Diana Mangalagiu

Could you tell us about yourself, your background, and the path that led you to public policy? 

I grew up in a small town in communist Romania, where I learned early that the world was larger than what we were allowed to see and reach. But when I was 20, the regime collapsed while I was in university studying mathematics and physics. Suddenly, ‘abroad’ became a possibility, and I moved to France for my engineering degree and later, my PhD in Artificial Intelligence, which I completed three decades ago.

The experience of working in countries of the former Soviet bloc showed me how policy shapes transition. I also enjoyed building models and algorithms, but I was interested in what they could do to people over the course of decades. That questioning gradually moved my work from purely scientific toward the interface of science, policy and society. 

Around the same time, advocating for the protection of the forest behind my parents’ house, which we had helped plant as children, made environmental destruction and power asymmetries very tangible. That’s when I pivoted decisively toward sustainability, risk governance and public policy. 

How did your experiences ultimately lead you to IE University? 

Over the last twenty‑plus years, my curiosity has taken me to research institutes in France, the UK, the US, Italy, Denmark, Brazil, Argentina, China, India, Senegal and Lebanon. I’ve taught and conducted research at various universities and advised many governments, cities, companies and international organizations across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, often at the intersection of science, policy and society. 

Coming to IE University and to the Master in Public Policy is a continuation of that path rather than a rupture. It’s a space where students arrive with very different backgrounds and convictions, but can work together on something I care about: connecting data, ethics, politics and long‑term thinking in a world that prefers shortcuts.  

What drives your interest in sustainability, public policy and teaching the future leaders of this field?

I have seen, in more than 50 countries, how a line in a policy document can change real lives. 

But those most affected are often nowhere near the rooms where such decisions are made. This gap between who decides and who lives with the consequences is one of the reasons I’m in this field. 

In this context, teaching feels like both a responsibility and a source of energy. Many of my former students are now designing climate policies, negotiating energy transitions, regulating AI or advising governments. Some hold elected office, from local councils to national offices and the European Parliament, while others have become mayors or ministers in different parts of the world. Knowing that the people in my classroom today will sit at those tables tomorrow shapes how I teach. I want them to leave not only with analytical tools, but also with a habit of asking: who’s missing from this conversation, who gains, who pays, and what are we normalizing? 

This matters even more when it comes to climate. The choices we make on urgent mitigation and adaptation needs will structure options for decades. Helping future policymakers navigate these choices with clarity and integrity is what keeps me in the classroom. 

Which experiences or projects have most shaped your perspective on policy? 

One early experience was helping create the Baltic Management Institute in Vilnius. I also worked on environmental, social innovation and entrepreneurship projects across Romania, the Western Balkans, Senegal, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. I saw how policies can either unlock creativity or suffocate it, and how essential it is to listen to those who live with their consequences. 

Later, I co-founded the Initiative for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP) in Denmark and co-chaired the UNEP Global Environment Outlook (GEO‑6) Assessment for the pan‑European region. This only reinforced what I’ve seen over the last four years as the Coordinating Lead Author for the IPBES Nexus Assessment on biodiversity, water, food, health and climate.  

My board and advisory roles at the Global Climate Forum, the International Science Council, the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research, the World Energy Council and the Aspen Institute, among others, added another layer. They constantly remind me that scientific evidence is necessary, but policy is also about timing, narratives, coalitions and the ability to move across worlds that rarely speak the same language.  

In parallel, my long engagement with artificial intelligence has shifted from building systems to thinking about their governance. I’m deeply involved in questions of AI ethics and accountability. All these experiences taught me to treat political, social, economic and cultural complexity as part of the real conditions under which any serious policy must operate. 

How do you bring real‑world policy challenges into the classroom? What skills do you most hope students develop in your courses? 

In my course, Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation Strategies, we always start with concrete situations directly from my work with the UN, the World Bank, the European Space Agency, the World Energy Council and national or local governments. I make sure that 80% of our time is spent on solutions rather than problems, and invite real policy-makers so that students are exposed to the pressures they will face.  

This in-class contact, complemented by the Policy Lab and practical, collaborative projects with IE University’s external partners, means that students can build important connections before even finishing the program.  

By focusing on real-world scenarios, students will develop foresight and imagination grounded in evidence, as well as the ability to look at problems systemically rather than as individual boxes. They will also hone ethical and reflexive judgment, gaining the capacity to analyze options and take questions of justice, loss, damage, and intergenerational responsibility seriously.  

In your view, what makes IE University's Master in Public Policy unique?  

First, it is genuinely international and interdisciplinary. Students come from different regions and sectors and are exposed to faculty who have worked in diplomacy, development, technology, business and civil society. This diversity mirrors more closely how policy is actually made, especially on climate and energy issues that cut across borders and sectors. 

Second, it’s deeply practice‑oriented without abandoning intellectual rigor. Students work with real scenarios, real actors and real constraints, not idealized cases. 

Third, it’s embedded in a broader ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship. Being at IE University means that our students share a campus and projects with future entrepreneurs, managers, lawyers and designers. This creates opportunities to link climate and energy policy with innovation, finance and business transformation, which is essential if mitigation and adaptation strategies are to move beyond policy papers. 

How will the program prepare students to make a difference in public policy or related fields?

The Master in Public Policy gives students a strong foundation in policy analysis, economics, data and law, and trains them to work collaboratively, communicate across cultures and sectors and navigate institutional complexity. They learn to understand climate and biodiversity challenges, then translate that knowledge into concrete strategies.  

Through projects, internships and capstones, students build a portfolio of experiences and networks that will serve them in government, international organizations, NGOs, companies or start‑ups. My aim is that they leave not only with technical skills, but also with clarity about the kind of contribution they want to make and the confidence to take on those roles. 

What excites you most about teaching the first cohort, and what challenges do you anticipate?

Teaching the first cohort of a new program is a bit like helping to design a ship while already at sea. It’s exciting because, together, we can still shape its culture, habits and identity. The challenge is to balance experimentation with stability. We want to innovate how we teach while ensuring that students feel supported and that the core of a Master in Public Policy remains solid.  

What I look forward to most is seeing how the first cohort uses the program to build bridges between their diverse backgrounds and the problems they care about, especially in climate and sustainability. Their choices will set examples for those who come after them.