AUC Hosts NASPAA-Batten Student Simulation Competition

AUC's Public Policy and Administration Department (PPAD) has been selected as one of 16 global host sites (11 in the United States and five international sites) for the 2018 NASPAA-Batten Student Simulation Competition, scheduled to take place on February 24 at AUC New Cairo. Ten AUC students ofthe School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) will be participating in the competition.

The topic for this year’s competition is Pandemic Crisis Management and Global Health Security, focusing on the roles MPA and MPP graduates would have to play in the event of a pandemic outbreak of a deadly infectious disease. The competition will be conducted by NASPAA and organized by the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. 

This is the first time NASPAA is holding this competition in the Middle East North Africa region. Thirty students have registered to participate in the competition. Apart from AUC, the other participating academic institutions are the American University of Beirut, Al Quds University, the Birzeit University, the Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government, the North South University, the Mohammed V University and the National Law School of India University.

Expressing his satisfaction, GAPP Founding Dean and Professor of Practice Nabil Fahmy '74, '77 noted, “I am very pleased with the opportunity to organize the competition here at AUC” and “the simulation-based learning will improve their understanding and critical thinking skills of the future leaders to solve complex policy problems in their professional career.” Echoing Dean Fahmy, Shahjahan Bhuiyan, chair of the Department of PPAD, underscored the importance of simulation-based experiential learning, which prepares the next generation of policy makers with a clear comprehension of the challenges between the theory and real life situation in the realm of confrontational political landscape.            

In addition, there will be a workshop on February 25 for faculty members to learn about integrating various experiential learning opportunities into their own classrooms. This discussion will be followed by a conversation with NASPAA staff and former commission members on program management challenges in an international context. Apart from AUC, a diverse group of faculty are attending the workshop and they are from AUB, the Al Quds University, the American University of Afghanistan, Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Government (United Arab Emirates), the North South University (Bangladesh), the University of Dhaka (Bangladesh), the National Law School of India University (India), the Mohammed V University (Morocco) and the University of Minnesota (U.S.).