We’re pleased to announce that the 6th GRIPS Student Conference will be held on Tuesday 5 September 2017 and seek your participation in it.

The hope for a better world paved the way for the adoption of the millennium development goals (MDGs) in 2000 under which much progress has been made. The MDGs were set to expire in 2015 and to further the universal goals of ending poverty, achieving peace and stability, and protecting our planet, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015.

In spite of the impressive progress recorded over the past decades at the aggregate levels, the MDGs and the SDGs have not been without formidable challenges. Economic growth remains fragile for the most part of the developing world. Across many countries, elite consensus about the benefits of globalisation is being questioned by a new populism as global inequality widens. Terrorism, rising nationalism and instability point to a period of new security challenges. What is more, the marauding effects of climate change amidst US’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement coupled with its incipient UN-scepticism portend far-reaching implications for the 2030 Agenda. The foregoing darts new policy challenges to policy makers. Where do we go from here?

This sets the stage for an intriguing conference, which will centre on the theme “Public Policy and the 2030 Agenda: The Way Forward.” The conference will cover a wide range of topics, from international relations, security and development to domestic policy and economics.

Conference Objectives
The conference brings together a diverse group of students, researchers, and professionals from various disciplines and backgrounds to share ideas and research findings on the political, social, and economic challenges facing the world today and to discuss how these challenges can be addressed. We have three goals: to promote a scholarly exchange of ideas, to set new research directions, and to encourage rigorous inter-disciplinary research and collaboration.

Participating in the Conference - Call for Presenters
The conference is open to all GRIPS and non-GRIPS students, researchers, and professionals. Participation is free of charge. A Certificate of Presentation will be awarded to all presenters.

We invite both empirical and conceptual papers on any policy issue that is relevant to the conference theme of volatility. Below are some broad areas in which we invite presentations.

Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Domestic policy (including social policy, environment policy, infrastructure, disaster management)
Development economics and studies
International relations (including climate change)
Security studies

Presenters will have around 25 minutes to present and answer questions. The official language of the conference is English.

Registration and Abstract Submission Guidelines
If you would like to present a paper at the 6th GRIPS Student Conference, please pre-register online (http://bit.ly/2uguxkr) or send an email to studentconference@grips.ac.jp by Friday 4 August 2017 with your tentative presentation title. An abstract of 200-300 words should then be submitted online (http://bit.ly/2tQf1uv) by Friday 11 August 2017. All abstracts must include a title, author(s)’ name(s), affiliation, and e-mail, and 3-5 keywords. The abstract should describe the theme of the paper and the theory and research method used, and give a summary of the main conclusions. Authors whose abstracts have been accepted will be notified by e-mail by Friday 18 August 2017. Presenters whose papers have been accepted should send their presentation slides to the Conference Committee by e-mail no later than Friday 25 August 2017.

Deadlines
Preregistration (including title) via this form (http://bit.ly/2uguxkr, Friday, 4 August, 2017
Submission of abstracts for review via this form (http://bit.ly/2tQf1uv), Friday, 11 August, 2017
Authors are notified of their status, Friday, 18 August, 2016
Submission of presentation slides, Friday, 25 August, 2016

Correspondence
Inquiries can be e-mailed to studentconference@grips.ac.jp.

Please check further info and latest updates at the Student Conference website:
http://www.grips.ac.jp/en/education/summer-program/6th_student_conference/

The 6th GRIPS Student Conference Organising Committee
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)
7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku | Tokyo 106-8677 | Japan
Tel 81 (0)3 6439 6047 | Fax 81 (0)3 6439 6070
Email StudentConference@grips.ac.jp
Web http://www.grips.ac.jp/en/education/summer-program/6th_student_conference/