Ford School program to explore policy, technology nexus

A new program at the University will enable graduates to better affect science and technology policymaking—hot topics for public debate and political action.

The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy will offer a graduate certificate in science, technology and public policy, including courses about how science and technology are influenced by politics and policymaking, through the new Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program.

The graduate certificate was approved by the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan—a forum for the presidents and chancellors of Michigan's 15 public universities for the discussion of higher education finance and policy issues.

Starting in the 2006-2007 academic year, the graduate certificate program will be available to all master's and doctoral students. The program also will sponsor seminars and conferences featuring leading scholars and policymakers involved in science and technology policy issues.

"We believe this certificate program will be a perfect complement to existing educational initiatives at the University," says Rebecca Blank, Ford School dean. "It should help to position the University of Michigan as a leader in science and technology policy matters at both the national and international level."

Former U-M President James Duderstadt, professor of science and engineering, and Shobita Parthasarathy, assistant professor of public policy, will direct the program.

The pervasiveness of science and technology worldwide has had two major implications for policymaking, Parthasarathy says. The results of scientific investigations and the availability of new innovations increasingly have become relevant throughout public policy, even in areas such as crime and immigration. For instance, as policymakers develop strategies to deal with homeland security, they also must determine how to develop and regulate biometric scanning systems that ensure both border security and an individual's civil rights.

The second major implication involves policies shaping scientific and technological development, which affect a variety of areas including the environment, national economic competitiveness, and public health. Government funding for stem cell research, for example, has been controversial in the United States because many people see this field as violating their religious beliefs.

There is only a handful of educational programs at the graduate level in the United States that focus on science and technology policy issues. Duderstadt says the new U-M program will offer a variety of courses to bridge the instructional gap between science, technology and public policy.

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