How can researchers better engage with the UK Parliament, to ensure that their academic research has robust, timely, and enduring “impact” on policy decisions that affect us all?
To explore this question, the Oxford Policy Engagement Network (OPEN), the ZERO Institute and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment are bringing together a panel of experts working in the policy and academic spheres in an OPEN conversation.
This will examine the opportunities and practical realities of engaging with the UK Parliament’s Select Committees, a critical channel for policy engagement, from contributing written and oral evidence, to building longer-term relationships that support policy impact. The discussion will reflect on the evolving sustainability landscape in 2026, and how researchers and Select Committees can collaborate drawing on examples of energy, climate, environment, and sustainability policy, but with applications to other fields.
The session will be relevant to researchers from other disciplines interested in how Select Committees engage with evidence, and will be interactive—participants are encouraged to come prepared with questions, share perspectives, and engage in open discussion.
Speakers:
- Gary O’ Key, Committee Specialist, Climate & Environment Unit, House of Commons, working across Select Committees include Environmental Audit (EA); Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (EFRA) and Energy Security & Net Zero (ESNZ),
- Misha Patel, Committee Specialist, Environmental Audit Committee, House of Commons,
- Dr Radhika Khosla, Associate Professor, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (School of Geography and the Environment), and Programme Leader in Zero Carbon Energy Use, ZERO Institute)
Moderator:
- Dr Anupama Sen, Associate Director of Impact, and Head of Policy Engagement, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment (School of Geography and the Environment)
*Refreshments will be served from 4:00 p.m.—please arrive early to enjoy informal networking ahead of the session.
**The event is open to anyone with an interest, from the University of Oxford and beyond
This event adheres to the ZERO Institute Code of Conduct, available here.
If you have any questions or need to inform us about changes in your attendance, please contact us at opencomms@admin.ox.ac.uk
