“I felt I needed extra tools to analyse problems better and to suggest better solutions,” Laura Quiza Ortiz reflects when asked what brought her to the Master of Public Policy (MPP).
Before applying to Oxford, Laura had been working in Colombia’s public sector. After completing a degree in international relations, she joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she worked as an adviser to the Vice Minister for Multilateral Affairs. “It gave me a quick understanding of how you make decisions under pressure, how you optimise scarce resources and how you engage with important stakeholders,” she says.
Laura later moved to the Office of the Attorney General, where her appetite to fight for justice was sharpened. “I realised that it was not only my individual actions that could change the course an institution was taking. I really stopped and thought, ‘This actually needs rethinking.’” That realisation pushed her to broaden her skillset through the MPP.
The programme’s core modules gave Laura a strong foundation, which were complimented by the variety on offer at the School, she says. “The University and the School do not cut off options, so you are free to specialise in whatever you want,” she adds.
Laura arrived at Oxford with a clear policy interest in mind: how technology can improve access to justice. She discussed that ambition with her supervisor, Professor Ciaran Martin, and remembers asking for extra reading. He reassured her however not to overload herself too early, and that the course would provide her with what she needed, “and he was right”. She says:
“I now feel very confident that I can engage in different conversations about tech and cyber policy. He, and the other professors, taught me exactly what I needed to know.”
A highlight of the MPP was her work as a volunteer researcher at the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice, a collaboration between the Blavatnik School and the Clooney Foundation for Justice. “I was able to do research for a policy brief and engage with different people, not just professors,” she says. “The Institute of Technology and Justice brought in policymakers, businesspeople and company representatives. It was an excellent opportunity to get to know more people and to become literate enough in the subject that I really wanted to specialise in.”
Laura was also struck by the practical side of the degree, particularly the Applied Policy Modules and professional skills training. Private finance was a standout: “It gave me a very practical approach to finance. It not only gave me tools to analyse concepts and reports in my professional life, but also helped me think about how to make decisions in my personal financial life.” She also valued workshops in public speaking and media training. “It was amazing. It was great training to simulate a real live media interview,” she says.
Beyond the classroom, Laura found community in the wider MPP cohort. Matriculation was a defining moment. “We came from different places, but we were all there for one purpose. That day crystallised that feeling, and it is something I keep very close to my heart.”
Laura is a Gilinski Scholar.
“Making it to Oxford was only possible because of the scholarship,” she explains. “It allowed me to focus on the courses and extracurricular activities without having to find additional funding.”
For Laura, that support strengthened her determination to return to Colombia and make the most of the opportunity she was given.
After completing the MPP, Laura will return to Colombia and continue working in access to justice. “I always knew my place was there,” she says. “I cannot turn a blind eye to the problems my country has.” She is especially focused on criminal justice and the structural governance challenges that make justice systems harder to improve. “Criminality is still a very urgent issue, but no one takes the time to fix the structural problem. We have scarce resources and too many challenges to face”.
Laura is now in France on her summer policy placement at the OECD, where she works in the Public Governance Directorate on projects to strengthen judicial systems in Latin America and support evaluations of countries acceding to the OECD. “It feels like a perfect fit because I am using all the skills I learnt during the MPP and I can see that they are really valued internally,” she says.
Looking back on Oxford, Laura reflects on how much the programme has expanded her outlook.
“You think you have your path sorted out, but then you keep discovering interesting detours that lead you to the place you are actually meant to be”.