Are you interested in engaging with the UK Parliament? Have you wondered how Select Committees work and what it’s like to submit evidence? In this public policy masterclass, the second in this series, Professor Micheal Wooldridge, Professor of Computer Science, and Philippa Tudor, Clerk of Committees at the UK House of Lords, will explore the challenges, rewards and realities of engaging with the UK Parliament.

In 2017, Professor Wooldridge submitted written evidence to the Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI), which was appointed by the House of Lords to explore the economic, ethical and social implications of advances in this field. As a result, the Committee invited him to present oral evidence in Parliament. Since then, he has given evidence in 2020 to the Liaison Committee as part of its follow-up inquiry into AI and most recently to an inquiry into the use of algorithmic tools in detection, deterrence, and management of offenders.

With a career spanning 40 years at the House of Lords, Philippa Tudor has a wealth of experience of supporting and advising Select Committees to support their crucial scrutiny of government policy. Over that time, she has held a number of different roles, including being involved in expanding the House of Lords Committee system, and Clerk to the Liaison Committee’s 2020 inquiry on AI.

The masterclass will take place in person, with lunch provided. Participants will have the opportunity to put their questions to the speakers, as well as reflect on how they can engage better with public policy through their own research.

Join for your opportunity to: * Enhance your understanding of the value of academic research and expertise for Parliament; * Hear first-hand about the challenges and rewards of engaging with the policymaking community; and * Identify opportunities to engage with public policy.

Participants are encouraged to complete the online course, ‘Engaging with UK public policy: an introduction for researchers’ prior to attending this masterclass, to maximise their learning from it (canvas.ox.ac.uk/courses/93073). This course has been developed by the Policy Engagement Team, in collaboration with the Institute for Government, introducing researchers to engagement with UK public policy, and those who shape and make it. By completing the course, participants will be eligible to attend a workshop with the University’s Policy Engagement Team in Hilary Term, which will support participants to consolidate their learning and develop their plans for policy engagement.

This masterclass is delivered by the MPLS Division in association with the Oxford Policy Engagement Network – a diverse range researchers and professional services staff from across the University, who share a share a vision of public policy powered by the world’s best available research evidence and expertise. Membership benefits include regular notification of opportunities related to members’ areas of policy interest. Participants are encouraged to join, and can do so in less than five minutes at www.ox.ac.uk/open.