Think Tanks and Policy Research
Would you like to shape policy in a particular sector? Working in Policy can be exciting, influential and very fulfilling for those seeking to have impact through their work.
Utilising research exoerience is hugely valuable in the policy world when generating novel ideas, influencing policies, fostering innovation, and contribute to global discourse across broad topics from agriculture and technology to social care and economics.
This session will explore the function and diversity of policy-focused roles and organisations, including Think Tanks, charities, and government, discuss how to research routes into careers within these sectors, and highlight key skills and experience required for pursuing employment. We will be joined by 2 panelists that too their HE experience into these sectors.
Panelists:
Dr George Watts, Policy Adviser, Department for Business and Trade, Civil Service
George spent five years at Oxford, as a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the English Faculty, Research Associate at St John’s, and College Lecturer at St Edmund Hall. His teaching and research focused on modern poetry and film. Before joining Oxford, George taught at Queen Mary and UCL, at the latter of which he also completed his PhD. In 2024, George began a new career in the Civil Service and is now a policy adviser in the Department for Business and Trade.
Dr Shaun Holmes, Senior Policy Manager, NCUB Think Tank
Dr Shaun Holmes is a policy professional with nearly ten years’ experience influencing public policy on education and research. This has included policy work on international research partnerships and mobility during Brexit, international development, innovation, STEM education, skills, and industry-academic relationships. After an early career in industry, he has worked for the British Council, KTN, Institute of Physics and the Royal Academy of Engineering. He is currently senior policy manager at the National Centre for Universities and Business where he manages a team of three policy leads respond to the various policy challenges associated with university-business collaboration. Shaun started his career after completing a Masters of Engineering, material science at Oxford and a PhD in Materials Science at Cambridge.
Date:
25 March 2025, 16:15
Venue:
Online
Speaker: Various Speakers
Organising department:
Careers Service
Organiser contact email address:
hello@careers.ox.ac.uk
Part of:
Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers
Booking required?:
Required
Booking url:
https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22344&service=Careers%20Service
Audience:
Members of the University only
Editor:
Fiona Sinclair
