The Blavatnik School of Government is launching ‘Leading AI through co-creation', a new executive AI leadership programme equipping non-technical leaders with the knowledge and practical frameworks to develop more effective, sustainable and responsible AI systems through co-creation. This executive AI leadership programme gives non-technical leaders the knowledge and practical frameworks required to accelerate the co-creation of more effective, sustainable and responsible AI systems from the outset. It draws on the real-life lessons of Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice, the first global initiative dedicating to harnessing the power of AI for justice. Applications for the first cohort are now open.
The Blavatnik Family Foundation is supporting Lab to Market: Bridging Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a five-year initiative coordinated by the National Technical University of Athens and Columbia Engineering to help emerging scientists in Greece translate research into viable ventures. Launched in January 2026, the program provides entrepreneurship education, mentoring, access to Greek and international innovation networks, and direct engagement with Columbia University and New York’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Foundation’s support enables the program, including travel to New York, to be offered at no cost to participants. The first cycle concluded with an inaugural Pitch Competition, where 15 teams presented ideas spanning health, artificial intelligence for shipping, sustainability, and diagnostics. Participants represented 18 cities across Greece and eight Greek universities, reflecting the initiative’s geographic and scientific breadth. WasteChain, Pharos Maritime AI, and Mediva-RX received the top three awards as the initiative continues to strengthen connections among academic research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Greece.
Columbia Engineering, the Hellenic Institute of Advanced Studies, and Columbia Global Center Athens hosted the inaugural Lab to Market event during New York Tech Week, bringing 25 student-entrepreneurs from the National Technical University of Athens to New York City. The program gave 11 student teams an opportunity to explore the U.S. innovation ecosystem, engage with faculty and industry leaders, and present their ventures at Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. Discussions focused on translating research into real-world applications in areas including artificial intelligence, health technology, and sustainable materials. The initiative reflects a growing collaboration across institutions and continents, connecting Greek scientific talent with Columbia’s entrepreneurial community. The Blavatnik Family Foundation is funding the Lab to Market initiative over five years, making participation free of charge for all students.
Former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government for a discussion on the future of democracy in a technology-driven world. The visit included a conversation with Dean Ngaire Woods and the School’s Master of Public Policy class, as well as a meeting with Canadian students. Trudeau’s engagement offered students the opportunity to hear from a former head of government on the evolving challenges facing democratic institutions, public leadership, and governance. The discussion reflected the Blavatnik School’s role as a forum for rigorous exchange among policymakers, scholars, and emerging public leaders.
In a recent letter published by The Guardian, Professor Ngaire Woods, founding dean of the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, warned that the UK government’s decision to halt study visas for students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan risks excluding future leaders whose experience and expertise are vital to their communities and to the wider world. She argues that universities play an important role in equipping talented students to address complex public challenges and that international learning strengthens both institutions and societies. The letter highlights graduates who have gone on to contribute in fields including girls’ education, public health, and independent journalism, underscoring the broader civic value of access to higher education.
Time contributors Amal Clooney and Philippa Webb highlight a widening global justice gap—where women’s rights often exist “only on paper” and underserved communities lack legal support—and argue that artificial intelligence could be a force for inclusion if governed responsibly. Drawing on their work co-founding the Oxford Institute of Technology and Justice with the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and the Clooney Foundation for Justice, they describe AI-powered tools that help women in Malawi understand their rights and connect to pro bono lawyers, assist threatened journalists with real-time legal support, and accelerate legal processes like protection orders in ways that make legal systems more accessible and humane. Webb and Clooney also underscore the need to pair innovation with safeguards, tracking AI’s use in courts and training judges to ensure fairness. The Blavatnik School plays a central role in shaping this work by combining research, policy engagement, and convening power to guide how new technologies serve the public good.
The University of Oxford has acquired St Paul’s Church in Jericho, Oxford, for the Blavatnik School of Government, helping to ensure this important local building can be protected for the years ahead. This has been made possible by the generosity of the School’s founding donor, Sir Leonard Blavatnik. Ngaire Woods, Dean of the School, said: "The University has a strong record of investing in high-quality spaces for both the academic community and the wider public. We are proud of our new neighbour, the recently opened Schwarzman Centre, which has already created an exceptional new public and cultural space for Oxford in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter. In the same spirit, we are committed to bringing St Paul's back into safe and usable condition to then determine how the building can best further the mission of the School and the wider community. We are immensely grateful to Sir Leonard Blavatnik for the extraordinary vision he has shown in supporting the School’s values and ambitions."
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Blavatnik School of Government’s building, since its opening. Created by architects Herzog & de Meuron, the building won a 2016 RIBA National Award as a “modern cathedral of learning” and was formally opened by HRH The Prince of Wales. “We wanted a building that would bring people together around a central heart and express the values of openness, transparency and collaboration,” said Professor Ngaire Woods, the School’s founding Dean. “This building, made possible by the vision and generosity of Sir Leonard Blavatnik, is as resolutely modern as our approach to solving some of the toughest governance challenges in the world.”
A new scholarship for Greek citizens to study at Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government was announced today. The Blavatnik Scholarship for Greece will enable future public leaders from Greece to study the Master of Public Policy (MPP) course, a one-year immersive graduate degree designed for those who want to make a positive impact on society through their community, country, or region. The scholarship will cover both course fees and living expenses. Speaking at the School today, Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “I am delighted that this scholarship will be available for public leaders in Greece. Blavatnik School students are passionate about public service. It will be a difficult choice between many talented candidates who will want to strengthen their skills at this prestigious institution.”
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The Blavatnik Archive is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to preserving and disseminating materials that contribute to the study of 20th-century Jewish and world history, with a special emphasis on World War I, World War II, and Soviet Russia.
