Contest to master the art of policy development

BRAC University Economics Club (BUEC) and Department of Economics and Social Sciences are all set to host a nationwide inter-university urban policy contest, EconPodium 1.0. The primary objective of BRAC University Economics Club (BUEC) in introducing this competition is to establish an arena where young individuals will get the opportunity to unleash their analytical skills beyond the traditional classroom lectures and textbook knowledge. Through this event, organising committee of BUEC endeavours to set the stage for a series of prestigious policy challenges which will act as a platform for young minds to add value to their student life experiences. Participants will also be assessed on their ability to apply their knowledge and critical thinking power in practical scenarios, which have been set to the theme of the existing housing crisis in the urban housing sector of Dhaka- a phenomenon which due to its multi-faceted and all-encompassing nature is likely to engage youth perspectives in policy dialogue from various dimensions. Keeping in mind the existing issues plaguing the housing market, participants will design policy solutions that will provide a breakthrough in improving conditions that led to the urban housing crisis in Dhaka.

The competition format

BUEC conducted roadshows in various universities to give the interested participants a better idea of the competition and its format. The registration for the competition ended on February 28, 2018. After filling in the necessary details outlining the registration procedures, the applicants were given access to three questions, out of which they had to attempt to address only one which is to be submitted online by March 02, 2018.

For the advantage of the selected groups and individual participants the competition has been designed to hold two rounds of workshops. In first workshop, they will be given a brief about the whole scenario of the competition as well as guidelines highlighting what sort of substance they are expected to incorporate into their presentation to go to the following round. Moreover, the workshops will offer the contestants the chance to interact, learn and enlighten themselves on the dynamics of policy-making. Top fifteen teams (screened on the quality of the answers submitted online) will be selected for Round 2 (the names for which will be announced on March 06). In Round 2, the qualified teams will be required to deliver a presentation focusing on the topic provided in the workshop conducted prior to the round. In the finale, participants are going to be tested based on a presentation of the case assigned to them during the course of the second workshop (to be held following Round 2) where they are also to be edified to lead empirical analysis to make their ideas more feasible.

The winning team will be taking prize money of Tk 100,000 and the first and second runners-up will be awarded with Tk 60,000 and Tk 30,000 respectively. Renowned individuals from both academia and the development sector will comprise of the judging panel in the final two rounds of this competition which will take place on March 16 and 23, 2018 respectively. The opening ceremony and Round 2 of the event will be held in BRAC Inn and the grand finale will take place at Gardenia Grand Hall.

About BUEC

BUEC established in 2014 has built a reputation for organising quality seminars, workshops and public lectures in a bid to nurture excellence in young and upcoming economists by fostering their interests and ideas. Some of its most notable events include a panel discussion of national budget for 2017-2018 and the public lecture series both of which have been graced by distinguished individuals.

In order to obtain more information and updates about the competition, readers may visit the event website www.econpodium.com or the Facebook page named "EconPodium | 1.0 - An Inter-University Urban Policy Challenge".

The writers are currently studying at BRAC University; Mehnaz Tabassum Khaleel, [email protected] and Maisunath Maliha, [email protected]