The York Policy Academy
How you'll benefit
- Join a growing network of university staff engaged in policy work.
- Connect with senior policy professionals across multiple sectors leading on a variety of policy topics.
- Explore policy engagement opportunities at local, regional, and national levels.
- Build skills and knowledge to develop policy engagement in your own work.
"I have found the Policy Academy one of the most useful things I have taken part in...I have learnt how to think about my research with a policy head on and also to think strategically about building up relationships with different policy makers."
2024/25 Policy Academy Fellow
Who should join?
Open to ALL professional service and academic staff at the University of York and York St John, at any career stage, who have aspirations to influence policy through their work. Whether you're new to policy or bring years of experience, we are looking for those who can use their skills and perspectives to enrich the cohort’s dynamic and contribute to its collective learning.
How it works
Policy Academy sessions will run in person in York from November 2025 to June 2026. They’ll take place once a month, typically on Wednesday afternoons, each lasting half a day.
Examples of session topics include:
- Understanding the policy environment in different settings: unpacking experiences of policy engagement
- Research to policy journey & communicating research to policy audiences
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- Inner workings of civil service and UK central government and parliament
- UK policy outside of Westminster: devolved and local government
- Understanding the role of think tanks & campaigning organisations
Sessions will be led by a range of policy experts and delivered through a combination of workshops, speaker presentations with Q&A and action learning sets.
"The monthly sessions run by the Policy Academy have been a brilliant mix of the practical and the inspiring. It's been fascinating to hear the stories of those who've achieved significant policy impact."
2023/24 Policy Academy Fellow
Examples of previous guest speakers in 2023/24 & 2024/5:
- Conrad Bailey CBE, Director General Public Transport and Local Group at the Department for Transport (DfT)
- John-Paul Marks, Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government
- Rachael Maskell MP for York Central
- Civil servants from the Darlington Economic Campus
- Senior Advisors from The Open Innovation Team
- University of York Staff - Professor Joe Tomlinson, Dr Belinda Morris, Professor Kate Pickett
- Hannah Davies, Deputy Chief Executive Office, Northern Health Science Alliance
- Dr Andy Mycock, Chief Policy Fellow, Yorkshire Policy Engagement Network (Y-PERN)
- Andy Bell, Chief Executive, Centre for Mental Health
- Darren Baxter, Principal Policy Adviser, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF)
Mike Baker CBE, Professor of Practice and Senior Adviser for External Engagement for TYPE welcomes John-Paul Marks, Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government to a Policy Academy session
"I enjoyed everything about the academy sessions. The speakers are top-notch and well-experienced. I made new networks which I am currently exploring at my work. I loved...the opportunity to go hands-on on real-time issues that required timely responses."
2023/24 Policy Academy Fellow
Meet the team
Academy Co-Leads
- Mike Baker CBE, Professor of Practice and Senior Adviser for External Engagement for TYPE
- Dr Chris Wilkinson, Hull York Medical School
Academy Coordinator
- Katie Heffron, Capacity and Policy Engagement Manager for TYPE
Additional Support and Participation
- Anthonia James, Head of TYPE
- Professor John Hudson, Academic Director for TYPE
- Duncan McKnight, Research Communications Manager for TYPE
- Dom Watson, Administrator for TYPE