On September 9-10, the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley and Charles University of Prague, co-sponsored the international conference, “Cash Transfers and Guaranteed Minimum Income Programs: Research, Evaluation and Policy.” The conference was held at Charles University in Prague and brought together scholars and policymakers to discuss critical social welfare policies. SPP Professor Doug Besharov served as co-organizer and co-moderator. The event featured presentations of 33 papers from academics around the world, including from SPP Professor Susan Parker.
Jiri Svarc, head of the Unit of the Social Policies and Child Guarantee Division within the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, delivered the keynote address. The papers were presented across six panels, with topics ranging from cash transfer program evaluations to the role of safety net programs in regions like Latin America, Europe, Mozambique, India and the MENA region.
The event highlighted the School of Public Policy's ongoing commitment to fostering cross-national learning and advancing research on pressing global challenges. By focusing on comparative policy research, the School helps shape domestic and international decision-making in areas like poverty alleviation, welfare reform and labor market policies. The conference served as a platform for policymakers and scholars from around the world to exchange insights and collaborate, ensuring that academic research leads to real-world policy solutions.
The conference featured in-depth discussions on cash transfers and minimum income programs in various regions, including the United States. The event emphasized the importance of learning from diverse international experiences to inform policy choices that can address socioeconomic inequalities effectively.
Papers from the conference will be considered for inclusion in an Oxford University Press volume and a special issue of the American Journal of Evaluation, ensuring that the research contributes to the broader conversation on social policy reforms.
