Delhi University (DU) will soon set up a research centre for public policy and governance.
The proposal was passed by the standing committee of the University’s academic council (AC) during a meeting held on June 21.
According to the minutes of the meeting, the centre will be known as ‘Delhi School of Public Policy and Governance’ or DSP&G. “The School is the University’s endeavour to contribute to the quality of policymaking and governance in an increasingly complex and challenging world. It will provide a platform wherein wider community of academics and practitioners will come together to initiate, develop and share ideas to address various emerging domestic and international public policy challenges,” the minute stated.
Besides catering the research scholars, the school may also offer short-term courses for the practitioners such as lawmakers and policymakers working with government agencies. “The objective is to equip the lawmakers, policymakers and researchers with the knowledge and skill sets to address the challenges of the developing world,” the minutes added.
Tanvir Aeijaz, who teaches public policy at Ramjas College, said that the plan to set up the separate school for public policy and governance was long pending. “The centre will be interdisciplinary with special focus on political science, economics, sociology and law. However, the parent discipline will be political sciences. Initially, the school will cater honorary fellows, research scholars and visiting scholars from various universities abroad. The proposal to set up a centre like this was long pending and it can later be converted into a department,” he said.
As per the proposal, the school will be governed by a governing body, an advisory council and area coordinators. The governing body will have the vice chancellor or his nominee as the chairperson. It will also have representatives from leading institutions in the field of public policy and governance.
The school will also provide an opportunity to the teachers and research fellows from the other departments and colleges of university to participate in the research in the discipline. “They may continue working in their respective departments and colleges and at the same time carry out their research project in the School and participate in its programmes,” said a member of the standing committee, who wished not to be named.
