UCL’s STEaPP Researchers at the 75th Political Studies Association Annual Conference

A team of staff and doctoral students from UCL’s Department of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Public Policy (STEaPP), led by Prof. Julius Mugwagwa, actively participated in the Political Studies Association (PSA) Annual International Conference held in Birmingham, from 14^th to 16^th April 2025. Themed “What Next?”, the conference was jointly convened by the University of Birmingham and Aston University.

At a time of political change, global conflicts and transformations in global relationships and alignments, the conference theme/question of ‘what next?’ availed an opportunity for productive academic-led and multidisciplinary insights into our fast changing political landscape.

Representing STEaPP’s commitment to impactful, interdisciplinary research, team members presented on various critical topics across health innovation, public policy, and political economy. Presentations  delivered by the STEaPP team were as follows:

• Shirah Zirabamuzare - Sustainable, Responsible and Inclusive Innovation for Mental Health: How interactions between the built environment, space, and mental health policy influence mental service delivery.
• Margaret Siyawamwaya - Health-industry policy linkages: Identifying missing catalysts in resilient local production of medicine.
• Han Jiang - The Mental Health in All Policy Approach (MhiAP): An opportunity for inclusive and sustainable responses to public health challenges.
• Kwabena Ampong - Examining factors influencing diffusion and adoption of technological innovation in Ghana’s health sector: A case study of electronic health records.
• Remy Twiringiyimana - Political Economy Factors influencing Policy Choices by Science Granting Councils in Sub-Saharan Africa: Insights from the PEA-3 Study.

In addition to these research contributions across various multidisciplinary panels, Prof. Julius Mugwagwa chaired the panel on “Governance and Institutional Responses in African Politics – Elections, Policy Choices, and Justice in an Era of Change”.  

The STEaPP team will leverage the feedback, insights and networks gained at the PSA conference to continue advancing evidence-informed, globally engaged, and locally relevant policy research.