Who are we?

The Government Affairs function at Warwick is currently headed up by Dr Diana Beech, who joined the University in October 2019. Prior to this, she was Policy Adviser for higher education to three successive UK Universities Ministers. Diana was also the first Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and Programme Manager in the Department for Education with specific responsibility for the establishment of the Office for Students (OfS). She holds a PhD in German Studies from the University of Cambridge and has been an early-career researcher at universities in Canada, Germany and the UK. Diana is based in London in her current role as Head of Government Affairs.

What do we do?

The purpose of the Government Affairs function at Warwick is to raise the University’s voice in national as well as local policy debates. We aim to bring the world of Whitehall and Westminster to Warwick and ensure the University community not only knows what is going on in policy debates, but also has the opportunity to shape these discussions through evidence, experience and good practice. For us, Government Affairs is not just about being reactive. It’s also about proactively seeking opportunities to bring our expertise to bear on the issues that count. We do this through our work with trusted partners, including the Industry and Parliament Trust (IPT), the Whitehall and Industry Group (WIG) and the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN).

Why do we do it?

We want the University of Warwick to be the first port of call for policymakers whenever they need help finding a solution for some of the biggest challenges of our time. We are proud that Warwick is home to a wealth of expertise across its world-class researchers, students and professional services staff. And we want this expertise to be actively shaping the world around us for the better. That’s why it’s our job to make sure the University has a seat at the table in the discussions that matter.

How can you get involved?

Put simply, Government Affairs won’t work without input from you! In order to do our job effectively, we need your ideas and inspiration. If you are a student, researcher or staff member at the University with something to contribute to the world of policy, we want to hear from you. We are also keen to host blogs from external experts, as we want to be challenged and we want to hear your calls for action.