A Durham graduate has been awarded a Kennedy Scholarship to undertake the Master of Public Policy programme at Harvard University later this year.
Oliver Hamlet graduated from Durham with a first class honours degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 2016 and was a member of Van Mildert College. Following graduation, he spent four years at L.E.K. Consulting’s transport practice, where he helped establish the viability of a proposed US high-speed railway line. He also worked with the Department for Transport on policy to end the UK’s rail franchising model, bringing the network under national leadership. For the last year, he has been employed at the Tony Blair Institute, where he has worked with political leaders in the Middle East to develop net-zero compatible climate strategies.
Oliver wants to help develop policies which will accelerate the delivery of urban housing and transport in the UK. His motivation is driven by time spent working with infrastructure investors, from which he identified a gap between the social and commercial merits of projects and the policy processes which repeatedly hindered their development. Given a growing trans-Atlantic emphasis on strengthening public infrastructure, he wants to understand how to reform public policy to reduce barriers faced by major project developers.
At Harvard, Oliver plans to strengthen his skillset in economics for public policy and hopes to gain experience working with officials responsible for rolling out the Biden Administration’s infrastructure spending priorities.
The Kennedy Scholarships are prestigious awards which form part of the UK’s official memorial to President John F. Kennedy, and the Kennedy Memorial Trust seeks to promote ideals of intellectual endeavour, leadership, and public service through the Scholars they support. Kennedy alumni have gone on to leading positions in a wide range of professional fields, including academia, government, journalism, business, and the arts, making a positive difference to society through their ideas and action.
Congratulations to Oliver – we look forward to seeing his future success at Harvard!
