On November 29, 2024, the Meeting of the Heads/Leaders of Institutions in the ASEAN Network of the Public Service Training Institutes Network (PSTI) for the 2023–2024 term took place at NAPA Headquarters. H.E. Dr. Vu Chien Thang, Vice Minister of Home Affairs of Viet Nam, attended and delivered the welcome speech.
An overview of the meeting.
Attending the meeting were representatives from the member institutions of the ASEAN PSTI Network: Dr. Noor Maya Salleh, Director of Institut Perkhidmatan Awam, Prime Minister’s Office, Brunei Darussalam; Pg Sarifah Ferzat Pg Jaafar, Training Officer, Institut Perkhidmatan Awam, Prime Minister’s Office, Brunei Darussalam; Mr. Sung Vintik, Vice President, Royal School of Administration, Cambodia; Dr. Chantha Onxayvieng, Director General, Public Administration Research and Training Institute (PARTI), Ministry of Home Affairs, Lao PDR; Ms. Soudaphone Nedvady, Deputy Director of Administration and Information Division, Public Administration Research and Training Institute (PARTI), Ministry of Home Affairs, Lao PDR; Datuk Dr. Haniff bin Zainal Abidin, Senior Deputy Director, National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), Malaysia; Mr. Yasir Muda bin Azizi, Senior Training Consultant, National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), Malaysia; Mr. Mohamad Zainudin bin Ashaari, Training Consultant, National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), Malaysia; Dr. Nant Khin Thin Su, Pro-rector, Civil Service Academy (Lower Myanmar), Union Civil Service Board; Ms. Nan Phyu Phyu Pwint, Director, Civil Service Selection and Training Department, Union Civil Service Board, Myanmar; Mr. Fernando M. Porio, Director IV, Civil Service Institute (CSI), Philippine Civil Service Commission; Mr. Gerome Neil D. Sanchez, Human Resource Specialist II, Civil Service Institute (CSI), Philippine Civil Service Commission; Mr. Han Neng Hsiu, Dean and CEO, Civil Service College, Singapore; Ms. Angela Tan, Assistant Director, Southeast Asia Desk, CSC International, Civil Service College, Singapore; Dr. Pipawin Leesamphandh, Director, Civil Service Training Institute (CSTI), Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC), Thailand; Mr. Channarong Sungayuth, HR Practitioner, Civil Service Training Institute (CSTI), Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC), Thailand.
From the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA), there was Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., EROPA Secretary-General.
From the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), Viet Nam, there were H.E. Mr. Vu Chien Thang, Vice Minister; Ms. Tran Thi Lien Huong, Deputy Director General of the MoHA Department of International Cooperation.
On the side of NAPA, there were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Thanh Cuong and Dr. Nguyen Dang Que, NAPA Vice Presidents; representatives of NAPA departments and faculties.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President, delivering remarks at the meeting.
In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President extended his warmest greetings and sincere thanks to the Vice Minister of Home Affairs of Viet Nam, His Excellency Dr. Vu Chien Thang; the leaders of the public service training institutes from ASEAN countries; the EROPA Secretary-General; and all distinguished delegates for attending the Meeting of the ASEAN PSTI Network.
According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, this meeting convenes in a particularly significant context, as ASEAN moves closer to achieving the ASEAN Community 2025 vision – a resilient, united, people-centered community toward sustainable development and deep integration. This is a crucial moment for us to reflect on our achievements and discuss future directions for collaboration. Realizing such ambitious goals requires a robust, modern public service capable of meeting the demands of the times. In the face of globalization and rapid technological advancements, public service systems must continuously innovate, enhance leadership and management capacities, and effectively address emerging challenges while serving the people. The central theme of the 2024 Meeting of the ASEAN Network of the PSTIs is “Transformation of leadership and management training for a future-ready civil service”. At this event, in addition to a review of the activities conducted during Viet Nam’s convenorship of PSTI, delegates will exchange initiatives to identify new directions for cooperation among PSTI members and between PSTI and international organizations in public administration to foster the development of leadership and management capabilities in the region. The 2024 Meeting of the ASEAN PSTI Network in Ha Noi, with its comprehensive and practical agenda, exemplifies the spirit of close cooperation and consensus among member institutions within the PSTI network. This commitment to development and innovation in public service systems at both national and regional levels underscores the shared vision. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien firmly believed that this spirit of collaboration and unity lays a solid foundation for collective and practical actions moving forward.
NAPA of Viet Nam sincerely appreciates the trust, collaboration, and support of PSTI members throughout its term as Convenor of the PSTI Network for 2023-2024. This has been a tremendous opportunity for NAPA to deepen and enhance comprehensive, effective partnerships with all member institutions within the PSTI network and with international organizations in the region, both multilaterally and bilaterally.
Vice Minister of Home Affairs Vu Chien Thang delivering welcome remarks.
In his welcome remarks, on behalf of MoHA of Viet Nam, Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang warmly welcomed the leaders and administrators of the public service training institutions within the PSTI network, esteemed international delegates, and representatives from MoHA and NAPA to the 2024 Meeting of the Heads/Leaders of the ASEAN PSTI Network. The meeting was hosted under the theme “Transformation of leadership and management training for a future-ready civil service.
Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang affirmed that in the context of globalization and rapid technological advancements, ASEAN faces both great opportunities and significant challenges in realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. One of the key objectives is to build a “rule-based, people-centered, and people-serving ASEAN Community.” The Government of Viet Nam, with strong commitment, alongside other ASEAN countries, strives to foster a united and resilient community, reduce development gaps, and promote practical cooperation for the benefit of our people. To achieve this goal, Viet Nam has approved a project to implement the ASEAN Declaration on the Role of the Civil Service, aiming to establish an efficient, modern, and adaptable civil service capable of realizing the ASEAN Community Vision 2025. A key solution to this endeavor is civil service reform. This reform aims to develop a public administration that can respond flexibly and effectively to emerging challenges while creating a better, more precise, and fairer environment to serve people. Central to the civil service reform is the development of the capacity of the public workforce, particularly public leaders and managers, where enhancing leadership and management capabilities remains a top priority.
The Meeting of the ASEAN PSTI Network holds great significance in advancing cooperation among the institutions in charge of public service training for ASEAN members. It provides a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences, discuss collaborative initiatives for 2023–2024, and promote cooperation activities between PSTI members and international organizations specializing in public administration. The common goal is to enhance the development of leadership and management capabilities for a civil service that is future-ready in the face of modern challenges.
Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang with heads of ASEAN PSTIs and EROPA Secretary-General.
He is confident that the activities within the framework of this meeting, including thematic workshop, study visit, and leadership and management training, will serve as excellent opportunities for scholars, administrators, and trainers to share valuable experiences and identify innovative solutions for training public leaders and managers in a rapidly changing context. This is particularly meaningful as ASEAN aims to build a “Unity in Diversity” Community that is cohesive, inclusive, and collaborative, thereby elevating regional integration to new heights for peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity.
Dr. Noor Maya Salleh, Director, Institut Perkhidmatan Awam, Prime Minister’s Office, Brunei Darussalam.
Mr. Sung Vintik, Vice President, Royal School of Administration, Cambodia.
Dr. Chantha Onxayvieng, Director General, Public Administration Research and Training Institute (PARTI), Ministry of Home Affairs, Lao PDR.
Datuk Dr. Haniff bin Zainal Abidin, Senior Deputy Director, National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN), Malaysia.
Ms. Nan Phyu Phyu Pwint, Director, Civil Service Selection and Training Department, Union Civil Service Board, Myanmar.
Mr. Fernando M. Porio, Director IV, Civil Service Institute (CSI), Philippine Civil Service Commission.
Mr. Han Neng Hsiu, Dean and CEO, Civil Service College, Singapore.
Dr. Pipawin Leesamphandh, Director, Civil Service Training Institute (CSTI), Office of the Civil Service Commission (OCSC), Thailand.
Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr. EROPA Secretary-General.
At the meeting, the heads of the ASEAN PSTI Network praised NAPA convenorship role during the 2023–2024 term. They acknowledged the NAPA’s practical and innovative activities, which aligned with the trends and developments in leadership and management training. These efforts contributed to improving the quality of teaching and research at PSTIs. Additionally, NAPA introduced several initiatives to connect PSTI with other international organizations in the region, such as EROPA, the Chandler Institute of Governance, and the United Nations. PSTI members expressed their hope that these initiatives would continue in future terms. In particular, Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., EROPA Secretary-General, commended PSTI’s role and NAPA’s convenorship in fostering connections between PSTIs and EROPA. He expressed his desire to further promote this cooperation to enhance PSTI’s influence both regionally and globally.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Cuc, Deputy Director, NAPA Department of International Cooperation, presenting a review of the activities carried out during Viet Nam’s PSTI Convenorship.
In the meeting, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Cuc presented a review of the 2023-2024 activities carried out during Viet Nam’s PSTI Convenorship. During this term, NAPA organized key meetings and workshops, including
Meetings:
- Meeting on the theme “Capacity Building for Public Leaders in the Context of Globalization and Digitalization” on July 6, 2023;
- Meeting on the theme “Transformation of leadership and management training for a future-ready civil service” on November 29, 2024.
Workshops:
- Workshop “Enhancing the leadership capacity in the context of globalization and digitalization” on July 6, 2023;
- Workshop “Transformation of leadership and management training for a future-ready civil service” on November 29, 2024.
Training workshops:
- Training workshop “Building a future-ready public leadership workforce: International experience and implications for ASEAN countries” on December 22, 2023;
- Training workshop “Applying design thinking in innovating leadership and management training programs” on November 13, 2024.
Through meetings, workshops, and training sessions, PSTI members discussed various topics, including opportunities, challenges, and requirements for public leaders and managers in the context of globalization and digitalization. These discussions aimed to promote sustainable socio-economic development, innovate the content and methodologies of public leadership training, and launch the ASEAN Annual Forum on Good Governance for the SDGs. Additionally, they focused on enhancing the capacity of public administration lecturers to implement SDGs and incorporate them into training programs.
Members also shared experiences in leadership training innovations, attracting experts, strengthening exchanges and cooperation, and identifying future priorities for training programs.
Discussion highlights:
During the meeting, representatives of the ASEAN PSTI Network and other delegates shared and exchanged ideas on initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of PSTI’s activities. They also discussed strategies to strengthen cooperation among PSTI members and between PSTI and international organizations in the field of public administration in the region.
Dr. Noor Maya Salleh, Director, Institut Perkhidmatan Awam (IPA), Prime Minister’s Office, Brunei Darussalam.
The convenorship of the ASEAN PSTI Network for the 2025–2026 term has been handed over to the Brunei Institut Perkhidmatan Awam. On behalf of Brunei Darussalam, Dr. Noor Maya Salleh expressed gratitude to Viet Nam MoHA and NAPA for their contributions and successful organization of PSTI events in 2023 and 2024.
The IPA of Brunei Darussalam is deeply honored to assume the role of convenor for the two-year term. Brunei Darussalam is committed to fostering an environment of cooperation, innovation, and capacity building for the ASEAN PSTI Network. The goals of the ASEAN PSTI Network will be upheld, which include: (1) Building a community of PSTI senior officials who are responsible for the learning and development of public officials; (2) Promoting the exchange of good practices and lessons in building capabilities for the public service; (3) Strengthening the learning and development of capabilities of PSTI professionals.
Brunei Darussalam welcomes PSTI members to participate in programs to be held in-person in Brunei, including: A workshop on “Building a Competent Workforce in the Age of AI” (2025); A workshop on “The Role of PSTI in Public Sector Innovation” (2026). These programs, part of the annual activities of the ASEAN PSTI Network, aim to provide a forum for discussing and sharing best practices among PSTI members and international experts on developing public services, enhancing public leadership, and increasing the attractiveness of the public service.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President, presenting flowers to congratulate the new PSTI Convenor for the 2025–2026 term.
In officially transferring the Convenorship to Brunei Darussalam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien extended his congratulations and expressed confidence that, under Brunei’s leadership, the PSTI Network will continue to grow strongly, foster extensive collaboration, and bring meaningful value to the ASEAN PSTI community.
As part of the working program, delegates will participate in the workshop titled “Transformation of leadership and management training for a future-ready civil service” on the afternoon of November 29, 2024. On November 30, 2024, delegates will visit and conduct a field survey in Ninh Binh Province.
A group photo of delegates.
