The PolicyNet blogging program continues to gain momentum.  This year PolicyNet featured eleven bloggers from around the world who brought unique perspectives to complex issues such as:  global finance, international security, international development and institutional reform.  This year PolicyNet’s featured bloggers included:  Jennifer Beckermann (Hertie School of Governance), Brandon Currie (Governance Village), Dennis Markatos (Woodrow Wilson School), Astrid Haas (University of Warwick), Brodie Ross (Wilfrid Laurier University), Shruthi Jayaram (Columbia University), Greg Lopez (Crawford School), Eric Acha (University of Nottingham) and Feng Junchen (Peking University).  Thank you to all of our PolicyNet bloggers and participants.  To read a blog, or post one of your own, please visit the PolicyNet blogs page here.

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PolicyNet Participates in WOTPA Project

A The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) through PolicyNet and in collaboration with the Institute for Research and Debate on Governance (IRG), has agreed to spearhead the Canadian component of the World Observatory of Teaching in Public Affairs (WOTPA) project.  This exciting project seeks to:  “Identify and present information on Public Affairs teaching programmes from around the world through an online database; to question Public Affairs teaching and stimulate the debate by comparisons of programmes through relevant research projects, expert networks, seminars with academics and practitioners; and to help the reform of Public Affairs teaching through advising and a (planned) case studies library.”  As part of this project, under the advisement of the University of Waterloo Director of Global Governance Programs Gerard Boychuk, PolicyNet has been gathering information on Canadian Public Policy programs for integration into the WOTPA database.  For more information on the WOTPA project please visit their website here.

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New PolicyNet Website Planned for 2009

PolicyNet will be getting a new look in 2009 with the implementation of a new user-friendly design and updated platform.  Members can look forward to improvements that will enhance some of the aspects of the site, while still maintaining the high quality services PolicyNet members have come to depend on.  As always, PolicyNet welcomes your input.  If you have any ideas or suggestions regarding the website, please forward them to info@policy-net.org.

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Virtual Seminar Series a Tremendous Success

2008 saw the launch of the wildly successful Virtual Seminar program on PolicyNet, thanks in large part to the support of the Crawford School of Economics and Government.  Through online Vodcasts, students and faculty were able to connect from around the world to discuss and debate contemporary public policy issues.  This year’s speakers included Anne-Marie Slaughter, Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School and Thomas Homer-Dixon, Chair of Global Systems at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Balsillie School of International Affairs.  Participants in this year’s Virtual Seminar program included the:  University of Waterloo; Wilfrid Laurier University; Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management; Crawford Schools of Economics and Government; and guest school Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University.  With many more exciting speakers planned for the near future, 2009 promises to be the most successful year yet.  For more information on the Virtual Seminar program, please visit our website .

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PolicyNet Outreach

2008 was a busy year for our project manager, Karolina Werner, who has been hard at work meeting our members and promoting our network.  After traveling to Princeton to meet representatives from the Woodrow Wilson School, Karolina traveled to Europe to meet with officials from the Hertie School of Governance and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.  However, Karolina was not the only PolicyNet member on the move.  PolicyNet, CIGI and the Balsillie School was also represented by Jorge Heine at the annual GPPN conference, hosted jointly by the Peking University School of Government and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.With more outreach activities planned for 2009, PolicyNet continues its mission of bringing together members and foster collaboration on pressing public policy issues.

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What's New with Our Members?

Balsillie School of International Affairs:  After being founded in 2007 as an extension of the joint Wilfrid Laurier and the University of Waterloo Global Governance program, the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) continues to develop at a torrent pace.   This year saw the appointment of the Balsillie School’s inaugural director Ramesh Thakur, the continued hiring of several prominent new faculty members and the finalization of construction plans for the schools new, state of the art, building to be built by award winning architecture firm KPMB.  For more information on the Balsillie School of International Affairs please visit their website.  

Crawford School of Economics and Government:  The Australian National University has announced that it will construct a new home for the Crawford School.  This $22 million dollar project will link the Crawford Schools previously separate buildings and provide accommodations for both students and faculty alike.  PolicyNet would also like to thank the Crawford School for its role in the creation of the Virtual Seminar series.  For more information on the Crawford School please visit their website.  

Hertie School of Governance:  After a year-long review process, the Hertie School of Governance has received formal recognition from the Wissenschaftsrat.  In accepting the School’s credentials the Wissenschaftsrat noted that  HSoG “has had a remarkable development since its founding in 2003. Furthermore, it has managed to establish international and practical oriented degree programmes and develop an exemplary mentoring relationship between professors and students.”  Indeed HSoG is quickly developing a reputation as a school on the rise and with their move to a new building in 2008, more success is sure to come.  For more information about HSoG please visit their website.

Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy:  After much anticipation, LKY has launched the Institute of Water Policy (IWP) and named Dr. Seetharam Kallidaikurichi Easwaran as its inaugural director.  The IWP will undertake an extensive research agenda to address the critically important issue of water security within Asia; where it is estimated that over 700 million people lack access to safe drinking water.  Beyond this exciting project, LKY was also busy co-hosting the annual GPPN conference and hiring eight new faculty members, including:  Sanjaya Baru, K. E. Seetharam, Viktor Mayer-Schonberger, Huang Jing, ONG Keng Yong, Shreekant Gupta, Astrid S. Tuminez and Blane Lewis.  For more information on LKY activities please see their newsletter or visit their website.  

Norman Paterson School of International Affairs: NPSIA announced that Trevor Finlay has been appointed as the inaugural William and Jeanie Barton Chair in International Affairs.  This position was created following a very generous three million dollar donation by former Canadian diplomat William H. Barton.  In other news, Carleton University was ranked as the second best public policy master’s program in the world by Canadian professors in the most recent TRIP Survey of International Relations Faculty in the United States and Canada.  For more information on the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs please visit their website.  

Peking University School of Government:  In collaboration with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, the Peking University School of Government hosted the third annual GPPN conference which focused on “Harmonizing Globalization: Seeking Solutions to Common Problems”.  Bringing together leading academics from over forty leading international institutions, this conference has come to be known as one of the most recognized public policy conferences in the world.  For the second year in a row all PolicyNet Schools were in attendance.  For more information on Peking University activities please visit their website.  

Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management:  In September of 2008 Tsinghua University officially launched a new Master of International Development (MID) program offered through the School of Public Policy and Management.  This degree program is policy-centred and seeks to foster research and education within the field of International Development.  This year’s inaugural class consists of thirty-two students from over twenty-one countries who are scheduled to graduate in July of 2010.  For more information on Tsinghua University please visit their website.
Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies:  2008 saw two major developments at GIIS.  First, GIIS was “extremely honoured” to announce that former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has accepted an invitation to become a Senior Fellow at GIIS.  And second, in collaboration with the Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research (HPCR) at Harvard University, GIIS was pleased to announce the launch of the new database on Non-State Armed Groups available here. For more information on GIIS please visit their website.  

Wilfrid Laurier University (MIPP):  Students in the Laurier University Master’s in International Public Policy had the opportunity to engage with fellow PolicyNet members at the Hertie School of Government while participating in an exchange this past year.  While in Berlin, MIPP graduate students participated in a student conference hosted by the Hertie School on topics related to international environmental accords and global public goods.  Also of note, Wilfred Laurier is pleased to announce that former PolicyNet blogger Brodie Ross was the first recipient of the MIPP’s newly created Agnes Siklos Master’s in International Public Policy Award.  For more information on the MIPP program at Wilfrid Laurier University please visit their website or view their newsletter.  

Woodrow Wilson School:  The WWS had extra cause for celebration during the most recent presidential election as six alumni were elected to high office positions.  The success of WWS alumni demonstrates the strength of their program in producing high quality graduates.  In other news, WWS Professor of Economics and International Affairs, Paul Krugman was awarded the Nobel Prize for his research on international trade and economic geography.  Professor Krugman becomes the third WWS faculty member to win the Nobel Prize in economics.  Finally, graduate students at WWS were given a unique opportunity to observe a UN peacekeeping mission in action, while participating in field research in Haiti.    For more information about the Woodrow Wilson School please visit their website or read their newsletters.