Faculty of Arts hosts International Conference on Public Policy

Last month, the Faculty of Arts at Toronto Metropolitan University successfully hosted the sixth International Conference on Public Policy, organized by the International Public Policy Association (external link)  (IPPA). The IPPA is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 with the mandate of promoting scientific research in the field of public policy.

Public policy touches every aspect of our lives. From healthcare and education to housing and the economy, public policy shapes communities and social institutions. At its core, the public policies of a nation say much about its values, governance structures and democratic resilience.

The Faculty of Arts shares IPPA’s goal of creating a space where students, researchers and policymakers can share knowledge and build capacity aimed at social change, so after five years of hosting the conference in other major cities across the globe – including Grenoble, Milan, Singapore, Montreal, and Barcelona – TMU was a perfect location for its return to Canada. 

“The Faculty is home to many scholars and programs studying important policy challenges in the world today including climate change, social policy, and immigration to name a few.” said Ronald Vogel, Graduate Program Director, PhD Policy Studies. “The conference provided our students and faculty a chance to meet other scholars and practitioners around the world, present papers, develop networks, and learn about policy challenges and solutions. Our students were able to take advantage of the many workshops and sessions and talk directly with the authors of the books and articles they read and study.”

This year’s conference welcomed more than 1,000 participants from 80 countries to examine a variety of public policy matters in panel sessions led by leading scholars from local and international institutions. The week-long conference featured 155 panels exploring the policy process, design, and implementation of various issues, including data security, health policy, anti-corruption and the future of AI. 

“Toronto is a beautiful city. Very multicultural and safe to live in,” said Mwachofi Singo, Peace Activist and Professor at the University of Nairobi.  “I enjoyed the rich diversity in people, food and drinks (Canadian wine is surprisingly nice). I was impressed by its public transport system too. Clean streets and warm, friendly people. The organization of the conference was excellent, and the host, TMU, awesome!”

Conference participants showcased new research, disseminated findings and received feedback from their peers. Importantly, the conference also facilitated opportunities to build global partnerships, laying the foundation for future collaborative initiatives and policy strategies for both students and professionals alike.

“As a PhD Student in Policy Studies at TMU, the conference enabled me to further my professional and academic growth,” said Sebastien Gibson. “As someone who works within critical, interpretivist policy studies approaches, the opportunity to share my work among like-minded scholars was exciting. I was able to present my own research on the Critical Urban Policy panel and received a great deal of feedback from distinguished scholars. Through the experience of attending the array of panels, I was able to further develop my understanding of policy theories and approaches which will make me a more mindful and robust scholar.”

A highlight of the conference was the announcement of plans to open the new School of Public Policy and Democratic Engagement (SPPDI).

The school will examine critical questions around policy formation, with a distinct emphasis on equity and social justice. Housed in the Faculty of Arts, SPPDI will connect public policy to democratic processes and institutions and will expand beyond the usual policy community to bring together scholars, students, governments, non-profits, community organizations, philanthropists and advocates. 

With the establishment of SPPDI, the Faculty of Arts at TMU continues to lead change in equity, social justice and democratic engagement in policy-making. In hosting the International Conference on Public Policy, we are reminded of the transformative potential that collaboration and interdisciplinary dialogue hold in shaping a better future for societies locally and globally. Together, we can continue to push the boundaries of public policy research and implementation and strive for a more equitable and democratically-engaged society.