GAPP Programs First to Receive Triple-Crown Accreditation
By: Mariam Mazhar
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AUC’s School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) received its third accreditation from the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation (EAPAA) making its programs, the Master of Public Administration and Master of Public Policy, the first two to be triple-crowned globally in the field.
The programs are now accredited from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the International Commision on the Accreditation of Public Administration Education and Training (ICAPA) and EAPPA.
“The triple crown will raise our profile among public administration and public policy programs regionally and internationally. We will be recognized as among the top internationally,” Dean of Global Affairs and Public Policy Nabil Fahmy told The Caravan.
Fahmy said that the triple-crown will not only attract better faculty and students to the programs, but will also open doors for current students to find better opportunities when pursuing higher studies and provide them with better employment opportunities after graduation.
“By achieving this accreditation, we have taken upon ourselves a responsibility to remain at that level, so it is a standard that we are very proud of but also a tough one to keep,” he added.
Receiving this accreditation also benefits the school in providing strong and beneficial feedback to the department regarding the syllabi, facilities and students for even further improvements.
“Each accreditation has its own unique standards, which a program needs to fulfil. You have to prepare a self-study report which requires between one and two years,” said associate professor and Chair of Public Policy and Administration Department (PPAD) Shahjahan Bhuiyan.
Bhuiyan told The Caravan that it is a very lengthy process that includes a site visit, back-and-forth reports and feedback from both sides.
“Education needs continuous improvements. We are very proud of going through the process in which well-known academics and practitioners review the process and give you objective feedback. Even if you meet all the standards there is still room for further improvements,” he added.
The accreditations were also appreciated by students, having built up their confidence in the quality of education they are getting at AUC.
Lamis Morsy, a graduate student in GAPP, said “When I thought of doing my masters, I applied for top universities in the UK and I was upset I ended up in AUC. But, with one accreditation coming after the other, I feel pride in being a GAPP graduate.”
Morsy also said that being enrolled in the MPA program allowed her to learn from top professors and practitioners in the field.
“Being a GAPP graduate had a great contribution in attaining my current position as Portfolio Professional in GIZ,” she said.
Morsy’s professors helped her write a distinguished thesis that will help her in enrolling into a top PhD program.
GAPP was established eight years ago and has three graduate programs. Last year the school introduced a minor program for undergraduate students and it hopes to expand even further.
“We are expecting that among the next few years we will make [an] undergraduate program of public policy and public administration,” Bhuiyan said.
