Kendra Brumfield and John Wambui, doctoral students in the urban affairs and public policy program in the University of Delaware’s School of Public Policy and Administration, have been invited to participate in the American Society for Public Administration’s International Young Scholars Workshop. 

The workshop is hosted by a different country every year and this year’s meeting will take place in Cape Town, South Africa. Previous International Young Scholars Workshops have been held in Xiamen and Beijing, China, and in Mexico City, Mexico. 

Brumfield and Wambui are among a group of 23 invited participants that includes doctoral students and early-service professors. The 2016 cohort of young scholars are representing institutions including Rutgers University, Indiana University, Bloomington, and the University of Georgia. 

Both Brumfield and Wambui have specific research interests in African policy and administration. Brumfield will be presenting research that explores youth development initiatives in Dakar, Senegal. Wambui’s research for the workshop examines ways to use a strengths-based approach to researching modern urban slums in Africa. 

This intensive four-day workshop – which will take place July 20-23 – was modeled after conferences held at the Ronald Coase Institute. Participants under this model present their research twice, each time receiving feedback from senior scholars on potential areas of improvement. Using this feedback, young scholars improve their papers through an iterative process of oral presentations. 

This workshop style enables the young scholars to participate in an academically rigorous platform for the presentation and evaluation of their research, scholarly exchange and social networking. 

The theme for the 2016 International Young Scholars Workshop is advancing the understanding of global disparities in public policy, public administration, nongovernmental organizations and the communities they serve. Given the political and social changes in the last 20 years, Cape Town offers a rich context to discuss research concerned with equity and disparities.