BIG IDEAS Series

Policymaking for Sustainable Development in a Multiplex World

On 25 October 2022, UNU will host a BIG IDEAS Dialogue with Dr Philippe De Lombaerde, Director of UNU-CRIS.

Time
- Asia/Tokyo

The succession of crises that we have witnessed over recent years — from recessions and climate change, to refugees, COVID-19, and energy — has underlined the importance of having well-designed and effective public policies for securing the lives of citizens and their environments.

This set of public policies is vital for addressing crisis situations, as well as for making progress towards the SDGs. While much of the discussion on public policies is about the desired direction and speed of such policies, it is important to understand that today’s policymaking takes place in a ‘multiplex world’.

This ‘multiplex’ concept refers to a high degree of interdependence, multiple and transnational actors, and a multi-level governance architecture. The direction of public policies is as important as the level at which they are implemented and the external effects they generate. This is the point of departure of the work undertaken at UNU-CRIS in Bruges, where there is a specific interest in the role of supra- and sub-national regions in a multi-level governance context.

Dr De Lombaerde will join UNU Senior Vice-Rector Sawako Shirahase to discuss the role UNU-CRIS plays within UNU, how the institute is organised, what its current priorities are, and how scholars from Japan and beyond can engage with the institute.

Please note this event will be in English; Japanese interpretation will not be provided. Advance registration by 24 October is required. Registrants will receive an email on the day of the event with a link to attend via Zoom webinar. 

About the speaker

Dr Philippe De Lombaerde has been the Director of UNU-CRIS since January 2022. He is also Associate Professor of International Economics at Neoma Business School (Reims – Rouen – Paris) (on leave), an appointment he has held since January 2016. Previously, he has worked for UNU-CRIS, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (Bogotá), University of Antwerp, and the National Institute of Development Administration (Bangkok), among other appointments.

Dr De Lombaerde (PhD, RWTH) studied economics, econometrics, and political science at the universities of Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp and Aachen. He has co-authored and co-edited several books, including The Political Economy of New Regionalisms in the Pacific Rim (Routledge, London-New York, 2019), and he is the author of numerous journal articles and reports. His publications are available at: Visit his ResearchGate profile for a full list of publications.

About the series

The BIG IDEAS: SDGs Dialogue Series introduces the people, projects, and organisations behind shared efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Each event features leading representatives and researchers from international organisations, UN agencies, and UNU institutes to stimulate discussion on sustainable development issues and initiatives. The events provide a unique opportunity for young researchers, graduate students, and civil society to become more familiar with SDG-related topics, ask questions, and learn how they can contribute to local and global SDG progress.