A Lancaster University academic is all set to lead the History and Policy series in the UK Government’s Department for Transport.

Dr Carlos López Galviz, the Associate Director for Engagement at the University’s Institute for Social Futures, has taken over the position of Academic Lead of the History and Policy series in the Department for Transport (DfT).

Running since 2017, the series invites historians and other academics to share their work with DfT staff on current issues and topics of relevance and interest to DfT’s work.

Given the current covid-19 restrictions, talks and other related events planned as part of the series for 2020 have been put on hold.

Dr Carlos López Galviz, a Senior Lecturer at the University’s Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, is liaising with the Rail Knowledge Management Team to plan a new virtual online start of the series this autumn.

Founded in 2002, History & Policy is an expanding partnership based at King's College London and the University of Cambridge, with growing support from other universities in the UK and internationally.

Its key aim is to promote better public policy through a greater understanding of history.

Said Dr López Galviz: “A robust knowledge and contextual understanding of the past can provide a useful background against which those grappling with complex policy issues today may gain much-needed perspective.

“The policymaking process can benefit greatly from understanding the contexts in which previous decisions have been made, providing the tools to assess evidence and evaluate a range of policy options whose effects will be experienced by future generations.”

The announcement is also an invitation for Lancaster colleagues to get in touch with ideas for a talk, workshop or event which may be of relevance to the work of the Department for Transport.

If you have any such ideas, please get in touch directly: c.lopez-galviz@lancaster.ac.uk.