Workshop on Game Theory and Collaborative Governance with Professor Stephen Greenwood

The University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) held a three-day workshop at room B1-1001 from March 11, 2024, to March 14, 2024. These workshops were part of a collaboration between the College of Economics, Law and Government (CELG) and Professor Stephen Greenwood from the National Policy Consensus Center (NPCC) at the University of Portland (UP). The purposes of this partnership are to explore and discuss the principles of collaborative governance, dispute resolution, game theory, and how they can be applied to the process of making public policy decisions.

Professor Stephen Greenwood holds the position of Director of Oregon Solutions at the National Policy Consensus Center (NPCC) at the University of Portland. With more than two decades of experience, his job is to help organizations in the United States and abroad find ways to work together effectively on environmental public policy issues. “NPCC has been regarded as a leader for many years,” was proudly shared by Professor Stephen Greenwood in the workshop on March 14, 2024.

These workshops were taught by Professor Stephen Greenwood and coordinated by Doctor Le Vinh Trien. Many academics, researchers, and students from UEH and other institutions attended. The Rector of the UEH College of Economics, Law and Government (UEH - CELG), Associate Professor Pham Khanh Nam, together with Doctor Le Vinh Trien, Doctor Nguyen Van Du, and Doctor Do Kien Trung were present at several workshops to discuss these topics and participated in several activities.

Topics discussed in these extensive workshops include:

How collective action differs from conflict resolution and public engagement
Steps in the collaborative governance process
The concept of convening and its significance
Determine who needs to be at the table
The significance of trust in collaborative governance
Types of collaboration and how they reduce disagreement and conflict.

The first workshop on March 11, 2024, focused on the concept of “Collaborative Principles on Resolving Issues”. Professor Stephen Greenwood started the workshop with an enjoyable exercise outside of the conference room. Among the 20 participants, Professor Stephen Greenwood requested volunteers be divided into two groups and played a game of “keo co.” The goal of this game was to introduce the general idea of how collaboration would generate a better result with a “win-win mindset”. Professor Stephen Greenwood also described the role of trust in collaborative relationships and compared it to social capital that fosters future cooperation. He used the cases of Lower Columbia Sands and Vietnam Traffic to illustrate the applicability of collaborative principles in actual public policy decision-making.

The participants engaged in the “keo co” game at the beginning of the first workshop

Professor Steve Greenwood introduced the topic of “Game theory” in the second workshop on March 13, 2024. He demonstrated an overview of game theory as the foundation for collaborative governance, as well as explaining several sorts of serious games that belong to game theory, such as the Prisoner’s Dilemma, Common Pot, Ultimatum, and the Trust game. This workshop highlighted the value of collaboration when dealing with differing objectives. Professor Steve Greenwood invited participants to play a Prisoner’s Dilemma exercise to become familiar with this idea, where Associate Professor Pham Khanh Nam and Doctor Do Kien Trung also joined. The results of the exercise showed that when people interacted with each other in a collaborative manner, instead of acting in one’s own interest, optimal outcomes would be achieved. Professor Steve Greenwood emphasized that trust can help administrators agree to one solution without conflicts.

An overview of the workshop on March 13, 2024

Prof. Steve Greenwood introduced the concept of Game Theory

“How collaborative governance can make programs and projects more successful?” was the topic of the final workshop on March 14, 2024. Professor Steve Greenwood went into greater detail of how practicing collaboration will improve governance and help in the creation of better, faster, and more cost-effective projects and programs. He provided practical steps on how collaborative actions can be carried out using his analysis of a project called “Levee Ready Columbia” that was under the responsibility of a group of government, NGOs, and citizen representatives. Doctor Le Vinh Trien added on by sharing his viewpoints on how using this approach can strengthen decision making on important projects. The highlight of this session was the “puzzle game” Professor Stephen Greenwood assigned participants to play in groups of four. The game’s outcome demonstrated that “contribution” when combined with “collaboration”, will boost teamwork’s efficacy.

Dr. Nguyen Van Du gave a present from the University of Economics to Prof. Stephen Greenwood on March 14, 2024

A moment of gift exchange between Doctor Nguyen Van Du and Professor Stephen Greenwood marked a successful cooperation and a solid relationship between the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) and the University of Portland in the United States. The University of Economics of Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) always aspires to enhance high quality educational experiences for professors, researchers and students by fostering domestic and international academic collaborations.

News, photos: UEH College of Economics, Law and Government, Department of Marketing - Communication