JCPA & ICPA-Forum Newsletter and Tribute to Leslie Pal

JCPA & ICPA-Forum Newsletter | December 2020

A Tribute to Executive Editor

Professor Leslie A. Pal

Message from Professor Leslie Pal, Executive Editor of JPCA

After almost six years of serving as Executive Editor and Special Issues Editor for the Journal, I will be stepping down at the end of this month. I want to thank all the friends and colleagues over these years who stepped up in various capacities as lead editors, reviewers, and advisors and gave so much of their time and expertise. The Journal continued from strength to strength over these years, less because of my efforts, and mostly because of theirs. Academic journals are labours of love (some good deal of sweat and tears as well), and rely almost entirely on the support and hard work of the scholarly communities they serve. So thanks to you all, and to Iris for her leadership and vision. I know that the editorial team going forward will be even stronger, so expect an even better Journal in the coming years!

Professor Leslie A. Pal

Founding Dean, College of Public Policy

Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar

Watch: Special Interview with Leslie Pal

Message From The President and Editor-in-Chief

Life in general, and professional life specifically, rarely offer the gift of an extraordinary colleague and friend. Leslie Pal, who first served as JCPA Special Issues Editor, and then took on also the Executive Editorship role, is such a person. Dear Les, you significantly contributed to JCPA’s steady increase in quality and standing over the last six years, (by 80% in 2019 alone! to 1.98). You have always been a reliable editorial partner on whose feedback and support I could rely. You were a fair, insightful advisor to authors and reviewers. The JCPA Editorial team and ICPA Society are thankful for the experience of working with you. At the threshold of your starting a new chapter we wish you all success and happiness. This is not goodbye, but a thank you note at this junction. So: À Bientôt, Mon Ami.

Professor Iris Geva-May and the JCPA & ICPA-Forum Scholarly Society Team

Best Wishes from the JCPA Team!

"It has been a delight to work with Les on the Journal over the past several years. He contributed in so many ways -- from improving quality and coverage of articles and enhancing peer review practices. He was a valuable member

of the editorial team and will be missed!"

Prof. Michael Howlett, JCPA Co-Editor, Simon Fraser University

“Over the years working together I have appreciated his professionalism to manage the editorial board in a swift and gentle manner. I also praise his work on disseminating scholarship on policy diffusion and international affairs, which is essentially about comparative studies. Farewell Les! I wish you all the best in your next endeavor and I am sure we will be in touch.”

Professor Guillaume Fontaine, JCPA Associate Editor, Departamento de Asuntos Públicos, FLACSO Ecuador

“Working as a guest editor with Les on the Special Issue “Politicization, Depoliticization and Policy Change: A Comparative Theoretical Perspective on Agri-food Policy” was a great pleasure and privilege. His participation in the workshop helped to tie the group together as well as to establish a clear analytical focus. He provided us guidance without pushing us in a certain direction and was generous in offering helpful comments and suggestions.”

Professor Jale Tosun, JCPA Special Issues Editor, Institute for Political Science, University of Heidelberg

“It was with great pleasure that I got to work with Les for many years on the JCPA. We made a wonderful tag-team organizing special issues when he was the SI editor and then general issue papers, when he became Executive Editor. Whether he was in Doha, Toronto, Singapore, or New York, he always had time for me. He was simply one of the best that I had the honour to work with.”

Diana Walker, JCPA Editorial Manager, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver

“Professor Pal has always been a pleasure to work with and helped steer the JPCA to a very successful anniversary year in 2018 and the expansion to six issues in 2020. Thanks Les, and good luck!”

Huw Price, Editorial Lead, Routledge/Taylor & Francis, Oxford

“Since our first meeting to discuss the responsibilities of my role he has always been prompt and supportive in his responses to my queries. I feel privileged to have worked with Leslie this past year.”

Luyao Ma, JCPA Editorial Assistant and PhD student, Tsinghua University, Beijing