The COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps like no other major event in recent memory, has exposed the synergies as well as the tensions between science and policy. At the start of the pandemic, governments immediately turned to scientists for the data, knowledge, and technology necessary to fight the new virus. Science provided increasing … [Read more...] about Science Meets Policy in the Pandemic Response
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Soft Skills Are, in Fact, Hard Skills
By Pablo Bachelet* I have two sons. One majored in history. The other graduated with a degree in Spanish and French literature. Despite my urgings – or maybe because of them – neither opted to study something scientific or mathematical, the so-called STEM fields that underpin modern economies. Should I worry? Every parent wants their child to be happy doing what they like. … [Read more...] about Soft Skills Are, in Fact, Hard Skills
Wielding the Scientific Method For a More Skilled Population
From the 554-foot high Washington Monument down Constitution Avenue towards the United States Congress in Washington, D.C., they marched by the thousands: physicists, biologists, chemists, zoologists, economists, and scientists from virtually every other discipline. The first ever March for Science April 22, along with its teach-ins, and its companion events in hundreds of … [Read more...] about Wielding the Scientific Method For a More Skilled Population
Why Are Latin Americans Happier than Their GDP Would Suggest?
Money can’t buy happiness, or at least that’s what many Latin Americans may say. The latest World Happiness Report has shown once again that the region has higher levels of wellbeing than its GDP would predict, and some Latin American countries have a higher happiness index than developed nations from Western Europe. What is it about the region that makes its citizens happy? … [Read more...] about Why Are Latin Americans Happier than Their GDP Would Suggest?
Coordination: Key to the Success of Public Policies
One of the most complicated areas of the political economy of public policy in Latin America is related to the difficulties of coordination. While many policies can be carried out by a ministry or public agency without the need to coordinate with other ministries and agencies, the success of policies in other cases depends on cooperation and coordination. And, unfortunately, … [Read more...] about Coordination: Key to the Success of Public Policies