HKUST graduate course imparts vital policymaking skills
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Professionals who work in the public sector or for organisations that have regular dealings with government bodies must be ready to handle situations which can be complex, unexpected, and unpredictable.
For this, they need a clear understanding of established rules and precedents, but also a wide frame of reference to help them devise effective solutions and address new challenges bound to arise in an ever-changing environment.
With that in mind, the master of public management (MPM) program offered by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is specifically designed to provide the necessary skills and insights.
By drawing on case studies from around the world, it prepares students for senior roles, giving them the practical knowledge and breadth of perspectives to manage policy, operational and regulatory issues and find ways to achieve successful outcomes.
Nowadays, those issues can involve anything from the impact of climate change and rapid advances in technology to pandemics, sustainability, rising inequality, and the challenges posed by an ageing society.
The MPM therefore focuses on real-world problems, what organisations can or could do, where leaders have made great decisions or strategic errors, and why good communication about actions and intentions is so important.
“We look at how governments should evolve when things are constantly changing,” says Donald How Tian Low, professor of practice in the Division of Public Policy and founding director of the MPM. “There is a wide selection of material to draw from, but the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in Hong Kong and China was a once in a lifetime opportunity to study a crisis as it unfolded. It provided a context and let us meet the mission we set for ourselves: showing students what it means for authorities to be flexible, adaptable and resilient.”
In doing this, the program puts particular emphasis on developing analytical…