International Summer School on Public Policy - Yaounde Edition

The International Summer School on Public Policy - Yaoundé 2019” was co-organised by IPPA, the CAFRAD (Centre Africain de Formation et de Recherche Administrative pour le Développement) and the International Relations Institute of Cameroon (IRIC), the Summer School was held in Yaoundé and Kribi from April 22-27, 2019. It was IPPA’s first summer school organized in the African continent, and it concluded with huge success!

The main objective of the summer school was to provide advice and knowledge on theories, concepts, and methodologies to analyze Public Policy to PhD students and early career researchers. The Summer School brought together 22 PhD students and young scholars from countries like France, Canada, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The courses were held both in French and English, for all participants to have a great learning experience.

For this edition, Professors Philippe Zittoun (University of Lyon) and Anna Durnová (IHS-Vienna - Institute of Sociological Studies - Prague) shared their insights with the participants, providing them feedback on their research projects during the lectures and workshops. It was also an opportunity for students to exchange views with their peers from other parts of the world, find common research points to build important networks, and discover the local culture.

The school program included courses and lectures in the morning and workshops in the afternoon. The participants had the choice to attend courses and workshops either in French or English. All lectures, courses, and workshops were given by International scholars, such as:

Courses taught in English by Professor Guy Peters and Anna Durnova

Courses taught in French by Professor Philippe Zittoun and Stéphane Monney Mouandjo

Each participant had the opportunity to follow:

Four 1-hour lectures in English, on different approaches, concepts, and theories to study and analyze public policy.

Four 2-hours courses in English or French by international scholars on a specific issue. Participants were split into groups of 10-15 students with a dedicated teacher throughout the week. Each student could choose the course of their choice.

Four 3-hours workshops in English or French with a small group of 10 to 15 students to discuss participant’s research projects or research papers. Each student project was discussed for 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Besides, the summer school provided the opportunity to the participant to expand their professional network, discuss their projects and works with other students as well as professors in a friendly environment. This was reflected in the participants' review of the summer school as one participant stated:

"The networking aspect of the event was awesome. The atmosphere was simply relaxed, informal...Bridging the gap between lecturers and participants was very conducive and productive in the learning process"