More than 300 policy thinkers will convene in Cambridge to debate evidence-based responses to today’s pressing public policy challenges.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham will speak at the Bennett School of Public Policy Annual Conference in Cambridge on Thursday 26 March 2026, where he will discuss the factors driving Greater Manchester’s emergence as the UK’s fastest-growing region.
This is the first Conference since the Bennett Institute in Cambridge expanded to become the Bennett School of Public Policy in August 2025.
Burnham will join an impressive line-up of speakers including the keynote, João Vale de Almeida, a senior European Union Ambassador who recently retired from active duty after a 40-year career. At a time of seeming collapse in the global order, he will discuss “The divorce of nations – new geo-strategic challenges for public policy”.
Other guest speakers include Prof Jennifer Rubin, Chair of the King’s College London School for Government; Prof Ottoline Leyser, Regius Professor of Botany, University of Cambridge; Dr Anna Valero, industrial strategy adviser and leading economist; Dr Antonio Weiss, AI & digital expert and author; Sam Bowman, founding editor of Works in Progress; Dr Christian Odendhal, European economics editor at The Economist; and Jess Montgomery, Director of ai@cam at the University of Cambridge.
Throughout the event, these leading thinkers, practitioners, and policymakers will explore some of the most pressing issues shaping public policy today. Topics of debate will include evidence-based policymaking in polarised times; AI and the future public services; and whether governments can deliver growth.
“We are delighted to welcome leading figures from across the policy world to debate pressing issues and practical solutions,” said Prof Michael Kenny, Head of the Bennett School of Public Policy. “The Conference will offer rigorous analysis and applied policy thinking to help inform better decision-making.”
Open to attend in person or online, the sessions will be of particular interest to those working in policy across academia, government, business and civil society. There will be ample opportunity to network with other policy professionals and chat to Bennett School researchers about their work.
Tickets are now available. Admission is strictly by ticket only. Book your ticket to attend online or in person at Churchill College, Cambridge.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.
