Logo
biography

Oenone Kubie is a Senior Case Writer at the Blavatnik School’s Case Centre on Public Leadership.

Oenone works with faculty to produce case studies on real-world public policy challenges. She joined the Blavatnik School from Oxford’s Global History of Capitalism Project, where she wrote business history cases.

She earned her DPhil in US history from the University of Oxford in 2018 and has published research on the history of childhood and urban history. She also has an MSt in US History from the University of Oxford and a BA in History from the University of Durham.

Related

A view to Campos dos Goytacazes City, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil
Case

Reproducing success? Applying lessons in education reform to Campos dos Goytacazes

Marcelo Feres, municipal education secretary in Campos dos Goytacazes in 2022, knew that his city’s education system badly needed reform. Turning to other Brazilian cities for inspiration, Feres learned of Sobral’s series of education reforms which were being heralded in education policy circles as an exemplar of success. But could Feres take the model – which had included some effective but politically contentious decisions – and apply it in the Campos context?
Education
Public sector
...
South America
Brazil
Public Address of the President of the Republic, Sebastián Piñera, at the National Congress
Case

Chile’s balancing act: fiscal responsibility and emergency spending during Covid-19

Over previous decades, Chile had built a strong reputation for fiscal discipline, but a dual challenge in spring 2020 put pressure on Finance Minister Ignacio Briones to relax spending rules. One, his country was among the most affected by Covid-19 and, two, civil unrest rooted in inequality and political dissatisfaction was coming to a head over food and job scarcity. How could Briones finance a new relief package while ensuring fiscal responsibility and the ability to respond to future crises?
COVID-19
Democracy and politics
...
Economy
Public sector
South America
Chile
Brazilian Representative Mendonça Filho
Case

Education reform in Brazil: an enduring coalition?

Maria Helena Guimarães de Castro, the executive secretary at the Ministry of Education in Brazil, was finalising the new national framework for education in the spring of 2017. Drafting the much-needed reform had been long and challenging, but despite opposition, the supporters of the framework had managed to shepherd the drafting process through years of extreme political upheaval. But now, at the 11th hour, members of the influential evangelical caucus were demanding changes – should Castro comply?
Democracy and politics
Education
...
South America
Brazil
By Joshua Sherurcij, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4469183
Case

Allegations and interrogations: Alberto Mora and the case against torture at Guantanamo Bay

In late 2002, General Counsel of the US Navy Alberto Mora learned that detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre were being subject to abuse. Morally outraged and concerned for the impact on US policy aims, Mora also believed that the abuses violated international law. He had a duty to act, but with the techniques approved at the highest levels, how could Mora ensure he made the strongest legal, ethical, and political case possible to end the mistreatment?
Integrity
Law
...
North America
United States of America (USA)
Soledad Nuñez
Case

Confronting corruption in Paraguay’s housing ministry

When Soledad Núñez became housing minister of Paraguay in October 2014, she knew she was taking on one of the most corrupt and ineffective public institutions in the country. Determined to make meaningful changes, she set about reforming the ministry and even dismissed the senior official at the centre of the corruption. But, one year later, he had returned with a court order reinstating him. With her fragile new culture on the line, how should Núñez respond?
Integrity
Law
...
Public sector
South America
Paraguay
The arctic ice pack at the North Pole shows pressure ridges. Expedition members are taking air samples. April 16, 1990, Lorenz.King@geogr.uni-giessen.de
Case

Misba Khan, a 48-year-old, Pakistani-British woman, had to overcome several challenges to join the Women’s Euro-Arabian North Pole Expedition. Khan described herself as ‘an ordinary person who does a nine-to-five job and a mum’ with limited hiking – and no skiing –experience. She found the expedition training extremely daunting. When faced with a teammate returning home and the task of navigating the group across arctic ice, Khan had to decide: would she forge ahead or turn around?
Human behaviour