ES Policy: the blog to talk about public policies from a global perspective
The United States is full of Spanish talent, and it is not just any talent. Scientists, entrepreneurs, technologists, economists and sociologists, among others, work and research in the best universities in the US, in multilateral institutions, in governments, in large multinationals, in think tanks influencers and in startups at the frontier of innovation. Unfortunately, all this talent is usually dispersed, uncoordinated, and, in many cases, disconnected from Spain.
This conclusion was reached in the spring of 2022 by Professor Juan Luis Manfredi and Lidia Guzmán, during a warm afternoon at Georgetown University. Juan Luis then held the Prince of Asturias Chair at that institution, while Lidia was pursuing a Master's Degree in Public Policy at the McCourt School, also part of Georgetown.
This is how Spanish Public Policy Network(SPPN) was born, the first network of Spaniards abroad working and committed to the development of Public Policies. We are united by concern for the great challenges of our century, both global and specific to Spain, and the conviction that facing them requires much more than quick or simplistic solutions. We believe that any effective response must be based on rigorous analysis, depoliticized and open dialogue, and collaboration between diverse profiles and complementary talent.
The SPPN community was born in Washington D.C., but today extends to New York, Boston, Brussels, Madrid and beyond. SPPN goes where its members go.
To give you an idea of who joins SPPN every day, let us start by talking about you. If you are reading this, you are probably one of those people who enjoy debating the latest pension reform with friends. You care about the future of society, of people. You are intrigued by the big questions that do not have an easy answer, such as what the impact of AI will be on the labor market and the distribution of global wealth, or how to really achieve the strategic autonomy that the European Union seeks. And yes, you also have that geeky side that makes you get lost among academic articles, endless Twitter threads and a good string of Substack subscriptions.
Not only do you have passion and desire, but you also value rigor, critical thinking and a job well done. You have, or aspire to have, the skills and experience necessary to make the right decisions in the face of great challenges.
If all of this sounds familiar to you, then you are, or should be, part of SPPN.
Our mission is simple: to promote collaboration and professional growth among young Spanish professionals dedicated to public policies from any sector and from any country. We organize activities with the aim of learning together, connecting people from different places and professional stages, and giving visibility to the work of our members. Our three pillars — learn, connect and promote — guide everything we do, from roundtables with policymakers to informal conversations with experts. We also seek to build bridges between Spain, Europe and the United States, taking advantage of the privileged access that many of our members have to key institutions in these contexts.
We conceive SPPN as a platform to amplify emerging voices in the design and implementation of public policies. A space where ideas are freely exchanged and where the next generation of Spanish leaders can collaborate and grow together.
This blog, ES Policy, is one more step on that path. Here we will share and highlight the work of our members, and open conversations relevant to Spain, Europe and the transatlantic community. With ES Policy, we hope to contribute to the public debate on difficult issues, based on evidence, rigor and the informed opinion of those who research and work directly on the issues that concern us. We also want to provide a global perspective to these issues, analyzing what is happening in different regions of the world, in order to learn from their successes and mistakes and draw useful conclusions for Spain. We will address current issues, but also other relevant issues that often remain in the background.
The authors of ES Policy are SPPN members themselves. We propose ES Policy as a living space, where emerging voices cross professional trajectories, exchange ideas, and contribute to the development of effective public policies. We encourage you to participate in this space.
If you are reading this, we hope you see yourself as part of this story. Whether you're already a member of SPPN or you've just discovered us, welcome to EN Policy.
With gratitude and enthusiasm,
The founders and directors of the Spanish Public Policy Network,
