HKUST breaks new ground in public policy studies

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One key attraction of the master of public policy (MPP) program offered by Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is the chance to gain hands-on experience addressing real-world challenges facing major organisations.

This comes in the form of a months-long client-based policy analysis exercise (PAE) during the second year, which sees groups of five or six students working as “external consultants” for a government office, NGO, think tank or business.

Their set task could involve anything from integrating technology to considering how to improve transport links or housing for low-income families. Each project is not just testing, but also presents the opportunity to put into practice ideas and knowledge learned in class and, crucially, to understand what will or won’t work in everyday situations.

The PAE is seen as a significant factor contributing to the success of the MPP and helps to explain why demand is so high among local, mainland and international students for the 80-plus places available every year.

The stated aim of the two-year, full-time advanced degree is to train students to become effective policy professionals.
 
This is done through an interdisciplinary program of core courses, electives and case studies plus internships and the extended project.  Each module introduces a complex range of challenges facing governments, non-profits and companies around the world, as well as the means of finding viable solutions.

The courses cover everything from data analytics, ethics, and legal issues to economic analysis and management structures. But there is also a deliberate focus on the increasingly important role of science and technology in public policy, and how it can or should be deployed to create smart cities, meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and generally improve the human condition.

Along the way, students will learn about the cause and effects of major global challenges…