Trans-European Dialogue 2027

In Memoriam of Dr. Laila El Baradei

Cesar Alfonzo,

Celebrating a Life of Scholarship, Leadership, and Service to the Global Public Administration Community

The International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) and its specialized entity, the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA), mourn the passing of Dr. Laila El Baradei, a pillar of integrity, academic excellence, and global citizenship in the field of public administration.

A longtime contributor to the IIAS–IASIA community, Dr. El Baradei brought insight, compassion, and rigor to her many roles. As Project Director of IASIA’s Working Group V on Gender, Diversity, and Equity, she championed inclusive governance and brought critical attention to the voices of women and underrepresented populations across all regions of the world. Through her leadership, the working group became a global platform to advance equity and meaningful participation in public administration and policymaking.

A renowned scholar and practitioner, Dr. El Baradei was Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Administration at the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP) at The American University in Cairo. She also served as Acting Dean and Associate Dean of GAPP and was a Faculty Advisor to the prestigious Youssef Jameel GAPP Public Leadership Fellowship.

Her influence reached far beyond her native Egypt. She was a member of the Global Steering Committee for Pi Alpha Alpha, a board member of the ASPA International Chapter (2025), and the 2024 recipient of the International Public Administration Award by the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Her commitment to capacity-building, ethical leadership, and sustainable development inspired a generation of scholars, policymakers, and students.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dr. El Baradei’s family, colleagues, and the many communities around the world whose lives she enriched. Her profound contributions to public service education and her tireless advocacy for just and equitable governance will live on.

May her memory continue to inspire the work we do.

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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