The ability of governments to respond to external shocks with agility and resilience will provide the foundations for the College of Public Policy (CPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) panel discussion at Doha Forum 2019. 

On December 15, Resilience, Governance and Public Policy for the 21st Century will be divided into three parts. Following a brief introduction, panelists will be invited to discuss specific aspects of resilience and its importance to effective 21st century governance. Proceedings will commence with the CPP’s Dr. Andreas Rechkemmer, who will trace resilience’s evolution from concept to key component of public policymaking. This will be followed by a contribution from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Dr. Zeger van der Wal, which factors agility and resilience into public affairs and leadership strategies in dealing with a “VUCA” world (vulnerable, unpredictable, complex, and ambiguous). Mr. Achim Steiner, the UNDP Administrator, will situate the challenges of resilience in terms of sustainable development, climate change, and international cooperation. The fourth panelist will be Ms. Pia Hansson, Director, Institute of International Affairs and its Centre for Small States Studies at the University of Iceland, who will discuss how small states like Qatar and Iceland need to make resilience a priority given their exposure to global pressures. 

The second part of Resilience, Governance and Public Policy for the 21st Century will provide an opportunity for the panelists to respond to comments made in each other’s discussions. Attendees will be invited to pose questions and offer their insights and perspectives on key talking points. The importance of flexible organizations, adaptable policy leadership and innovating resilience practices will be among the subjects raised by audience members. 

Speaking on the panel, Dr. Leslie A. Pal, Founding Dean of the CPP, said: “Our panel discussion reflects the reality that global and domestic policy environments are increasingly characterized by turbulence and complexity. Whether it’s financial crashes, terror attacks, extreme weather and more, policymakers’ ability to respond with agility and resilience is emerging as the essential feature of effective governance. By bringing small states into the debate, we also demonstrate that there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to factoring resilience into policymaking.

“We’re naturally grateful for the contributions made by Mr. Steiner, Dr. Van der Wal and Ms. Hansson. Their participation in our panel discussion will demonstrate the already-global reach of HBKU’s newest college. We’re also grateful to the organizers of Doha Forum 2019 for helping to make our event happen. We hope there will be further opportunities to demonstrate the CPP’s commitment to supporting and contributing to effective policy development in Qatar and further afield.”

For more information on the work of the College of Public Policy, please visit cpp.hbku.edu.qa