HBKU college launches book on future of policy sciences
The College of Public Policy (CPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) held a book launch on October 20 for The Future of the Policy Sciences, co-edited by Dr Anis Ben Brik, associate professor, and Dr Leslie A Pal, professor and founding dean of CPP.
The launch provided a platform for a distinguished group of academics and policy experts to discuss their contributions to the book, including new models and a diversity of perspectives from the field, HBKU said in a statement.
One of several titles from HBKU’s CPP, The Future of the Policy Sciences has been critically acclaimed as an essential guide for navigating the future of public policy as a discipline, as it is taught and practised. Structured around 10 topics, the book presents both critical reviews and new empirical findings, concluding with a “future tense” for the policy sciences.
Moderated by Dr Logan Cochrane, associate professor, CPP, the launch event highlighted its main conclusions. Contributing authors included CPP’s Dr Andreas Rechkemmer,
professor, and Dr Darryl Jarvis, professor. Other speakers were Dr Kris Hartley, assistant professor of Public Policy, The Education University of Hong Kong; Dr Nihit Goyal, assistant professor, Delft University of Technology; Dr Ola El-Taliawi, postdoctoral fellow, Carleton University; and Dr Sreeja Nair, assistant professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Panellists shared an overview of their respective chapters. Against the wider backdrop of emerging policy challenges, including Covid-19, they discussed tools and approaches to manage the new framing of public policies.
Among those are big data techniques and lessons from the evolution of global sustainability governance. The launch was followed by a participatory discussion with a broad audience of scholars, practitioners and students.
Dr Pal, dean of CPP and coeditor of the book, said: “Our appreciation to all our authors who joined us at the event, and who presented a global perspective on the field as practised and as taught.
The Future of the Policy Sciences
speaks to everyone engaged in the public policy environment today, whether as a student or educator, a public manager or a policy-maker.
Navigating the new governance landscape that lies ahead, this book will be a resource that helps us rethink the field, its theories, methods and applications so that ultimately we can illuminate the challenges as well as the opportunities.”
For more on the work of the College of Public Policy, one can visit cpp.hbku.edu.qa.