Who's Who?

Hansard Scholars Programme Staff

Lisa George - Director, Study and Scholars Programme
Lisa George is the Director of the Study and Scholars Programme (run in association with the London School of Economics) and is responsible for the marketing and development of the Society's range of political education and training programmes.  Lisa works closely with senior politicians, civil servants, journalists and other key political players to develop bespoke political training programmes within Parliament. She also oversees Hansard Society Scotland and is developing and expanding the Society's corporate sponsorship scheme.

Lisa joined the Hansard Society in June, 2009.  Prior to joining the Society, she spent many years working for one of the first study abroad programmes to provide political (and other) internships for North American students, first as London Programmes Director and later as European Programmes Director.  She has also worked for an NGO for which she organised political training programmes and provided in-house editorial support.  Lisa received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Speech Communications from the University of Virginia, USA.  Contact Lisa at l.george@hansard.lse.ac.uk.

Ivanna Chakma - Programme Coordinator
Ivanna is responsible for the coordination of the Hansard Scholars Programme and is the main point of contact for Hansard Scholars during their time in London.

Before joining the Hansard Society in 2006, Ivanna worked in the Mayor's Office at the Greater London Authority (GLA). She was involved in several high-profile Mayoral initiatives, including the successful bid for London 2012 Olympic Games project and the London Summer of Sport initiative.

Ivanna graduated from the London School of Economics in 2001 with a BA in History with Government before completing a postgraduate diploma in Law at BBP Law School in London.

Dr Mette Jolly - Lecturer in Politics & Public Policy
Mette was awarded a PhD from the University of Nottingham for research into democracy in the European Union. From 2000-2005, Mette taught at the University of Nottingham and she currently lectures on the Masters Programme at Birkbeck College London. She is the author of The European Union and the People (Oxford University Press, 2007).

Dr Matthew Cole - Lecturer in Parliament & Politics
Matthew has also lectured in British politics at the University of Birmingham and at the Open University. He was awarded a PhD from the University of Birmingham for his doctoral research on the British Liberal Party 1945-1962. He has published in a wide range of political and academic books and journals, and is the author of Democracy in Britain (Edinburgh University Press, 2006).

Professor the Lord Norton of Louth FRSA, AcSS - Director of Studies
Lord Norton of Louth [Philip Norton] was appointed Professor of Government in 1986, making him - at the age of 35 - the youngest professor of politics in the UK. In 1992, he also became Director of the Centre for Legislative Studies and he is currently the Vice Chair of the Political Studies Association. In 1998, he was elevated to the peerage, as Lord Norton of Louth. He is currently a member of the Select Committee on the European Union, was Chairman of the Commission to Strengthen Parliament, which reported in 2000 and has been Chair of the Houses of Lords Constitution Committee (2001-2004).

Lord Norton is author or editor of 26 books and has also published over 65 book chapters, over 100 articles in scholarly journals and in excess of 225 short articles for parliamentary and other magazines. He has delivered over 100 papers to conferences around the globe and is an internationally recognised expert on the British Parliament and on comparative legislatures. Lord Norton has been described in The House Magazine - the journal of both Houses of Parliament - as ‘our greatest living expert on Parliament.'

For full details on Hansard Society staff, please click here