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20th NISPAcee Annual Conference /
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Main Conference Theme
Chairs:
Mirko Vintar, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
E-mail: mirko.vintar@fu.uni-lj.si
Gyorgy Jenei, Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
E-mail: gyorgy.jenei@uni-corvinus.hu
Allan Rosenbaum, Florida International University, Department of Public
Administration, Miami, United States
E-mail:rosenbau@fiu.edu
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. From the very beginning, these processes were
accompanied by a steady in-flow into the region of advisers, consultants,
bankers, economists and academics from the West. This, in turn, led to many new
forms of cooperation between East and West in the fields of public
administration and public policy. However, two decades of experience since
those historic days, have shown that while in many instances this often highly
welcomed cooperation produced the anticipated positive results, in many
instances the outcome of this cooperation did not go as planned and did not
meet the hoped for expectations.
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. One of several
goals of NISPAcee was to ensure the free flow of knowledge, ideas, best practices and
successful experience, both among the countries of Central and Eastern Europe
and between east and west more generally. In addition, another central goal of
NISPAcee was to link the practitioner community in the region with the academic
and research community and, in so doing, to connect theory and practice.
In
the 20 years since NISPAcee was founded, the transition processes in terms of the
development of political, economic and administrative structures in most central
and eastern European countries has proved to be both highly complex and
somewhat unpredictable. Nevertheless, it has been a process, which in many
respects, has been extraordinarily successful and a process to which NISPAcee’s
member institutions, and the Association as a whole, has in many ways
contributed. While this period of transition has, for many central and eastern
European countries, been almost completed, or at least is in its final stages,
many of the theoretical and practical aspects of these processes and their impact (both positive and negative)
on the social, political, economic and administrative systems of the individual
countries still require in-depth scientific analysis.
The
conferences, workshops, publications and training that NISPAcee has provided to
institutions and individuals within the region have served to encourage greater
cooperation, both within and among countries, as well as the transfer of
knowledge, ideas and experience between the East and the West. Equally as
important, NISPAcee has played a major role, both in helping to provide
individuals with the skills required to engage effectively in local and
national policy making processes, and has, through many of its projects, served
to connect the academic and the policy making communities. In so doing, the
organization has helped to build the foundation upon which the modernization
and development of administrative systems throughout the region have been
built.
Nevertheless,
twenty years of experience have also shown that the transfer of knowledge is
not, and should not be, simply a "one-way street” or a "copy and paste”
approach to governmental reform. It has further demonstrated that models and
solutions which have proven to be effective in one country or another cannot simply be transferred across borders
and copied onto other environments. Indeed, 20 years of highly productive
institutional development has demonstrated that while there are certainly many
basic principles that are applicable in almost all situations, the specific and
individual contexts must always be taken into account.
The
20th anniversary of NISPAcee is not only an important milestone for
the organization, but it also provides an excellent opportunity to examine, in
a more detailed manner, the considerable institutional development that has
taken place within the region, as well as the role that East-West relations has
played in these processes. As the principal organization promoting
comprehensive scientific and professional analysis of these developments in the
CEE region, NISPAcee is well positioned to lead the efforts to provide a
clearer and more comprehensive picture of the processes of transformation that
have occurred. Such an initiative will serve as a means to assess the strengths
and weaknesses of these developments and, in so doing, further refine existing
models and the approaches required to encourage further development. Such an
effort will help to reposition NISPAcee to make even greater contributions to
institutional development throughout the region over the course of the next 20
years. Consequently, in selecting the theme for NISPAcee’s jubilee conference
in Ohrid, Macedonia, the NISPAcee Steering Committee and the conference theme
coordinators have established three principal objectives:
1.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. Such
an effort could provide the analysis which could serve as a reference and guide
for further development of cooperation from all stakeholders’ points of view
(governments, practitioners, academics, donors etc.). During the conference,
based on the proposed and selected papers, appropriate plenary session
discussions will be organized. In addition, panel and round table sessions will be organized which
will involve individuals who have contributed significantly to the development
and deepening of this cooperation (representatives of international
organizations and institutions which have participated and supported this cooperation
such as SIGMA, LGI, the EU, NASPAA, etc.).
2.Highlight
and evaluate the NISPAcee role in the development of East-West cooperation in
the past and, in so doing, assess its own progress and discuss the main trajectory
of its actions in the future. This will
serve, both to assess past development, and to help in articulating its future development
strategy. During the conference, a special round table and/or panel discussion will
be organized on the subject addressed above to which key individuals and
prominent contributors, as well as others who have played major roles in its
development and work during the past two decades will be invited to participate
(ex-Presidents, SC members and some others) and to make short written
contributions.
3.Based
on selected keynote presentations and papers on the main conference theme, as well
as discussions/presentations made at the round tables, a book will be published
which will reflect the scientific and practical aspects of East-West
cooperation in the field of public administration development and the role of
NISPAcee in promoting these processes.
During this 20thanniversary conference, a series of sessions will be organised on the main
theme and thus we are inviting and looking for conference papers which will
highlight the following aspects/fields/dimensions of East-West cooperation:
-Comparative
analysis of the development of public administration systems in western and eastern
countries during the last twenty years and how (if at all) these developments
influenced each other.
-Comparative
studies of the development of political, administrative and legislative
institutions in East-West countries and their practices.
-Analysis
of impacts/successes/failure rates, etc. of various mechanisms, channels, activities,
projects and programmes, which were used during the past two decades for the stimulation
and development of East-West cooperation in different arenas -- political,
professional, academic, research etc.
-Comparative
analysis of developments in East and West countries in selected sectors i.e.
public finances, health, social welfare, e-government etc. and how these
developments influenced each other.
-What
were the major lessons learned from various forms and programs of technical and
financial support from West to East and how this learning can shape future collaboration.
-Analysis
of the roles of institutions and international organisations in stimulation and
provision of E/W cooperation (EU, OECD/SIGMA, LGI, NAASPA, EGPA, EAPAA,
NISPAcee etc.).
-Comparative
analysis of the development and results of East-West cooperation in terms of educational
and in-service training programmes in the area of public
administration/management/ policy.
-Identification
and analysis of approaches/cases/examples where East-West cooperation was particularly
successful or unsuccessful.
-Comparative
analysis of approaches in East and West countries to manage the ’global financial
and economic crisis’, and how this crisis will affect further development of
the public sector in these countries and the further development of East-West
cooperation.
How
to make future East-West cooperation more of a ’two-way’ rather than a ’one-way street’ and to develop programmes
of cooperation which will be beneficial for both sides.
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(c) NISPAcee, Generated: May 2, 2024 / 22:54 |