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New UH public-policy center will forge public-private ties

The University of Hawaii is launching a new public-policy center to forge ties between the private and public sectors and develop research to help the state make better policy decisions. Scheduled to open this fall, the center aims to increase civic involvement in public-policy issues and develop nonpartisan research on issues affecting Hawaii and the Asia Pacific. Also, UH will add a new certificate program in public policy to the College of Social Sciences, said Dean Richard Dubanoski. "Part of what we're trying to do is to raise the level of [involvement in] issues of public life in all our citizens [and] to engage the community in a variety of issues," he said. "[Our mission is] to get more people interested in the democratic process, to have them think critically about what are the real issues."

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More than 35 social science faculty members are involved in the center, which eventually will include eight new faculty members and administrative personnel, Dubanoski said. The center is asking the university for $500,000 in startup funds.

The center's primary goals are to develop a curriculum for people interested in public life, conduct research to create a public-policy database and foster community outreach, partnering with the business community and public sector, he said. Economic Snapshot
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The programs will enable faculty and graduates to collaborate on research projects with agencies and community members interested in policy analysis, said Susan Chandler, the center's interim director and former director of the state Department of Human Services.

"Eventually, the hope is there'll be a good database and good core research being done so the state can make good decisions," Chandler said. "When you complete policy analysis, you provide people with the various choices that exist and help society make better choices."

Although the center has no physical home yet, public-policy research projects are ongoing at the college and will be consolidated at one central location.

"We've been doing the research part for a number of years and also the community outreach part," Dubanoski said.

For instance, the college is collaborating with the Hawaii Institute for Public Affairs on the Hawaii Uninsured Project, which seeks solutions for the growing number of uninsured. The institute is an independent public-policy agency that acts as a neutral forum to deliberate public-policy issues.

The university conducts the research and analysis while the institute — which includes a network of business, government, labor and nonprofit agencies — uses the information to educate key decision makers, said Bill Kaneko, institute president.

"The bottom line is that for public-policy issues facing Hawaii it needs to be better informed, more deliberative based on good information," he said. "The research is integral because if you're going to make good decisions you've got to have good facts. With good information we can facilitate a process that's open, neutral and collaborative."

The group will tap into community resources and develop strong ties with organizations interested in public policy, Dubanoski said.

"The mission of the center really is to enhance the quality of life in Hawaii," he said. "Of all the institutions in our society … the university serves that purpose better than everyone, to serve as a very neutral, nonpartisan analyst."