The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 marked the beginning of a period of very substantial and, in some instances, highly volatile political, economic and social change in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This, and other subsequent events, triggered a series of waves of transition that led to the emergence of market economies and democratic institution building in many of the countries of the region.
This, in turn, led to many new forms of cooperation between East and West in the fields of public administration and public policy. It was 20 years ago that the Network of Institutes and Schools of Public Administration of Central and Eastern Europe (NISPAcee) was established for the purpose of providing an institutional framework and a vibrant professional association which would serve to encourage the processes of modernization and transformation of the administrative systems of the region, as well as to encourage the spread of democratic principles and standards therein.
For the 20^th anniversary conference the main conference theme will follow the two principal objectives. Firstly to initiate, promote and organize an in-depth scientific, professional and empirical analysis and synthesis of East-West cooperation during the past twenty years and how it has contributed to institutional development throughout the region. Secondly to highlight and evaluate the NISPAcee role in the development of the East-West cooperation in the past and, in so doing, assess its own progress and discuss the main trajectory of its action in the future. This will serve both to assess past development and to help in articulating its future development strategy.