“Looking back to look forward”: The British Academy convenes key sector policymakers at its Policy Histories Conference

The British Academy brought together over 100 policymakers alongside prominent academics at its Policy Histories Conference on Wednesday 19 March, chaired by Professor Margot Finn FBA, the British Academy’s Vice President (Research and Higher Education Policy) and Professor of Modern British History at UCL.

The conference explored cross-cutting themes and insights from the Policy Histories series, which launched in 2019. Through a mixture of expert panel discussions, talks, and breakout workshops it explored how historical perspectives from across the SHAPE (Social Sciences Humanities & the Arts for People and the Economy) disciplines can help policymakers draw on lessons and insights from the past as they develop policies for the future.

Events on the day included:

• In Conversation: Former Cabinet Secretary, and current Member of the House of Lords, Gus O’Donnell Hon FBA talked to Professor Julia Black PBA about the role of historical insights for policymaking and lessons he has drawn from his career in the civil service.
• Senior Government Panel: Gareth Davies CB, Permanent Secretary for the Department of Business and Trade, Sir Tom Scholar GCB, Former Permanent Secretary to Treasury (2016-2022) and Dr Hannah White OBE, Director and CEO at the Institute for Government reflected on the ways in which Government policymakers can draw on an understanding of the past and make use of historical learnings.
• Regional and Devolved Panel: The British Academy’s Chief Executive Hetan Shah chaired a panel of local, regional, and devolved policy experts who discussed the role that historical awareness plays at different levels and in different regions.
• Keynote address: ‘What is the value of history to policymaking?’ by Professor Sir David Cannadine FBA, previous President of the British Academy.

Professor Sir David Cannadine FBA, Emeritus Dodge Professor of History, University of Princeton, said:

“As an historian, the Policy Histories programme is very close to my heart, and I am delighted to see how the series has grown and developed over recent years. Put simply, the series demonstrates the value of historical awareness to contemporary policymaking: looking back to look forward.

Historical insights are needed now more than ever. We need only switch on the news to understand what a lack of historical knowledge can precipitate. It is only when we maintain a connection to the past and understand how we got to the present moment that we can have a well-informed debate about what should come next. In the case of policymaking, having ‘a sense of history’ does not mean doing the same things again and again, nor does it mean never trying anything that has been done before for fear of repeating mistakes. It means drawing lessons that help make effective decisions which ultimately have a profound impact on everyone’s lives.”

The five Policy History reports – which have explored UK Health, Trade, Science, Environmental, and Regional Development policy - offer a detailed chronology of their policy area along with an historical analysis. These reports offer a strong evidence base for current policymakers to draw on and to develop a richer understanding of the often complex history of different policy areas. As the programme develops, the British Academy is keen to explore new and innovative ways of feeding historical insights into policymaking at all levels. If you are interested in hearing more about the programme or being involved as the series develops, please contact the Academy’s Public Policy team at [email protected].