HPAR Blog

Welcome back to the Humphrey Public Affairs Review blog! After taking the past few months off to reorient ourselves with Zoom classes, digital meetings, and online happy hours, it is safe to say we are virtual experts (even if we forget about the mute button occasionally). As some people have noticed, the world is a bit messy. Chaotic, definitely not normal. The opportunity to have conversations between classes or from coincidental run-ins is no longer possible, yet everyone still has ideas that need to be said. HPAR is the platform for you to share your perspective on topical issues in a less formal setting.

COVID-19 is altering everything we’ve understood as standard and requires innovative research and analysis considering the current state of society. There is a steady stream of new perspectives and interpretations of current affairs, and it can be challenging to keep track of everything. We encourage students, staff, faculty, and alumni from the Humphrey School to offer their informed opinion writing on pertinent public affairs topics. This includes op-eds from other publications that can be cross-published on the HPAR blog.

The Humphrey community is composed of diverse people with a myriad of creative, out of the box ideas. Conventional academic writing norms are essential, however, we believe that other modes of communication are just as impactful. Our goal is to facilitate collaboration across Humphrey program areas and build connections between the Humphrey school and the broader community in which it is situated. Sharing ideas, especially complex ones, isn’t an easy job. This is why we think the blog is such an essential and relevant medium. It allows authors to communicate policy theory and concepts in an accessible and practical way. Visuals, videos, interviews, and any other ideas are welcome and encouraged.

Submission Guidelines

We don’t have many rules at HPAR, but we do ask:

• The first rule about HPAR is that you do talk about HPAR

• The second rule about HPAR is that you do talk about HPAR

• Written pieces at or below 750 words

• The central purpose is policy-related

Everyone can and should submit to the HPAR blog because your voice matters, even outside of the Humphrey school. Public policy requires input from everyone and consideration of all fields that will help shape future policy. Utilize collaboration and submit pieces as a team if that’s the preferred option. This blog is an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to share their experiences and ideas informally with the Humphrey community. If you are interested in submitting, please reach out to hpar@umn.edu. We can’t wait to learn what you have to teach us!

Best,

Joe Rutkiewicz, Evan Davis, Kyle Malone, & Eric Ryu