The UNC School of Government and the New York City-based Volcker Alliance have partnered on the Government-to-University (G2U) Initiative, which focuses on building connections between government and universities to strengthen alignment on recruitment, skills development, and research.

In the coming months, the Alliance will conduct two-day roundtables in four cities to identify replicable best practices, initiate local cross-sector projects, and build a network of leaders committed to bringing the two sectors closer together. 

“An effective government relies on great people and smart management practices. The G2U initiative seeks to build a strong community of practice to strengthen the pipeline of skilled talent into government and ensure that public policies and programs are helping inform and are improved by rigorous scholarly analysis,” said Thomas W. Ross, president of the Volcker Alliance.

The first of these design sessions is in Pittsburgh at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy on October 16 and 17. Core partners for future sessions include the UNC School of Government, University of Kansas School of Public Affairs and Administration, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), The University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The Lab at OPM, and Federal Executive Boards.

The upcoming G2U design session dates and locations are:

•          October 16-17 – Pittsburgh, PA

•          October 24-25 – Chapel Hill, NC

•          November 14-15 – Kansas City, MO

•          December 5-6 – Austin, TX

Participants in the roundtable sessions will include university administrators, faculty, students, recent graduates, program and hiring managers from all levels of government, good government allies, and subject matter experts.

“These design sessions emphasize the importance of continued collaboration between universities and government and sustaining these local partnerships over time,” said Dustin Brown, senior fellow at the Volcker Alliance. “Our goal is that by convening this diverse set of stakeholders we will help increase the flow of talent into government and generate impactful research that is mutually beneficial and supports overall government effectiveness.”

For more information on the G2U initiative including a newly released Volcker Alliance report, Preparing for Tomorrow’s Public Service, please visit www.volckeralliance.org.