Preparing the Next Generation of Policy Leaders

How are the mechanisms of policymaking changing to adapt to a post-pandemic world?

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed challenges that too o en stand in the way of e ective policymaking. Three such challenges have become particularly salient over the course of this pandemic.

The first is the prevalence of unreliable information. The increasingly rapid adoption of new technologies has facilitated the rampant spread of misinformation, clouding our ability to analyze societal problems that could benefit from policy solutions. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of sourcing credible data for e ective policymaking. The second is the degree to which uncertainty and unpredictable factors can derail the best-laid plans. Planning ahead for various what-if scenarios, even unlikely ones, is now a necessary step for policymakers. Similarly, it has become essential to look at global trends to assess how various circumstances might impact current and future events. This is particularly important in the solution design and implementation stages of policymaking. The third challenge relates to the importance of comprehensive and feasible implementation plans. For instance, COVID vaccine rollouts in many places have illustrated how policy shortfalls or vague implementation plans can have dire consequences.

The Ford Dorsey Master’s in International Policy (MIP) program trains students to address such challenges head-on. Our capstone program utilizes a framework that focuses on the entirety of the policymaking process, from problem identification and solution development to policy implementation. The program’s cyber policy and security specialization addresses issues of misinformation, disinformation, and the impact of technology on policymaking. Additionally, the MIP curriculum includes courses taught by former and current practitioners with direct experience dealing with a myriad of challenging policy issues. For instance, my course on trade and development analyzes trends and discusses how advancements in new technologies have a ected the future of work, life, and policymaking, with a view to designing impactful and prescient policies.

These components of the MIP program provide invaluable opportunities for discussing challenges at the forefront of global discourse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students graduate from the program well prepared to be e ective policymakers in a postpandemic world.

How does your school promote new voices and new perspectives in its diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice (DEIJ) initiatives?

Students at MIP were instrumental in advocating for change and a commitment to DEI within MIP and our home institute, the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI). In June 2020, FSI convened a task force on Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) following MIP student demands for a concerted response to racial injustice. Among REDI’s stated goals are the pursuit of an anti-racist mandate, increasing the diversity of the FSI community, and programming and curricular proposals to achieve pedagogical reform. Two MIP students and I serve on the REDI task force.

In parallel, MIP took concrete steps toward the recruitment and admission of the most racially diverse class to date and committed to making DEI trainings a formal part of programming for incoming students and to hold events on DEIJ themes. We look forward to continuing to build on these important e orts, now and in the future.