The Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM) Annual Conference was held in Seattle, Washington, from 13 to 15 November 2025. The conference theme was: “Fostering Collaborations for Transformative and Resilient Policy Solutions”.
Recognising that partnerships are critical for designing, implementing and evaluating public policy, ensuring decisions are well-informed, inclusive and adaptable, the conference explored how collaborative evidence generation and evaluation can refine policies, address unintended consequences and improve coordination across all levels of government for transformative, resilient solutions.
Reflecting STEaPP’s focus on impactful, interdisciplinary research, UCL team delivered presentations on critical public policy issues. Dr Twiringiyimana delivered a panel presentation on “Exploring Rwanda’s Innovation Funding Policy: Key Insights for Kigali Innovation City’s Growth” as part of the session titled “Governing AI: Framing, Adoption and Accountability in the Public Sector”. His presentation sparked discussion on how partnerships and collaborations enable innovation funding, highlighting the role of various actors in influencing innovation in both developed and developing country contexts. The panel also examined the potential for AI in shaping future innovation ecosystem funding, as well as the regulatory and ethical dynamics underpinning this new paradigm.
Mr Ampong presented his first-ever poster on “Examining Factors Influencing Diffusion and Adoption of Technological Innovation in Ghana’s Health Sector”. The poster session provided space for meaningful one-to-one conversations with scholars, practitioners and students.
In addition to these research contributions, UCL team played key roles in co-chairing conference sessions. Dr Twiringiyimana co-chaired the session on “Governing AI: Framing, Adoption and Accountability in the Public Sector”, while Mr Ampong co-chaired a panel on “AI, Innovation Policy and Global Sustainability”. He also served as a discussant for the session “Governance, Digital Inequality, Service Accessibility and Lived Experience”.
Overall, APPAM was a rich experience that enabled Remy and Ampong to present their research, facilitate discussions and engage with scholars from around the world. The conference was not only an opportunity to share their work but also to learn from others, gain insights and foster connections that may lead to future collaborations.
