Trans-European Dialogue 2027

IASIA and UN DESA Announce New Standards of Excellence for Public Administration Education and Training

Diogo Pereira,

After an extensive two-year global review process, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) have finalized and launched the updated Standards of Excellence for Public Administration Education and Training.

These updated Standards represent the highest benchmarks of quality and performance for education and training programs dedicated to public administration worldwide. Developed by a global Task Force of eminent experts and practitioners, the Standards serve as a vital guide for academic institutions, trainers, and public administration professionals striving to deliver exceptional, relevant, and impactful education.

The revision process (2022–2024) was comprehensive and inclusive, involving over 1,200 expert contributions gathered through seventeen global and regional workshops, multiple meetings, and a multilingual online survey available in Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. This extensive consultation ensured the Standards reflect contemporary challenges and incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a core framework.

The Standards of Excellence emphasize core values including inclusiveness, diversity, competent faculty, engaged learners, impactful curricula, community engagement, sustainable resources, and collaborative partnerships. Applying these Standards will cultivate a new generation of dynamic, tech-savvy, and agile public servants equipped to navigate complex governance landscapes and contribute meaningfully to sustainable development.

The International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) and IASIA reaffirm their commitment to advancing public governance through research, education, and practical application by promoting these updated Standards globally. Through IASIA’s International Commission on Accreditation of Public Administration Education and Training Programs (ICAPA), institutions worldwide can now pursue accreditation that recognizes their adherence to these rigorous quality benchmarks.

This initiative is fully aligned with the IIAS mission to improve public governance by fostering excellence in education and training, thus enabling governments to better serve their communities and meet evolving societal needs.

Resources

Public administration and management research has long drawn most of its ideas from Western, industrialised democracies. Yet Asia and the Global South have become major sites of administrative change, with large-scale reforms, fast-moving technology and some of the most inventive experiments in governance. Research from these regions has grown accordingly, but it is still often used to illustrate or apply theories made elsewhere, rather than to produce new ones.

This special issue of Public Management Review aims to change that. It invites authors to treat practice in Asia and the Global South as a starting point for theory: to test, question or extend established approaches, and to propose new concepts and explanations. It does not look for a single theory of these regions, which are far too diverse for that, but for context-sensitive contributions that also say something useful for policy and practice.

ASPA and EGPA call for papers | New Orleans, April 12-13, 2027 | Deadline: November 30, 2026

As democratic institutions face mounting pressure worldwide, public administrators are increasingly asked to spell out the role of their field in protecting and improving democratic systems. The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA) are responding with the 2027 Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD), held alongside ASPA’s Annual Conference.

The theme is The Role of Public Policy and Administration in Shaping Democracy and Promoting the Resilience of Democratic Norms and Institutions.

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.

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