Sir Geoffrey John Mulgan
CBE (born 1961) is Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at
University College London
University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
(UCL). From 2011 to 2019 he was chief executive of the
National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and visiting professor at University College London, the
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
, and the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...
.
Education
Mulgan obtained a first-class degree from
Balliol College, Oxford and a
PhD in
telecommunications
Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...
from the
University of Westminster. He was also a fellow at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
, and trained as a Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka.
Career
Mulgan worked for a spell in the 1980s as a van driver for the "
Labour-supporting collective of musicians and comedians known as
Red Wedge", opting ultimately for a career in local government and academia in the UK as well as writing on social and political issues in various newspapers and magazines in the 1990s, including ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'', the ''
Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'', ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', and the ''
New Statesman
''The New Statesman'' (known from 1931 to 1964 as the ''New Statesman and Nation'') is a British political and cultural news magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first c ...
''. He also worked as a reporter for BBC television and radio.
In January 2020, he was appointed as Professor of Collective Intelligence, Public Policy and Social Innovation at
University College London
University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
, to lead research into
collective intelligence.
Also in 2020, he joined the Nordic
think tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
Demos Helsinki as a fellow.
Earlier roles include:
*Chief executive of
Nesta, an innovation foundation (2011
to 2019). He led the organisation's transition from the public sector to an independent charitable foundation.
*CEO of the
Young Foundation
The Young Foundation is a not-for-profit, organisation driving community research and social innovation.
It is named after Michael Young, Baron Young of Dartington, Michael Young, the British sociologist and social activist who created over 60 ...
, based in London (until 2011)
*Director of the
Prime Minister's Strategy Unit (and before that Director of the Performance and Innovation Unit)
*Director of Policy at
10 Downing Street under prime minister
Tony Blair
*Co-founder and director of the London-based
think tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
Demos (from 1993 to 1998)
*Chief adviser to
Gordon Brown MP in the early 1990s
He has founded or co-founded many organisations, including: Demos, the Young Foundation, the Social Innovation Exchange (SIX), Uprising, Studio Schools Trust,
Action for Happiness, the Alliance for Useful Evidence, States of Change, The Australian Centre for Social Innovation, Maslaha and Nesta Italia. He is a founding editor-in-chief of the journal ''Collective Intelligence'', published by Sage and ACM.
He has been chair of various organisations including the Social Innovation Exchange; Involve; Nesta Italia; and the
Studio Schools Trust. He was co-chair of the London
LEP Digital, Science, Technology and Arts group under then London Mayor Boris Johnson. He has been a board member of
Big Society Capital and a trustee of charities including
Action for Happiness; the
Photographers' Gallery; Reimagine Europa; Luton Culture Trust; the
Design Council,
the Work Foundation, Crime Concern, and
Political Quarterly, and a member of various committees for bodies including the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
,
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...
,
OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD; , OCDE) is an international organization, intergovernmental organization with 38 member countries, founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and international trade, wor ...
,
SITRA and the
Academy of Medical Sciences.
In 2007–2008 Mulgan was an Adelaide Thinker in Residence, advising South Australian Premier
Mike Rann on social innovation and social inclusion policies. As a result of Mulgan's recommendations, the Rann Government established The Australian Centre for Social Innovation. From 2016 to 2019, Mulgan was a senior visiting scholar at the Ash Center in the
Kennedy School at Harvard University. From 2019 to 2022 he was a World Economic Forum Schwab Fellow.
Mulgan is profiled in two books: ''The New Alchemists'' (1999, by
Charles Handy), and ''Visionaries'' (2001, by
Jay Walljasper). He was profiled by the ''Daily Telegraph'' in January 2024, prompted by evidence that when in government he had tried to cancel the Horizon Post Office software which later caused a series of
miscarriages of justice and a major scandal.
Works
Mulgan has written a number of books, including ''Communication and Control: Networks and the New Economies of Communication'' (1991), ''Politics in an Anti-Political Age'' (1994), ''Connexity'' (1997), ''Good and Bad Power: the Ideals and Betrayals of Government'' (Penguin, 2006), ''The Art of Public Strategy'' (2009), ''The Locust and the Bee'' (Princeton, 2013), ''Big Mind: how collective intelligence can change our world'' (Princeton, 2017); ''Social innovation: how societies find the power to change'' (Policy Press, 2019); ''Another World is Possible: how to reignite social and political imagination'' (Hurst/Oxford University Press, 2022); and ''When Science Meets Power (Polity Press, 2024). His books have been translated into many languages.
He has written numerous reports and pamphlets for
Demos, the
Young Foundation
The Young Foundation is a not-for-profit, organisation driving community research and social innovation.
It is named after Michael Young, Baron Young of Dartington, Michael Young, the British sociologist and social activist who created over 60 ...
,
Nesta, and
Demos Helsinki. He has lectured and advised several governments on policy and strategy, and given
TED talks on the global economy, education, and happiness.
Honours and awards
Mulgan was made a
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(CBE) in the
2004 Birthday Honours for his work at the Prime Minister's Office.
He was
knighted in the
2020 Birthday Honours for services to the creative economy.
In 2010, he was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Social Science by
Nottingham Trent University.
He was awarded an honorary fellowship by
Cardiff University
Cardiff University () is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. It was established in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire and became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893. It was renamed Unive ...
in 2022.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulgan, Geoff
1961 births
Living people
Alumni of the University of Westminster
People educated at Westminster School, London
Academics of University College London
Academics of the London School of Economics
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
People from Harringay
Harkness Fellows
British special advisers
BBC newsreaders and journalists
Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford
Knights Bachelor
Labour Party (UK) people