More than 100 scholars from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and beyond are congregating at City University of Hong Kong (CityU) to exchange views and ideas on public administration in a rapidly changing world.

Hosted by CityU’s Department of Public and Social Administration, the two-day 5th Cross-Strait Conference on Public Administration began on 20 August. It provides an opportunity for participants from cross-strait areas and Singapore, South Korea and the UK to share their expertise and practical experience under the theme Public Administration in a Changing World: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovation. The conference will also promote collaborative research between participants.

In his welcoming speech, Professor Way Kuo, President of CityU, praised public administration as a key subject that made society work. “I am privileged on behalf of the students and colleagues of CityU to thank you all for sharing your expertise in one of the key celebratory programme items marking CityU’s 25th anniversary,” said Professor Kuo.

Following the President’s welcome were addresses by officiating guests, including Professor Hon S Chan, Head of Department of Public and Social Administration, CityU; Professor Dong Keyong, Dean of School of Public Administration, Remin University of China; Professor Su Tsai-tsu, Department of Political Science, National Taiwan University; and Professor Hao Yufan, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Macau.

Also attending the opening ceremony were CityU’s Professor Paul Lam Kwan-sing, Vice-President (Student Affairs); Professor Julia Tao Lai Po-wah, Acting Vice-President (Development and External Relations) and Chief-of-Staff; and Professor Martin Painter, Acting Dean of College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Eight concurrent sessions covering topics such as public sector and civil service reforms, social welfare and policy, public-private partnerships and environmental policy were on the two-day agenda.