Concept

The International Congress on Public Policy - POLIPUB has become an innovative advanced training experience focused on the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policies. It is a public space for the debate of works developed within the scope of Stricto Sensu, submitted and approved by the Scientific Committee, in a systematic format, with the aim of scientific dissemination.

With this event, the Programme has an opportunity to promote technological exchange in the construction of knowledge with full adherence and integration with its lines of research. In addition to providing the public with samples of its internal scientific production, it also welcomes the production of similar programmes, attracting authors from other partner research centres that have similarities and potential for joint work, forming a network of programmes that are capable of interconnecting reciprocally.

The chosen topics are fully interrelated and relate to the Programme's Lines of Research, with the aim of seeking and proposing solutions to real problems that can contribute to the conceptual and instrumental renewal of public policies, both nationally and internationally, enabling a meeting of experts on central and micro topics to converge and transform into vectors for the desired debates. It is hoped that the topics listed will respond to the interconnections of interests of the researchers carrying out their research projects, while being fully in sync with social demands.

From a learning perspective, the organisers, supported by their advisors and the Organising Committee, familiarise themselves with the technology necessary to hold an interdisciplinary, interinstitutional and international scientific meeting.

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About the Theme

The theme of the 8th Edition of the Congress for the year 2025 seeks to respond to and complement the requirements of one of its pillars: economic, political, social and environmental - DEMOCRACIES AT RISK BETWEEN THE REAL AND THE VIRTUAL: ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVES.

The theme suggests a critical analysis of the transformations that democracies are facing in the face of the increasing digitisation of life and global challenges. It seeks to encompass the context of the crisis of contemporary democracies, caused mainly by the rise of the virtual world and its impact on politics, the economy, the environment and society.

In this sense, the objective of discussing the theme is to analyse how democracies are being strained by economic, political, social and environmental factors in the context of digitalisation, with a view to highlighting critical aspects that may serve as food for thought or solutions for public governance.

In this context, we have the real and the virtual as a new democratic or non-democratic arena or space, the digitisation of politics and its dissolution by social networks, and the phenomenon of fake news and information bubbles as a threat.

About the theme of the 8th Edition of the Congress for the year 

The discussion on digital citizenship involving online political participation or non-participation, digital activism and digital exclusion. Governance under the auspices of algorithms, the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and big data in public administration and governance, and their risks to transparency and equity.

In economic and political issues, digital inequalities such as unequal access to technology and the internet, the data economy, taxation, the concentration of power in large digital platforms, work and automation, the impacts of AI and robotisation on employment and labour rights.

In terms of social issues, discuss polarisation and misinformation. In this sense, how the virtual environment affects public debate, privacy and surveillance, the erosion of civil rights in the digital environment, education and inclusion, the right to health and housing, and the challenges of educating citizens to be critical and prepared for the digital world.

For environmental issues, the ecological orientation of digital technology, the energy consumption of data centres, and cryptocurrency mining. The use of technology in favour of sustainability, the use of AI and sensors for environmental monitoring, climate and digital justice, and how social and digital inequalities intersect with environmental impacts.

Within this spectrum, discussing and seeking paths towards a future that sets limits for the regulation of digital platforms: algorithmic transparency and combating misinformation. Critical digital education, to train conscious and participatory citizens, and an environmental and digital democracy that allows for the integration of public policies that consider the four axes (economic, political, social, and environmental).

Thus, the VIII POLIPUB, in its dialogues and connections between law, governance, and public policy, is vital for building an environment conducive to sustainable development. The dialogue between these four pillars enables the creation of institutional synergy that ensures that laws are properly implemented, public policies are effective, and governance is transparent and inclusive.

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Specific Objectives

 

1. Analyse the economic impacts of digitalisation on contemporary democracies, focusing on the concentration of power in large technological platforms, the precariousness of work, and inequalities in access to the digital economy.

2. Investigate the social effects of the virtualisation of public life, including political polarisation, the spread of misinformation, digital exclusion, and challenges to citizen participation in virtual environments.

3. Assess the environmental implications of technological and digital advances, considering both negative impacts (such as the energy consumption of data centres and cryptocurrency mining) and opportunities for sustainability and digital environmental governance.

4. Continuously train researchers to become familiar with the rituals of scientific dissemination.

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Be a global citizen at our POLIPUB, participate in the VIII International Congress on Public Policy!