On behalf of the International Commission on Accreditation of Public Administration Education and Training Programs (ICAPA), we are delighted to congratulate Ghent University (Belgium) and Hamad Bin Khalifa University – College of Public Policy (Qatar) on the successful accreditation and reaccreditation of their respective programs. These achievements reflect the institutions’ outstanding commitment to excellence in public administration education and to advancing the global standards of our profession.

• Ghent University – Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Management and Master of Science in Public Administration and Management
  → Full reaccreditation granted for six years (2025–2031)

• Hamad Bin Khalifa University – College of Public Policy – Master in Public Policy
  → Full accreditation granted for six years (2025–2031)

These milestones recognize the rigorous academic quality and societal relevance of each program. They also speak to the institutions’ active roles in nurturing the next generation of public sector leaders equipped to tackle today’s complex policy challenges.

About the institutions

Ghent University’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration is a vibrant, student-centered school that embraces the challenges of tomorrow. Known for its high-quality, research-based study programs and socially engaged scholarship, the Faculty is committed to fostering public administrators who are critically minded, ethically aware, and responsive to real-world governance challenges.

The College of Public Policy (CPP) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University is a dynamic hub for public policy education and research in Qatar and the wider region. As HBKU’s newest college, CPP embodies the country’s forward-looking Qatar National Vision 2030 and aspires to become a regional and global leader in public policy innovation. With a faculty deeply engaged in policy-relevant research and global partnerships, CPP offers a unique environment for future policy professionals.

About ICAPA and the Standards of Excellence

ICAPA is the only international accreditation body fully dedicated to public administration education and training. Operating under the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA), an entity of IIAS, ICAPA plays a central role in upholding global quality standards across academic and training institutions worldwide.

These latest accreditations are aligned with the newly finalized Standards of Excellence for Public Administration Education and Training, developed through an extensive two-year global review (2022–2024) led by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and IASIA. The process brought together over 1,200 contributors from academia, practice, and international organizations, and included 17 regional workshops and a global survey in five languages.

These new standards promote education that is interdisciplinary, adaptive, digital-savvy, ethically grounded, and globally engaged—preparing graduates to lead in an era of transformation and complexity.

Once again, we congratulate Ghent University and Hamad Bin Khalifa University for their leadership and excellence. We look forward to their continued contributions to the global community of public administration.