How can infrastructure help achieve good growth? In this blog @michaelkenny_ & Owen Garling make the case for investment in the UK’s infrastructural ecosystem as a way to achieve a sustainable & geographically equitable pattern of economic growth. ✍️➡️acss.org.uk/the-role-of-in…

Congratulations to Lord Chris Smith—former chair of the Bennett Institute's Advisory Council—on being elected as the new Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. He is the 109th Chancellor & will hold the post for 10 years.

From pubs to populism: what the decline of community space means for democracy Rosa Marks explores how rebuilding social & cultural infrastructure can help reverse the UK’s slide into distrust, division, & populist politics? bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/social-cu…

New blog: As trust in government wanes, devolution must empower citizens & their neighbourhoods. Without tackling deep-rooted inequalities with real local powers & investment, initiatives like the Plan for Neighbourhoods may fall short. bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/making-de…

Devolution must empower citizens & neighbourhoods—but without addressing spatial inequalities via stronger local powers, investment & accountability, efforts like the Plan for Neighbourhoods may fall short, write Geoff White, Colin Warnock & Peter Tyler. bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/making-de…

Learning a language helps with things like oracy & literacy in your own language... & then there's the benefits of health & wellbeing. We think about being multilingual as helping mental agility, the ability to switch between tasks— @WendyBennett21 Listen: pod.fo/e/2fb7e1

New blog on how the Renters’ Rights Bill could improve private renters’ mental health Private renters face mental health risks due to tenancy uncertainty. Marco Felici explores how banning "no fault” evictions in the UK’s Renters’ Rights Bill could help. bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/blog/renters-r…

Watch @DianeCoyle1859 deliver a keynote speech on “Rethinking Progress in an Intangible Economy” at the launch of @WIPO's World Intangible Investment Highlights 2025 — 9 July, 8:40am-8:55am (CET), online. View here: webcast.wipo.int/home

The future of AI won't be decided by who builds the biggest model, but by who builds the best bridges. New analysis from the AIxGEO project, led by @verityharding : How ASEAN turned AI governance into geopolitical power - without competing with anyone.

Thank you to our Advisory Council for meeting yesterday to offer valuable guidance as the Bennett Institute prepares to become the Bennett School of Public Policy—expanding our teaching, research & engagement to address pressing public policy challenges in a turbulent world.

We're hiring a Teaching & Learning Coordinator to join the Bennett School of Public Policy You'll lead teaching & learning support, manage admissions & course operations, & help shape the policies & processes behind our academic programmes. Apply by 9 July bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/about-us/vac..…