National MOST School on “Urban Inclusion”

As part of the project “Enhancing Policy research linkage for a state of Knowledge in Lebanon” with Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development, a three-day National MOST School will be organized with the Institute of Social Sciences of the Lebanese University.

A set of round table sessions on Urban Inclusion aims to support the capacity development of young researchers and young professionals in research on emerging development issues and policy approaches, to support inter-university collaboration on policy-oriented research on social transformations and to develop “research for advocacy” and evidence-informed policy recommendation.

Cities are the front liners of these social transformations. It is where a large number of IDPs and refugees seek to find shelter and labor opportunities, in the quest to rebuild their new lives. Urban governance does not only entail the management and provision of basic services, but also concerns the weaving of the sociocultural fabric that promotes the inclusion of diverse communities including the displaced populations. As indicted in SDG 11, cities require the capacity to formulate and implement adapted policies and programmes in order to meet the challenges and ensure the rights of all its residents, including those who are being received.

The MOST School aims to share research methodologies and case studies to understand the complex challenges of Urban inclusion in Lebanon and further identify research questions and policy solutions.

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MOST Schools are capacity-building activities focused on strengthening the competencies for evidence-informed decision-making in Member States. Implemented by, they help develop the capacity of researchers and decision-makers to translate knowledge into action. Their primary goal is to support long-term sustainable development in contexts where capacity gaps may be a major constraint to translating research into action.