Public Policy Center > Program Overview

Program Overview

The College of Social Sciences Public Policy Center (“Center”) brings together expertise, commitment, and a strong and continuing desire to enhance the quality of community life through teaching, research, and civic engagement. The establishment of the Center as an ongoing and important unit of the College of Social Sciences and the University of Hawaii at Manoa will strengthen the University’s work beyond its borders. It symbolizes and makes a strong statement that public policy analyses are critical to sound public policy decision-making and that teaching and scholarly work are intertwined and should be continually linked to the community beneficiaries.

The Need:
The need for a multi-disciplinary and community-focused public policy center has been discussed for many years by the faculty across the College and campus who have been conducting policy-relevant work in various communities in Hawaii, Pacific Asia, and beyond. Both external and internal stakeholders have discussed the need for a collaborative focal point for conducting research and disseminating results in modalities that are relevant to the important public policy decisions of the day. They believe that the University and community working together collaboratively will make a significant difference in improving the quality of community life.

Rarely have the issues of governance, decision-making and civic responsibility loomed larger in our community and in our world. Daunting policy challenges surround the state, the nation and world. There is a clear need for well trained students to meet these future policy challenges. Training students with excellent policy analytic skills with improve the deliberation on policy issues ranging from elder care to the environment. The blurring of economic, political and social realms call for interdisciplinary approaches to curriculum and research so that theory and practice are better blended. The Center’s goals fit nicely within the University’s strategic objectives of advancing our Pacific Community, advancing the liberal arts and advancing research and economic development.

The Center addresses these needs: 1) provides a single research venue for interchange between faculty and students on public policy issues concerning Hawaii, Pacific and Asia; 2) establishes a curriculum for students interested in policy studies, and 3) involves the community in the deliberative process on important public issues 4) implements a Legislator in Residence program for two Hawaii State Legislators to familiarize themselves with the College faculty, research endeavors and share their experiences with faculty and students during the Fall semester 5) conducts an annual Policy Conference that engages policy scholars, faculty, community leaders and legislators on an issue of importance to the community. The Center will build on a strong foundation of teaching, policy research and community deliberation in the areas of:

Environmental and Resource Management
Crime and Substance Abuse
Health and Wellbeing
Peace, Security and Risk Management
Regional and Community Development
Globalization and Civil Society

The University of Hawaii’s Strategic Plan is poised to move the University into excellence in several areas. The Center strategically fits into several of these enterprises:

• The Center will encourage research and deliberative dialog that benefits and involves the local community
• The Center will has designed a flexible, diverse Certificate curriculum that focuses on interdisciplinary studies, learning communities and service learning
• The Center will support the University’s plan for economic development by increasing public partnerships, state and federal contracted research and obtain grants.