The 2024 AAPA-EROPA-AGPA-IAPA Joint Conference, an unprecedented gathering of Asia’s major public administration organizations—the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA), the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), the Asian Group for Public Administration (AGPA), and the Indonesian Association for Public Administration (IAPA)—successfully concluded at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Themed “Towards World Class Bureaucracy,” the event marked a milestone in public administration, drawing over 600 participants, including a substantial international delegation.

Held from November 5-7, the conference provided a dynamic platform for discussing transformative strategies in public administration and governance across Asia. Central topics included enhancing the public sector’s efficiency, professionalism, and preparedness in a VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous) world. These discussions resonate with the recent 2024 Regional Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme, which underscores the critical need for investment in public sector workforce capabilities to maintain competitiveness and resilience.

A key highlight of the 2024 AAPA-EROPA-AGPA-IAPA Joint Conference was the active participation of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS). IIAS President, Dr. Ra'ed Ben Shams, and Director General, Dr. Sofiane Sahraoui, joined AGPA’s pre-conference Board Meeting and addressed the opening plenaries as keynote speakers. Their contributions focused on fostering stronger collaboration between IIAS and Asian public administration bodies, and exploring a deeper integration of AGPA within the IIAS network. Discussions with the Indonesian National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), the IIAS State member, furthered the prospect of hosting a major IIAS event in Indonesia in the summer of 2025, aimed at reinforcing these collaborative efforts.

The success of the 2024 AAPA-EROPA-AGPA-IAPA Joint Conference signals a strengthened foundation for cooperation in public administration across Asia, setting a new standard for global partnerships and public sector development, aligned with the IIAS mission of improving public governance research, education, and practice.

About AGPA

The Asian Group for Public Administration (AGPA) is a regional group affiliated with the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS). It aims to attract and convene institutions and organizations in the field of Public Administration in Asia through academic activities and events and to promote the development of administrative sciences in Asia.

AGPA is a flexible and light-structured network, which mainly carries out academic activities and events, with the guidance and support of IIAS and on the basis of mutual respect, consultation and voluntary participation. The Steering Committee of AGPA is responsible for setting the direction and organizing the academic exchange activities of AGPA.