From 12 to 16 October 2026, the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) held its Annual Conference in Athens, hosted by EKDDA, the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government. Under the theme “Rethinking Governance for a Changing World”, the conference gathered 400 delegates from 57 countries and marked the 65th anniversary of the association. Athens was a conference grounded by learning and history but also new projects and connexions.
The programme organized plenary discussions, thematic sessions, Working Groups and a PhD Seminar. It also hosted the first IASIA-MENAPAR Dialogue and the Board of Management meeting, and offered a first look at the IIAS Governance Index. Participants also took part in a gala dinner and an island cruise. IIAS Director General Sofiane Sahraoui described Athens conference as a great experience in terms of organisation.
IASIA-MENAPAR Dialogue
Athens hosted the very first dialogue between IASIA and MENAPAR. The discussions centred on strengthening state capacity across the MENA region, and in particular on how public administration education and training should evolve so that institutions can support AI-enabled governance and deliver services built around citizens. The dialogue also gave institutions from the region and from the rest of the world a space to learn from one another, compare experiences, develop evidence-based recommendations and keep working together, with the aim of improving institutional performance and making public services more inclusive in very different contexts. The ambition is for this exchange to become a permanent part of IASIA conferences and to anchor a lasting strategic partnership between IASIA and MENAPAR in the Arab region.
Board of Management Meeting
On the first day of the conference, 12 October, the IASIA Board of Management came together to review the association’s activities and set its priorities.
"It was the best Board of Management Meeting in ten years." - Sofiane Sahraoui
First Plenary Sessions
The conference theme, “Rethinking Governance for a Changing World”, was set on 13 October during the first plenary session. Michael Bauer and Abla Amawi were among the keynote speakers, joined by two speakers from Greece.
The IIAS Governance Index
Athens gave the IIAS community its first look at the IIAS Governance Index, presented by Dr. Marco De La Cruz. In a session titled “Governance index : Coming to Seoul”, participants were introduced to the thinking behind the Index. The Index carries forward the vision of IIAS President Voruganti Srinivas and builds on the work of Director General Sofiane Sahraoui. The results will be revealed in a dedicated session at the IIAS Conference in Seoul, from 17 to 20 November 2026.
Closing Ceremony
The conference came to a close on 15 October with the presentation of its scientific report and the IASIA awards, including the O.P. Dwivedi Award. The ceremony also paid tribute to IIAS Director General Sofiane Sahraoui.
In her closing message, IASIA President Prof. Dr Liezel Lues described the conference as a truly global gathering and thanked the Athens hosts, the conference organisers, the Programme Chairperson, Working Group leaders, speakers, reviewers, partners and the IIAS Secretariat. She noted that the discussions challenged established thinking on how public administration can respond to profound technological, social and political change, and called on participants to carry the ideas and partnerships formed in Athens forward.
"Let us remember that every person has inherent worth, and each of us has something meaningful to contribute." - Liezel Lues
After the conference
After the conference, participants joined the traditional excursion and visited three gems of the Saronic Gulf: Hydra, Poros and Aegina. The cruise offered stunning scenery and memorable moments, accompanied by live music and a folk show.
Sixty-five years after its creation, IASIA continues to bring together schools and institutes of administration from around the world, and Athens showed that this community remains open, global and committed. The ideas and partnerships formed during the conference will continue to grow, including at the IIAS Conference in Seoul, from 17 to 20 November 2026.
Thank you to everyone who made IASIA 2026 possible.
From 12 to 16 October 2026, the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) held its Annual Conference in Athens, hosted by EKDDA, the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government. Under the theme “Rethinking Governance for a Changing World”, the conference gathered 400 delegates from 57 countries and marked the 65th anniversary of the association. Athens was a conference grounded by learning and history but also new projects and connexions.
27 October 2026
Brussels, 23 October 2026 – The IIAS Governance Index was presented for the first time to the IIAS community at the IASIA 2026 Annual Conference in Athens, hosted by EKDDA from 12 to 16 October. In a session titled “When Rankings Are Not Enough”, participants were introduced to the thinking behind the Index, its overall logic and the main methodological choices that shape it.
14 October 2026
The European Group for Public Administration (EGPA) invites scholars and practitioners to propose new initiatives for its 2027 Annual Conference, taking place at Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary, from 24 to 27 August 2027. EGPA provides a European forum for public administration scholars and practitioners to present research, exchange perspectives and develop collaborations across public administration, public management and public policy. The call welcomes proposals for three formats: Permanent Study Groups (PSGs), Ad Hoc Groups (AHGs) and Specialised Panels (SPs). EGPA looks forward to welcoming new initiatives, perspectives and research communities that will enrich its 2027 Annual Conference and contribute to the development of public administration research across Europe and beyond.