2015 Conference

CALL FOR PAPERS

The Fourth Global Conference on Public Policy and Administration in the Middle East

December 5-7, 2015

Hosted by the Department of Public Policy and Administration

American University in Cairo

Cairo, Egypt

The Association for Middle Eastern Public Policy and Administration (AMEPPA) is pleased to announce its Fourth Global Conference on Public Policy and Administration in the Middle East. This conference will convene at the American University of in Cairo on December 5 and 7, 2015 in Cairo, Egypt.

“Strengthening governance to deliver social justice, economic opportunity, and accountability”

Despite long-standing appeals to strengthen governance in the Middle East and the urgent need for reform, recommendations have often been ignored, dismissed as impractical and inappropriate, or poorly implemented. Recent events, however, have reinvigorated discussions about the social justice economic opportunities and accountability. While governments are attempting to address these challenges for social justice and job creations the economic constraints and availability of resources have generated unprecedented impediment for policy-makers and public administrators to meet public demands.

In light of these developments the conference committee welcomes paper and panel proposals that contribute to the ongoing reconsideration of the design and management of governance reforms and job creation throughout the Middle East. Proposals may employ case study designs, quantitative, qualitative or social network methods, comparative analyses, and investigations of best practices. We also encourage papers and panel proposals that focus on topics related to the conference tracks identified below, as well as proposals that highlight the personal experiences of practitioners involved in governance reform activities.

Conference Tracks

Public Policy and Governance

Good Governance: Contemplating contemporary meanings and mechanisms with special focus on budgeting and resources allocation.
Public Policy: Improving decision-making through research and analysis with special focus on the link between policy makers, societal communities and politicians.

Administrative Reform: Towards Citizens-Centered Government

Administrative Development and Reform: Moving beyond questions towards effective action with special focus on over-staffing, corruption and over-staffing and decentralization as a proposed solution.
E-Governance: Cultivating transparency, accountability and citizen participation with special focus on e-government as a citizen-centered government tool.
Corruption and accountability: Diminishing the causes and consequences with special focus on measures and indicators and success stories.

Crisis Management: The Key to Peace and Prosperity in the Region

Crises and Complexity: Designing resilient structures for uncertain environments with special focus on crisis management.
Ethnic Inequality: with special focus on social and economic exclusion and the corresponding effect on the country’s political stability.

Leadership and Empowerment: Better Policies for Better Future

Employment and job creation: Economic empowerment with special focus on link between employment and market needs with current and possible alternative education.
Education and Learning: Preparing tomorrow’s scholars, managers and leaders.

Submission of Proposals

Proposals and papers may be written in either Arabic or English, and must be submitted to Dr. Hamid E. Ali at AMEPPA2015@aucegypt.edu by October 30, 2015. Individual paper proposals should be approximately one page, identify the conference track where the paper should be placed, and include the title of the paper, a description of the paper and underlying research, contact information, and the names and institutional affiliations of the authors.

The organizers particularly welcome panel proposals, which should be no more than three pages in length, identify the title of the panel and the conference track where the panel should be placed, and include the titles and descriptions of the papers, the names and institutional affiliations of the panel convener and authors, and their contact information.

The program committee will give preference to proposals that: 1) relate to one of the conference tracks; 2) relate to one or more Middle Eastern countries; 3) are theoretically and empirically grounded; and 4) relate to contemporary debates within the public policy and administration spheres, broadly defined.

The conference committee will notify authors and panel conveners of their acceptance or rejection by November 10, 2015. Complete papers are to be submitted to the conference committee by November 20. If a complete paper is submitted after the deadline, the conference committee cannot guarantee that it will be included in the conference program or the conference proceedings. If circumstances prevent attendance, the conference committee asks that the author arrange to have the paper delivered by co-author or substitute.

Students and Junior Scholars

The conference committee would like to invite junior scholars and graduate student who are interested in public policy and public administration in the Middle East to submit paper and panel proposals.

Publication Opportunities

Authors will receive the opportunity to have their papers published in the Proceedings of the Fourth Global Conference on Public Policy and Administration in the Middle East, which will be organized by AMEPPA. Authors may also be invited to submit their papers in a peer reviewed journal the Middle East Review of Public Administration.

Registration Fees and Expenses

The conference registration is free. Conference participants are responsible, however, for organizing their own travel arrangements, and for covering the costs and expenses associated with such travel arrangements, including but not limited to: accommodations, meals, visa arrangements, communication and transportation.

Additional Information

Additional information about the conference, venue and accommodations will be posted on the AMEPPA website: http://www.ameppa.org.

Questions about the conference may be directed via email to president@ameppa.org.