Paper/Speech Details of Conference Program for the 29th NISPAcee Annual Conference Program Overview WG7: Public Administration Education (Physical) Author(s) Janez Stare University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia Jernej Buzeti , Mitja Durnik , Bruno Nikolič Title Education development for public administration in the field of governance in the EU institutions File Paper files are available only for conference participants, please login first. Presenter Janez Stare Abstract The development of study programmes in public administration is being adjusted to the increasing complexity of administrative science. The programmes are subject to various accreditation procedures seeking to ensure, inter alia, the appropriate level and quality of individual programmes in terms of international comparability that would meet the needs of public administration in individual countries. One of the main objectives of programme implementation most often indicated is that programmes are intended to educate professionals for the widest range of public administration jobs. This also applies in the case of Slovenia, or the Faculty of Public Administration of the University of Ljubljana. The study programmes are fundamentally focused on the characteristics of jobs in the public administration of an individual country. Despite the fact that programme descriptions often indicate that programmes are European-oriented (according to individual programme objectives and competences), they only rarely interfere in content that is essential for a successful understanding of relations and work in the EU institutions in terms of entering this labour market. This is also a motive for creating specific content that would address the field of administration (as a support activity) in the EU institutions. Additional motives for programme preparation are related to the consequences of the past economic crisis, the demographic situation (decrease in the number of candidates or young people), and the need for EU institution job candidates (from different EU Member States and Associated Members). The Slovenian higher education area is experiencing a vacuum effect in the field of EU studies, as no higher education institution offers a study programme that would comprehensively cover EU content aimed at pursuing career goals in the European administration. Therefore, the Faculty of Public Administration has drawn up a study programme that fills this gap. The programme’s primary purpose is to provide theoretical, methodological, research, and practical knowledge and skills necessary for the work in the EU institutions. Furthermore, the new programme will enable us to raise the awareness of the Slovenia and the Western Balkans population about the European content, through which we will actively participate in reducing the democratic deficit in the EU. In terms of enrolment, we expect that the new study programme will attract better study candidates who are inspired to work in a broader international environment. The article considers the process of renewal of the Public Sector Governance 1st Cycle university study programme by adding Governance in the European Union field of study in the second and third years. We will provide starting points for new study content development, present a comparative analysis of similar study programmes within the European area, and provide information obtained from the EU employment office, EU institutions, and the service responsible for carrying out Concours (entrance examination for EU administrative staff), also with regard to the competences of officials from EU and Western Balkan countries who are needed to tackle EU integration tasks. The article will present content emphasis received from representatives of individual EU institutions, and highlight the fundamental structure of the programme.
