In this section:
The Strategy Unit hosts two main kinds of events:
Social and economic change and the implications for education policy
Prof. Andreas Schleicher's presentation will review the standards of quality, equity and efficiency that are achieved by different education systems together with important policy levers that are associated with a successful performance. It will also illustrate how different education systems use global benchmarks to set policy targets in terms of measurable goals achieved by other systems, gauge the pace of educational progress and review the reality of educational delivery at the frontline, and support to the political economy of educational reform. Details of Professor Andreas Schleicher's seminar
Trust in public servants
Baroness O'Neill's presentation looked at the questions around trust and lack of trust in public servants, part of a rich panoply of preoccupation with (mis) trust in British life, and how the same themes also dominate discussions of (mis) trust in politicians, the media and professionals. Details of Baroness O'Neill's seminar
Politics of the Recession
Andrew Gamble's talk on "Politics of the Recession" focusing on the impact on national and international politics, covers a number of scenarios, looking at whether the effects of this recession are different from previous recessions, whether it is marked by a shift in the international balance of power, what are the political conditions for recovery, and what is likely to be the political fall-out from fiscal retrenchment and sovereign debt. Details of Andrew Gamble's seminar
Professor Linda Bilmes, Productivity in the Public Services
Monday 7th December 2009. In the last of our series of Autumn seminar, Professor Linda Bilmes, from John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, presented her research findings from her publications, The Three Trillion Dollar War: The True Cost of the Iraq Conflict (co-author Joseph Stiglitz) and The People Factor: Strengthening America by Investing in Public Service (co-author W. Scott Gould). Together with her forthcoming textbook, Budgeting for Better Performance (published in 2010). Details of Professor Linda Bilmes seminar
Lucy Neville-Rolfe, Driving efficiency - what government can learn from business' 
Tuesday, 1st December 2009. Lucy Neville-Rolfe's talk on " Driving efficiency - what government can learn from business " will focus from the perspective of two careers-one in Government and one in the private sector- Lucy will discuss how Tesco sets a strategy and encourages the right culture to deliver efficiency in the UK and globally. Are there lessons for Whitehall and what can we learn from each other?" Please note there are no further documents from this event.
The Decline of Civil Society
25th November 2009. The Strategy Unit hosted a seminar by Phillip Blond, Director of the new think-tank ResPublica, on social breakdown, the decline of civil society, and potential community-based policy responses to these challenges. Details of seminar by Phillip Blond.
The green economy by Professor Sir David King
On 12th November 2009 the Strategy Unit hosed a seminar by Professor Sir David King on the issue of how the UK can move to a low carbon economy. The seminar was the latest in an on-going series exploring the future of the UK economy and the challenges of public service reform. Further information on the green economy seminar.
Professor Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, 'Planning and Improving Policy with Game Theory' 
20th October 2009. Professor Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, from New York University, led a seminar on how predicting policy results can be achieved with high reliability through the use of science rather than "seat-of-the-pants judgment". Professor Mesquita also demonstrated how applied game theory is a practical tool for solving problems.Further information on Planning and Improving Policy with Game Theory seminar.
Professor Ann Buchanan, Preparing children for the 21st century
28th September 2009. Professor Ann Buchanan, Director of the Oxford Centre for research into Parenting and Children, drew on fifteen years of research into children at risk of social exclusion to look at the changes facing children growing up in the 21st century and the appropriate policy responses. Further information on Preparing children for the 21st century seminar.
How can the UK achieve sustainable economic growth in the future?
23 September 2009 the Strategy Unit and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (DBIS) led a seminar entitled "How can the UK achieve sustainable economic growth in the future?". Participants included Jonathan Haskel (Imperial College London); Rachel Griffith (University College London and the Institute for Fiscal Studies); Alan Hughes (Cambridge); Martin Wolf (Financial Times), Chris Humphries (UK Commission for Employment and Skills) and Will Hutton (The Work Foundation). Details of seminar on how the UK can achieve sustainable economic growth.
Professor Richard Wilkinson, Public Policy & Inequality: Why more equal societies almost always do better
14th September 2009. In the first of the SU's new autumn programme of seminars, Richard Wilkinson, Emeritus Professor of Social Epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, presented on the research findings from his most recent book. The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better. Further information on Public Policy & Inequality: Why more equal societies almost always do better seminar.
A full list of our seminars.