Public Policy
Introduction
The Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE) is housed at PIDE and offers students and researchers a forum for discussing economic issues of the day. The 3-day annual conference that the PSDE organizes is the largest gathering of economists and social scientist in Pakistan with over 600 participants. Students of PIDE get an opportunity to attend and even participate in these annual conferences. The conferences, besides offering an excellent learning opportunity also allow the students networking opportunities which often prove invaluable in developing joint research projects and at times in securing employment.
The M.Phil in Public Policy is a rigorous two-year program that targets individuals with 16 years of education. Prospective students from all disciplines are welcome to enroll for the programme. The program is intended to serve the needs of individuals intending to join the ranks of policymakers, managers, administrators, politicians and development practitioners in not just the government, but private sector and international organizations as well.
Why Public Policy
Economic reasoning holds the key to the solution of a number of public policy issues. Whether it is provision of social services like health and education, decentralization, judicial and electoral reforms, what kind of energy sources to exploit, or civil service reforms, all issues have an economic dimension. PIDE’s edge in economics and other social science disciplines, should allow the students to also comprehend the economic and social dimensions of public policy issues. Thus the core curriculum of the M.Phil in Public Policy at PIDE provides firm foundations which will allow the students to approach public policy issues in multi-dimensional perspective.
The comprehensive coursework and practical exercises equips the students with an interdisciplinary conceptual toolkit while the fieldwork allows them to apply and test the knowledge thus gained.
The rich history of PIDE’s research on public policy issues will aid the students in comprehending these issues. The PIDE’s researchers, holding PhD from top ranked foreign universities, who undertook this kind of research, will be teaching in the Public Policy program.
The PIDE’s School of Public Policy has an advisory council comprised of top ranked academics and renowned policy practitioners, at home and abroad. The M.Phil in Public Policy has been developed by the PIDE’s faculty in consultation with the advisory council. The council will continue to guide the conduct of the program at every stage.
Program Aims and Objectives
Public Policy aims to bridge the research—policy gap in Pakistan through high quality academic programmes, policy oriented research and executive training. The School offers M.Phil in Public Policy; hosts a specialized research centre conducting research on public policy issues and has plans to offer executive training for policy-makers, practitioners and professionals involved in the development and implementation of policies. Public Policy (PP) will undertake the following activities, over the short and medium run.
- Offer M.Phil.in Public Policy
- Develop Research Centre to conduct research on public policy issues
- Offer focused executive training to different kinds of practitioners involved in policy formulation, implementation and monitoring.
