Trans-European Dialogue 2027

IRAS Centennial Issue Seeks Contributions on Past, Present, and Future of Public Administration

Diogo Pereira,


home-news iras

The International Review of Administrative Sciences (IRAS) is preparing to mark its 100th anniversary in 2027 with a Centennial Special Issue, reflecting on a century of research, practice, and global developments in public administration. This milestone edition will examine both historical insights and emerging trends shaping the future of the field.

IRAS, founded in 1927, is the oldest scholarly journal dedicated specifically to comparative and international public administration. Throughout its history, it has contributed to advancing the global dialogue on public governance, encouraging reflection on international comparisons, innovative approaches, and the exchange between academics and practitioners.

The Centennial Special Issue welcomes original research and review articles on all aspects of public administration with an international and comparative perspective. Contributions highlighting historical developments, state-of-the-art trends, and future scenarios are particularly encouraged. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Comparative perspectives on public sector administration over the last century

  • Historical trends in public sector governance models and mechanisms

  • Evolving contributions of the public, private, and third sectors to public management

  • Performance measurement and management in the public sector

  • Human resource management developments

  • Digitalisation of public services

  • Public administration in the Global South from a comparative and international perspective

  • Future directions for research and practice in public administration

Abstracts of up to 800 words should be submitted by 31 October 2025 to guest editors Sara Melo (s.melo@qub.ac.uk) and Tobias Polzer (tobias.polzer@wu.ac.at), with Frederico Ganz (frederico.ganz@iias-iisa.org) and Sabine Kuhlmann (sabine.kuhlmann@uni-potsdam.de) in cc.

This Centennial Special Issue offers an unparalleled opportunity to reflect on 100 years of public administration research and practice, to explore lessons from the past, and to shape the future agenda for scholars and practitioners worldwide.

Resources

Public Management Review Special Issue Proposal

Pearl Beleyn  

5 November 2026

public-administration egpa governance-and-public-management-series call submission

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.

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The 2027 Transatlantic Dialogue: The Role of Public Policy and Administration in Shaping Democracy and Promoting the Resilience of Democratic Norms and Institutions.

Pearl Beleyn  

5 November 2026

IIAS governance public-administration call-for-papers egpa conference aspa aspa2027 submission

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.

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IASIA 2026: the Global Public Administration Community Together in Athens

Pearl Beleyn  

29 October 2026

IIAS home-news governance administration iasia conference menapar iasia2026

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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