Crawford School of Public Policy

Crawford’s Policy and Governance program (POGO) welcomes Associate Professor Andy Kennedy as its new leader, taking over from Professor Sara Bice.

“I’m really honoured to be offered the opportunity to lead POGO, which has been my academic home for more than a decade.”

Andy received his PhD in political science from Harvard University, specialising in international politics, and most of his work focuses on China, India, and the United States. His recent research has focused on technology and innovation policy, with a keen interest in the technology rivalry that’s emerged between China and the US. He’s a familiar face around Crawford, having been here since 2010.

When speaking to Andy about his new role he said, “I’ve watched POGO grow and develop over time, and I’ve tried to contribute to that growth in a number of ways. I served on the departmental committees that developed the current Master of Public Policy degree in 2017 and reviewed the degree in 2022. I see this position as an opportunity to build on that work.”

He’s following in some big (and marathon running) footsteps of Sara Bice. Andy says that he’s looking forward to building on the marvellous work that she has done while leading POGO. He adds, “Now that we’ve emerged from the pandemic, and since we’ve recently added some new faculty members, I think there’s an opportunity for our department to spend more time together and to build a greater sense of community.”

Diversity of knowledge is one of the hallmarks of POGO, with the faculty members having degrees in at least five different fields. Andy says that it strengthens the department and exposes Crawford students to a range of perspectives on public policy. As for those students, “I appreciate the fact that we attract so many curious and committed students from all over the world. They’re an inspiration to me every time I walk in the classroom.”

We would like to mention that Andy won’t be pursuing marathon running, but he is always eager to play basketball with fellow fans or listen to Chinese pop music if that takes your fancy!

Sara Bice will remain at Crawford and will continue to be a familiar presence for students as she continues her teaching role. She is also planning to devote more time to the Institute for Infrastructure in Society (I2S) where she is the Foundation Director.

From all of us at Crawford, good luck with your new role, Andy!