Lord Peter Mandelson studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at St Catherine's College, Oxford. He was elected as a member of parliament for the constituency of Hartlepool until his appointment to the European Commission in 2004. He is honorary Chair of Policy Network, a European and international think-tank whose journal and conferences promote the exchange and debate of centre-left policy ideas and European social democratic thinking. He has lectured throughout Europe, in Asia, and the United States. He was EU Commissioner for Trade from 2004 to 2008 and was appointed Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform in 2008.