Policy Labs being presented in Florence
This June, two Policy Labs get to present their research at the European Regional Conference of the International Federation of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Florence from June 3- 6, 2014.
Policy Labs are a part of the compulsory practice requirement in the MA program in Public Policy. Supported by a mentor, students work in small teams of three-four to produce and present a piece of original research for an external client engaged in public policy advocacy, implementation and development. Clients are drawn from the public, private and civic sectors but share a common interest in using social science research to inform and support their work. Within this year’s cohort two Policy Labs did work for the IFRC: they were invited by the Europe Zone office of IFRC in Budapest to prepare background papers on the ongoing humanitarian consequences of the economic crisis in the Europe Zone, which not includes western, EU states, but also countries from the Caucasus and the Central Asian republics. Two policy reports prepared by the Policy Lab students - one on food security by Anna Franceschi and Amy Schober, the other on innovation in aid by Lara Kline and Simone Kranendonk - have been circulated to all the national societies making up the Europe Zone group. Andrew Cartwright, along with Marton Leiszen, supervised both research projects. The Policy Lab reports will be presented at some of the workshops of the European Regional Conference of the IFRC, to be held in Florence in June 2014. Hundreds of delegates from 53 different national societies will come together for three days of debate, discussion and planning, setting out new priorities and policies. Andrew Cartwright has also been invited to give one of the key note speeches in the Palazzo di Vecchio, during the Plenary on “Crises as an opportunity”. The conference in Florence will be a spectacular finale to these two Policy Labs, and the Europe Zone office considers the exercise to have been a success and want to continue the relationship with next year’s cohort.
More information on the conference
More information on Policy Labs