New Contexts of Public Policy: Part I
Course Overview
In recent years, rapid social, economic, and technological changes have been profoundly transforming the environments confronting policy-makers around the world. This program, the first in a series on “New Contexts of Public Policy”, will focus on the major changes in societal opinion about public policy, government, and civic leadership that have taken place globally. In addition to assessing these trends from a global and comparative perspective, it will examine their specific manifestations in Hong Kong, and their implications for policy-making and governance in the city. The course will set the stage for deeper understanding and candid discussions on the contexts in which policy-makers operate in an increasingly complex world, in which challenges assume global, regional and local dimensions.
This program may be taken as a discrete course; it may also be taken in combination with the rest of the series to follow. It consists of five weekly sessions, each addressing a different topic of global interest and local concern. Each session will be led by a pair of faculty, with a main presenter laying out the global trend and a commentator who relates them to local issues, followed by class discussions. The final session (31 March) will be devoted to student presentations of the challenges they face in their work and general discussion on possible ways to tackle them.
Session Topics
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Modes of Government
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Trust and Mistrust
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Leadership
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Public Opinion
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Workshop: Reflections on the case of Hong Kong
Course Expectations
Students are expected to attend all 5 sessions and actively participate in class discussions. Reading materials may be assigned by individual instructors and should be read ahead of each class. While there are no written assignments, students should be prepared to share thoughts on their work challenges and present them in an organized manner during the final session as a summation of what has been learned in class.