School of Social and Political Science

Background

Lina Arenas Romero is a doctoral researcher at the School of Social and Political Science (SSPS), The University of Edinburgh. Broadly conceived, her doctoral work is about the role of evidence in social protection policies in Latin America. During the policy process, and particularly while allocating budget, the dispute between technocratic elites and political mandates might comprehend a set of mechanisms ranging from “evidence-based policies” to “fact-free politics”, that may ultimately become narratives worth debunking, especially in the context of the rise of populism in the region. Lina’s professional background is in social and political psychology, social policy, and performance budgeting. Prior to joining the University of Edinburgh for her doctoral studies, she worked as an international consultant in social research projects, and in the public sector (Education, Economics and Finance, Women and Vulnerable Populations), starting as a researcher and ultimately holding the position of Deputy Minister for Vulnerable Populations for the Peruvian Government (2021-2022).

Qualifications

PhD in Social Policy: 2023-Present – The University of Edinburgh
MA in International Development and Social Policy: 2012-2014 – The University of Manchester 
BA in Social Psychology: 2002-2008 – Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Awards and funding

Rising Public Leaders Programme Award, Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford - 2022

PhD supervision

Supervisors: Dr Markus Ketola and Dr Daniel Clegg