Insights from 'Bridging the Gap' Challenges of Government Conference 2017, held on 19-20 June 2017 at the Blavatnik School of Government.

Bridging the Gap - how to renovate politics, public service, economies, and bolster international cooperation to build more cohesive and trusting societies.

Politics across the world is in tumult. A new populism has emerged from both left and right. Globalisation is under attack. Across every continent, electorates have lost patience with the establishment elites who have traditionally run countries and international institutions. The ‘left behind’ are stepping forward. This year, the Blavatnik School of Government’s annual Challenges of Government Conference focuses on this revolution: the breakdown in trust, the reasons behind it, and what an effective response might look like. Those taking part include global leaders and practitioners who are striving daily to address the crisis, as well as leading academics who will set out their latest cutting-edge ideas.

The Challenges of Government Conference is the Blavatnik School of Government’s annual high-level conference. Since 2011, the Challenges of Government Conference has been bringing together a global, multidisciplinary and cross-sector audience to Oxford. From rapid urbanisation to citizens activism, the Conference brings together the brightest minds in government, the private sector, and academia to discuss policies, strategies, and ultimately real-world solutions to some of the world’s toughest challenges.