Dublin City selected to join Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative

Dublin City Council is delighted to have been selected to join the inaugural class of the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative, the first-ever professional leadership and management programme designed specifically for the region’s mayors and municipal officials. 

Cities from 17 different countries, serving over 21 million residents, have been selected to participate in the initiative. 

Established and led by Bloomberg Philanthropies together with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative will be delivered by LSE Cities in collaboration with the Hertie School in Berlin. The programme will provide participants with pioneering expertise to tackle problems, modernise services, strengthen operations, and improve people’s lives, advancing progress on the issues people care most about, including housing, transport, and youth issues. 

“I am delighted that our city has been chosen to take part in the first-ever class of this leadership initiative,” said Richard Shakespeare Chief Executive of Dublin City Council. “I look forward to working with colleagues from across Europe to tackle the issues facing all our cities. No one has the monopoly on solutions, so by working together I’m sure we can help each other.”

“We continue to expand our municipal leadership programs globally, because we've seen how well they work – and we want more cities to benefit,”said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. “As Europe increasingly looks to local governments to lead, we’re glad to join forces with the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Hertie School on this new initiative. Together, we can bring mayors and senior officials the tools, training, and peer networks they need to take on their biggest challenges – and succeed.”

Through the nine-month intensive classroom, field-based, and capacity-building training, Dublin City will learn evidence-backed strategies from world-class faculty, researchers, and policy leaders on how to drive performance, work across departments, mobilize collaborations, and marshal solutions that deliver tangible results for citizens.

“Cities are where our most complex, urgent challenges show up first, and so where real solutions often start,” said Professor Larry Kramer, President and Vice Chancellor of LSE. “Mayors across Europe are looking to lead—but to address the unique problems they face and deliver on new opportunities that emerge, they need sharp management, strong teams, and the skills to innovate. This is precisely what the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative will help provide.”

To kick off their participation in a four-day convening beginning today in London, Dublin City will receive keynote instruction and engage with global experts from Bloomberg Philanthropies, LSE, the Hertie School, UCL IIPP, and fellow peers including: Michael R. Bloomberg, 108th mayor of New York City and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies; Mayor Sadiq Khan of London, UK; Professor Ricky Burdett, Director of LSE Cities and the Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative; Professor Dr. Andrea Römmele, Dean of Executive Education and Professor of Communication in Politics and Civil Society at the Hertie School; and more. 

Two top officials selected by Richard Shakespeare will begin their participation in the Initiative in December with an immersive classroom experience in Berlin. Through the program, these officials will also support Richard Shakespeare in overseeing a ten-member city team that will develop an innovative approach to solve a pressing, resident-facing challenge. 

The Bloomberg LSE European City Leadership Initiative builds on more than 10 years of work led by Bloomberg Philanthropies to advance mayoral leadership and local government innovation across the globe. 

Dublin City, alongside the local governments joining the Initiative, will benefit from this global community of practice, and learnings from peers in city halls across the region and around the world.

ENDS