Post
Published on 8 February 2023

On January 25, Dr. Jean-Jacques Rousseau used his broad experiences in government in Canada and abroad to comment on instances when scientific and technical advice fails to have a positive influence on public policy: "Science is necessary but not sufficient for positive public policy impacts". For him, the winning combination is science and a deep understanding of the context in which policies are deployed. Therefore, the onus is on experts to close the gap between technical solutions and the audiences that will be subject to their effects.
To illustrate the point, Dr. Rousseau introduced the distinction between quantitative and qualitative majorities by Haitian Canadian economist Fred Doura. The target of a policy cannot be assessed simply by counting. This is the weighing problem. He specified, "what is acceptable is a matter of divergent opinion. Whereas scientists rely of reproducible experiments, policy makers depend on stakeholder engagement". Technical experts that want to influence policy makers must also engage with that thinking. The talk ended with reflections on how his time as advisor in Haiti helped improve his ability to understand policy impacts in Canada.
Watch the seminar presentation below:
Themes | Global Health & Humanitarianism, Global Health Foresighting |
Status | Active |
Related Work |
N/A
|
Updates |
N/A
|
People |
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Network Manager, AI for Pandemic and Epidemic Preparedness
|
You may also be interested in...
Film Screening and Panel Discussion – In Search of a Better World with Payam Akhavan
On June 17, Massey College will screen the film In Search of a Better World at a special event as the film is launched on CBC Gem. The screening will begin at 7 p.m., followed ...Read more about this Post
Don't Miss Our Winter 2023 Lineup of Events
Join us for a winter semester packed with insightful seminars from inspiring global health researchers at the Dahdaleh Institute: How to Influence Public Policy...What Happens When You Leave the Room? with Jean-Jacques RousseauGlobal Environmental Changes, ...Read more about this Post
Denis Mukwege spurs grads to endeavour for peace
Dr. Denis Mukwege, renowned obstetrician/gynecologist, Nobel Prize laureate and recipient of an honorary Doctorate of Laws from York University, called on Faculty of Health graduands to use their talent to fight injustice and care for ...Read more about this Post