Call for Papers
To participate in the conference
Environmental Policy
A Multinational Conference on Policy Analysis and Teaching Methods

KDI School of Public Policy and Management
University of Maryland School of Public Policy
Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management

The main web page for the conference is: http://www.appam.org/conferences/international/korea2009/index.asp

Conference date: 11 June (dinner) through 13 June 2009
Location: KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Seoul,  Korea

Asia’s growing economic and geopolitical importance has led to increased interest in its environmental policies. How, for example, do the diverse countries of the region frame and respond to questions of pollution, climate change, urban planning, environmental regulation, transboundary environmental disputes, and so forth?

As these issues rise on national agendas, graduate schools in the region are developing and strengthening their environmental policy concentrations to prepare the next generation of environmental policy analysts, managers, teachers, and scholars. In this context, how should graduate environmental policy curricula be designed, and what teaching methods should be used to ensure the highest quality of graduates? Graduate public affairs schools elsewhere have been grappling with similar challenges, and cross-pollination may facilitate the global institutional evolution of environmental policy education.

To explore these and related topics, the KDI School of Public Policy and Management http://www.kdischool.ac.kr/  and the University of Maryland School of Public Policy http://www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/ in collaboration with the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) http://www.appam.org/home.asp will hold a conference in Seoul, from 11 June (starting with dinner) through 13 June 2009.

The conference is designed to attract a worldwide audience, including academics and professionals from universities, think tanks, government agencies, the private sector, civil society, and beyond. Papers should address issues of environmental policy or graduate environmental policy education linked to particular Asian countries or across them, or be comparative in nature. Papers will be presented in topic-oriented panels with both Asian and non-Asian presenters and discussants. The conference will explore lessons from Asia that may be applicable in other parts of the world and lessons Asia may be able to draw from experience in other regions.

The conference agenda is broad. Possible topics for papers include, but are not limited to, the following.

Analyzing environmental policy

Environmental policy processes, practices, and analytic tools

How has environmental policymaking evolved in response to changing social demands, politics, and policy experience? What are the strengths and weaknesses of rule-based and incentive-based policies, and under what circumstances are they likely to be effective or ineffective? What are the strengths and weaknesses of cost-benefit, risk-benefit, and other analytic tools?

Climate change

What are the projected threats to Asian countries from climate change, and how might these countries best adapt to such expected changes? What are Asian countries’ climate change politics and policies, and how do they compare to those of Europe, the U.S., and other regions?

Pollution—local, national, and transnational issues

What are the key pollution problems in the region for air, land, and water, and what are the strengths and weaknesses of current policy approaches? What are the problems and policies linked to waste management, including solid waste, toxic waste, recycling, incineration, landfills, etc.? How are transnational conflicts linked to pollution addressed, or not addressed?

Natural resource management

How are freshwater, coastal, and marine ecosystems managed? What are the problems and policies related to biodiversity conservation, protected area management, and tourism? What are the effects of international trade and international environmental agreements in the region?

Human dimensions and public participation

How has public participation in environmental policymaking changed, and what impact have these changes had on policy outcomes? Are problems linked to environmental justice recognized, and if so how are they assessed and mitigated?

Teaching environmental policy

External and institutional pressures shaping environmental policy programs

How have institutional strategies affected the development of graduate environmental policy programs? How have general curricular and specific subject requirements evolved in response to changes in external and institutional factors? What is the role of public policy schools in policy community responses to environmental challenges?

Graduate environmental policy curriculum design

What should be included in the core curriculum? Are there standard sets of electives that should be offered? What foundational and special skills should be required (e.g., statistics, econometrics, GIS, computer modeling, conflict resolution, etc.)? What level of scientific knowledge should be required (e.g., atmospheric chemistry, biogeochemical cycles, toxicity, conservation biology, etc.)?

Teaching and classroom management

What are the most effective ways to teach environmental policy? What teaching practices, beyond the lecture, can enhance learning (e.g., field trips, internships, simulations, role-plays, student-directed group projects, etc.)?

Student issues

What are current and projected future employment trends for environmental policy graduates? What are appropriate policies for student recruitment and financial aid? What are the trends in student diversity?

Abstract Submissions: All abstracts should be submitted online through the APPAM website: http://www.appam.org/conferences/international/korea2009/index.asp http://www.appam.org/conferences/international/korea2009/index.asp

Abstract instructions: For instructions, please click here http://www.appam.org/conferences/international/korea2009/proposals.asp

Deadline: The deadline for abstract submissions is 7 January 2009.

Language: Please note that English will be the official language of the conference. Papers and presentations are expected to be delivered in English.

Schedule:
 
7 Jan. 2009: Deadline to submit proposals      
25 Feb. 2009: Proposal status notifications      
25 Feb. 2009: Early registration begins      
30 Mar. 2009: Early registration ends, regular registration begins      
15 Apr. 2009: Papers due for distribution/Program available online      
19 May 2009: Regular registration ends; all additional registrations must be made on-site      
11 Jun. 2009: Opening night conference dinner and keynote address     

Registration will be available beginning 25 February 2009 through the APPAM website http://www.appam.org/conferences/international/korea2009/register.asp. Early registration will close on 30 March 2009. Regular registration will close on 19 May 2009. After this date, registration will be available on-site at the conference.

Persons in low-income countries: You may be eligible for a waiver of the registration fee. Instructions for applying for a waiver will be available when you complete the registration process.

Grants: The KDI School will be offering a limited number of grants covering the cost of travel, accommodation, and registration for participants living in Asia. Applications for the grants must be made through the KDI School. For more information, send your request t environment@kdischool.ac.kr.

Travel reservations and side trips: The KDI School will organize field trips for interested participants. More detailed information will be announced later.

Hotel accommodations: The KDI School is coordinating hotel accommodations in Seoul for the conference. To learn more and to make reservations, please click here http://www.welfareacademy.org/pubs/international/epckdi/hotel.shtml.

Post-conference publication: Papers from the conference will be considered for publication in the Oxford University Press Series on “Comparative Policy Analysis.” Information about the series is available at: http://www.welfareacademy.org/pubs/international/policy_exchanges/oup.shtml.

Program co-chairs:

Prof. Chin-Seung Chung
KDI School of Public Policy and Management
Chairman, Ministry of Environment Affairs Oversight and Evaluation Committee
Former Vice Minister at the Ministry of Environment, Korea