Three teams present proposals at the public policy network’s annual conference, hosted by the LKY School of Public Policy in Singapore, with one advancing to the final round.
On 27 and 28 March 2026, nine Hertie School students travelled to Singapore to compete in the Global Public Policy Network’s (GPPN) annual conference. This year’s conference included 30 teams from universities across the network who pitched their ideas on the theme “Reimagining Policy in a Fragmented World”. The event was hosted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.
Three Hertie School teams present proposals, with one making it to the final round
Three teams of students from the Hertie School pitched ambitious proposals to a jury including Hertie School Dean of Graduate Programmes, Thurid Hustedt, and Deans from all GPPN partner schools. The proposals covered a broad array of topics:
- “BREATHE – Building Resilient, Equitable Arctic Towns for Healthy Environments in Greenland” –Nick Bornemann (MPP 2027), Darya White (MPP 2027) and Luis Lamers (MIA 2027)
- “Beyond the Ban: Rebuilding Trust in Barcelona’s Tourism Policy through an AI-assisted Citizen Assembly” – Shikhar Agarwal (MPP 2027), Giulio Bernasconi (MPP 2027) and Arslan Jurion (MPP 2027)
- “From Fragmented Risks to Integrated Protection: A Procurement and Pharmacovigilance Agenda for The Gambia” – Mugdha Mohapatra (MPP 2027), Mokshda Jerath (MPP 2027), and Rudranshi Vishnoi (MDS 2027)
Among the selected eight out of 30 teams, Mugdha Mohapatra, Mokshda Jerath and Rudranshi Vishnoi reached the second and final round of the competition. Their proposal to overcome fragmentation across agencies, data systems and supply chains in The Gambia’s medicine procurement and pharmacovigilance setup convincingly laid out a roadmap not only to make a complex system more efficient but to save lives. Although they delivered an excellent presentation and passionately defended their proposal in a five-minute Q&A by the jury, the first prize went to a team from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and teams from the GraSPP University of Tokyo and the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy tied for second place. The third place went to a team from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
The GPPN Conference is more than just a competition
While the GPPN Conference offers students the chance to dive into a specific policy issue and hone their presentation skills, it is not just about competition; it also gives students the chance to connect with other public policy students from around the world. Chatting on a bumboat ride in Singapore Bay, exploring the city for dinner, and connecting with GPPN alumni over brunch made this a truly unique opportunity to lay the groundwork for personal international networks.
As part of the conference, students also attended a panel discussion on the conference topic. Moderated by Francesco Mancini, Vice Dean at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Dean Hustedt debated the need for new perspectives and approaches in public policymaking with Andrés Velasco, Dean of the School of Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science; Randall Hansen, Director of the Munk School’s International Partnerships; and Daiji Kawaguchi, Dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo.
About the Global Public Policy Network
The Global Public Policy Network consists of eight prestigious policy schools across four continents. The network aims to train bright minds to address the policy challenges of the 21st century. The annual conference is a cornerstone of this collaboration with its highly anticipated student competition.
Next year’s annual conference will be hosted by the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Visit our webpage on the GPPN to find out more about the network.
Contact
- Henning Wolff, Manager | International Alliances and CIVICA