Friday 29 July 2011

Successful Inaugural IDPP Residency Period Comes to a Close

The Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP)'s first residency period welcoming the incoming student cohort who will earn a Master's of International Affairs in Comparative and International Disability Policy (CIDP) at American University's School of International Service (AU SIS) ended on a high note last Friday, July 29. "This has been a fantastic two weeks," stated Ambassador Luis Gallegos, Chairman of the Global UN Partnership for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies; Chairman of the Global Universal Design Commission; former Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States; and an IDPP adjunct faculty member at AU SIS' International Communication Program, who will teach a fall CIDP course on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. "I have very much enjoyed learning from and with you during this residency period, and I look forward to our journey together," the Ambassador told CIDP students during his closing ceremony address.




The two-week event culminated in policy exercise group presentations by students, who were assigned a case study in the ASEAN region on the second day of the residency and worked over the following two weeks to create policy recommendations. Faculty, IDPP staff, and partner institutions in the room during the presentations were thoroughly impressed by the quality of analytical, methodical, and evaluative work conducted by CIDP students. The residency period has equipped and prepared CIDP students for the world's first virtual Master's program on disability studies and public policy that will begin as the fall semester starts August 29.




The IDPP is grateful for the invaluable contributions of its university and outreach partner institutions, Advisory Board members, faculty and other experts, and the in-person and virtual participation of numerous individuals throughout the residency period who helped make the residency an informative, productive, and enjoyable celebratory event.

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