AAPA 2012 - Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA)

Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA)
Annual Conference 2012

Call for Paper

Administrative Innovation and Reform:
Local Culture and Traditions, International Learning and Influence
Conference Date Re-scheduled

10-11 February 2012 (Friday & Saturday)
The Hong Kong Institute of Education
Hong Kong, China
Introduction

With the formation of AAPA in January 2012 and the recent launch of AGPA (Asian Group of Public Administration) under the aegis of IIAS (international Institute of Administrative Sciences) (May 2011), Asian public administration (PA) has now become more prominently featured on the world map.

Until the recent decade, Asian PA had been at the receiving end of Western PA education, practices and systems. Asian PA reforms have long been dominated by Western-originated paradigms - such as New Public Management (NPM) since the 1990s and Development Administration in the 1970s.

More recently, Asian PA scholars have become interested in exploring and reflecting on Asian countries?own administrative traditions and cultures and how these could provide a source of governance ethos and cultural vitality to the further development of PA in the national and regional context. One can immediately think of the Confucian influence over East Asia, the Hindu influence over India, Muslim influence over Indonesia and Malaysia, and Buddhist influence over Thailand. At the same time, those Asian nations previously subject to Western colonization have inherited Western institutional influence as well - viz British influence over the Sub-Continent and part of Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, French influence over Vietnam and the Mekong Delta Region, Dutch influence over Indonesia, and Spanish and US influence over the Philippines.

Conference Theme

In reality, many Asian PA systems could be understood as "hybrids" of the past and present, and of the indigenous and the West. It is time for Asian PA to be given a more comprehensive understanding. In such a soul-searching and comparative process, it would also be opportune to examine whether and how contemporary Asian PA systems and practices today are in turn generating models (or semi-models) for other developing countries, many of which had been looking to the West for paradigm inspirations in the past but some of which are now turning their eyes to the East for alternative models and approaches.

Suggesting such possibilities does not mean Asia has solved its many PA and governance problems ? corruption and the slow growth of democratic participation continue to be major challenges. However, instead of just looking at where Asian countries are deficient in, we should also identify how some Asian solutions have succeeded to deal with other problems in their path of modernization.

Abstracts Submission

We welcome paper proposals along the above lines under the general Conference Theme to analyze individual countries, as well as to offer perspectives and narratives on intra-Asian and East-West mutual learning, as this can facilitate the promotion of PA as a culturally rich and pluralistic domain.

Please send your abstract (not more than 200 words) to aapasec-AT-ied.edu.hk not later than 9 September 2011. Acceptance of abstract will be confirmed by around 7 October 2011. The full manuscript for an accepted paper has to be submitted by 6 January 2012.

Transportation and Accommodation

All participants (including Paper Presenters) have to pay for their own transport and accommodation. The estimated hotel room rate per night in Sha Tin, a district close to the main campus of The Hong Kong Institute of Education, would range from HKD900 to HKD1200. More details will be provided by the Conference Secretariat after close of abstracts submission.

Honouring the tradition of the Asian Forum on Public Management, AAPA's predecessor, the conference host will offer free accommodation to the core members of the previous Asian Forum on a 1-2 delegates per country basis. These individuals will be contacted by the Conference Secretariat separately.

Conference Registration Fee

Registration fee (covering the cost of the two-day conference, including conference materials, sandwich lunch, and tea and coffee) is HKD400 (approx. USD50). This fee is waived for AAPA members who have to pay the annual membership fee of USD50 if attending the Conference. Conference dinner will be on a self-paying basis. More details will be announced later.

Visa Requirement

For overseas participants, please refer to the Hong Kong Immigration Department's website and check if you need to apply for a Visit Visa or Entry Permit:
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm

Conference Programme

A preliminary conference programme should be available in October 2011. It will include the Annual General Meeting of AAPA.

Conference Secretariat

The Centre for Governance and Citizenship at the Hong Kong Institute of Education will serve as the Conference Secretariat of the AAPA Conference 2012. Enquiries can be directed to Ms Lo Oi-yu at aapasec-AT-ied.edu.hk, or by fax to (852)2948-6636.

About the AAPA

The Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA) is established with the aim to expand and improve research and academic exchange on public administration and management in the Asian region. AAPA will keep friendly rapport with other organizations involved in public administration in the Asian region and beyond. Visit our website at http://www.ied.edu.hk/cgc/aapa/