School of Public Policy students awarded top prize at Global Public Policy Network competition

Congratulations to the eleven School of Public Policy (SPP) students who represented LSE at the annual Global Public Policy Network (GPPN) conference and competition 2026.

This year’s conference, hosted by Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, brought together policy students and faculty from the network of eight of the world’s most prestigious policy schools to explore this years theme ‘Reimagining Policy in a Fragmented World.’

A special congratulations goes to students Bongani Masilela (Master of Public Policy) and Muawiya Mahomed (Master of Public Administration), who were awarded the top prize by the jury of Deans and expert faculty. Selected from a field of 30 teams and over 90 students, they were recognised for their proposal and presentation, “Overcoming Fragmentation Through Urban Mobility Reform in South Africa”.

Drawing on their shared background and commitment to addressing a pressing challenge in their home country, Bongani and Muawiya examined the fragmentation within South Africa’s taxi industry—an essential yet often precarious mode of transport for millions. “Our project was inspired by two things. Firstly, as part of this year's conference theme we had to propose a solution to a problem linked to fragmentation in society or politics. Secondly, because we're both South African, we knew that one of the biggest forms of fragmentation in our country — the most unequal in the world — is urban mobility, which was designed to segment different racial groups across cities during apartheid, and whose legacy has largely endured.” they reflected. Highlighting the high costs, safety risks and unreliable service faced by commuters, the pair impressed judges with their proposal to formalise and strengthen the taxi system by empowering drivers and ridding it of the exploitative arrangement that leaves drivers and riders worse off.

SPP faculty, including Professor Tony Travers, Professor Vanessa Rubio-Marquez, Dr Ali Cirrone and Dean Andres Velasco, provided valuable guidance throughout the process, helping teams refine complex ideas into clear, compelling presentations. Bongani and Muawiya noted, “We drew on many skills and bodies of knowledge from our MPA and MPP courses which taught us complexities of policy reform and how to negotiate with different stakeholders. Most importantly, the fact that our courses require us to present our assignments in front of our teachers and classmates meant that we had spent two terms being refined for this very moment.”

The GPPN continues to serve as a powerful platform for collaboration, institutional partnership and student exchange among the world’s leading public policy schools—offering students the opportunity to broaden their networks and work together on real-world policy challenges, with a view to make an impact around for communities around the world. As Bongani and Muawiya shared, “Our main highlights of the conference were the conversations we had and the relationships we built with people from different nationalities. Presenting on stage was a world of fun, but it's the relationships we walked away with that we treasure the most.”

Congratulations to all of this year’s GPPN participants. We look forward to bringing the community together again next year.