The 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly provided the backdrop for the launch of a major research programme by the College of Public Policy (CPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).
The Programme on Governance, Resilience and Sustainability (PROGRESS) will develop interdisciplinary, integrated and policy-relevant research and analysis concerning the grand challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
These include climate change, growing urbanisation and human mobility, and the greater need for stable state institutions and international organisations. In response, PROGRESS seeks to create a vibrant global community of public policy researchers, analysts and fellows.
The all-encompassing nature of the programme is strengthened by a commitment to working with Qatar Foundation and other institutions based in Education City and around Qatar.
PROGRESS’ research agenda rests on two cross-cutting themes. A focus on ethics reflects the reality that many of today’s policy challenges are effectively problems of social justice, inclusion, or distribution. The programme will systematically investigate these issues at the interface between sustainability and policy. From there, a deeper analysis of resilience planning will demonstrate how traditional concepts seem inadequate in the face of today’s global sustainability crisis and grand challenges. In response, the programme will develop a more nuanced understanding of resilience that is both transformative and adaptive.
PROGRESS’ founding director is Dr Andreas Rechkemmer, a senior professor at the CPP who has previously held senior positions within the United Nations, including executive director of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change at the United Nations University.
Dr Leslie A Pal, founding dean of the College of Public Policy, said: “There’s nothing coincidental about our decision to launch PROGRESS during the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly. As with previous years, proceedings are informed by discussions on the grand challenges enshrined in the SDGs and the policy architecture that the UN has designed in response. This year’s proceedings also include a virtual interactive SDG Action Zone which provides a space for deeper conversations concerning the advancement of the SDGs.”
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