On November 4, 2024, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the 69th Executive Council meeting of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA) convened to review the organization’s annual activities, discuss; decide on strategic directions and organizational development matters; expand and strengthen its member network; approve organizational programs and activities; and approve the agenda for the 2024 EROPA Conference.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, Chairperson of the EROPA Executive Council and President of the National Academy of Public Administration (Viet Nam), chaired the meeting.
EROPA Executive Council members at the meeting.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the EROPA Executive Council, heads of State Member delegations, and various organizational and individual members, including Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, Chairperson of the EROPA Executive Council and Head of the Vietnamese delegation; Ms. Xie Jing, Vice Chairperson of the EROPA Executive Council and Head of the Chinese delegation from the Chinese Academy of Personnel Science; Dr. Tri Widodo Wahyu Utomo, President of the EROPA General Assembly and Head of the Indonesian delegation from the National Institute of Public Administration; Datuk Dr. Mohd Zabri bin Yosoff, Vice President of the EROPA General Assembly and Head of the Malaysian delegation from the Pblic Service Department; Mr. Yun Changhee, Head of the Korean delegation from the National Human Resources Development Institute (NHI); Dr. Mohd Zabri bin Yosoff, Vice President of the EROPA General Assembly and Head of the Malaysian delegation; Mr. Kikuchi Yoshinobu, President of the Local Autonomy College, Head of the Japanese delegation; Mr. Ryan Acosta, Commissioner of the Civil Service Commission, Head of the Philippine delegation; Dr. Achakorn Wongpredee, Dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration, National Institute of Development Administration, Head of the Thai delegation.
Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., EROPA Secretary-General; Dr. Kristoffer Berse, EROPA Deputy Secretary-General; and members of the EROPA Secretariat were also present.
The meeting also featured the participation of Dr. Masao Kikuchi, Professor at Meiji University in Japan and Chair of the EROPA Future Plans and Programs Committee; and Dr. Vincent Wong, Chair of the EROPA Resolutions Committee.
Additionally, representatives from regional administrative associations participated, including Prof. Dr. Agus Pramusinto, President of the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA) and President of the Indonesian Association for Public Administration (IAPA).
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, Chairperson of the EROPA Executive Council, delivering the opening statement.
In his opening statement, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, Chairperson of the EROPA Executive Council, welcomed the delegates to the 2024 EROPA Conference and the 69th EROPA Executive Council Meeting. He officially declared the meeting open, encouraging delegates to share their views and thoughts on enhancing cooperation among EROPA members, strengthening EROPA as a more efficient and robust organization, asserting its leadership in public administration within the region, and contributing to sustainable reform and development in the Asia-Pacific.
On behalf of the EROPA Executive Council, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien sincerely thanked the Indonesian organizing committee of the Asian Association of Public Administration (AAPA), the Universitas Gadjah Mada, the Asian Group of Public Administration (AGPA), the Indonesian Association of Public Administration (IAPA), the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), the Ministry of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform, and the EROPA Secretariat for their dedicated efforts and coordination in organizing the event.
Messages from the EROPA State Members
During the meeting, heads of state members presented messages from their respective countries, outlining views on improving public administration performance and reaffirming their commitment to EROPA’s goals and vision. These messages emphasized fostering regional and international cooperation to advance EROPA’s shared mission of promoting the development of public administration science and practice in the region.
Representing Viet Nam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien, NAPA President and Head of the Vietnamese delegation, delivered Viet Nam’s message. He emphasized that since EROPA’s founding in 1960, its influence in advancing public administration across the region has been increasingly recognized. EROPA’s valuable contributions include collaboration on research, the development of public management science, sharing best practices, and promoting effective management models. These efforts have played a significant role in shaping and improving public governance in state members, fostering a conducive environment for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific. The 2024 EROPA Conference with the conference theme “Towards World Class Bureaucracy” and its focused sub-themes underscore the spirit of close cooperation and unity among scholars, public administration experts, and EROPA’s organizational and individual members. Building a “world-class bureaucracy” is not only an ideal goal but a practical requirement, reflecting a commitment to a professional, modern public service within each state member, enhancing citizens’ quality of life, and promoting sustainable socio-economic development.
The establishment of the EROPA Training Center in Viet Nam
According to the meeting agenda, delegates discussed the proposal to establish an EROPA Training Center in Viet Nam. In his capacity as the President of NAPA, Vietnamese EROPA State member, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ba Chien presented this proposal. The proposal garnered interest and support from the heads of delegations of EROPA state members. Delegates exchanged views on the organizational structure and operational methods for the proposed EROPA Training Center in Viet Nam.
Reports of the EROPA Secretariat and EROPA Committees
Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr., EROPA Secretary-General, presented the Secretariat’s report on its activities from the 2023 EROPA Conference in Viet Nam (October 16, 2023) to November 3, 2024. The report highlighted the key initiatives undertaken by the Secretariat, which included:
(1) Collaborating with the National Academy of Public Administration, Viet Nam, to organize the 68th Executive Council Meeting, the 29th EROPA Conference, and the General Assembly on “The Role of Public Governance in Socio-Economic Recovery and Development Towards the Sustainable Development Goals” from October 16–20, 2023, in Ha Noi, Viet Nam.
(2) Publishing Volume 31 of the Asian Review of Public Administration (ARPA), featuring articles on the pandemic response experiences of several countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, the Republic of Korea, Viet Nam, and the United States.
(3) Co-hosting the Asia-Pacific Regional Workshop on the Review of the Standards of Excellence for Public Administration Education and Training, in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) on November 3, 2023.
(4) Dr. Alex Brillantes Jr. participating as a keynote speaker in a training workshop organized by NAPA, Vietnam, titled “Building a Future-Ready Public Leadership Workforce: International Experiences and Implications for ASEAN Countries” as part of the ASEAN Network of Public Service Training Institutes (PSTI) activities on December 22, 2023.
(5) Co-organizing and representing the Asia-Pacific region at the Mayors’ Forum and Ministerial Roundtables of the World Governments Summit held from February 12–14, 2024, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
(6) Enhancing the operations and service offerings of the EROPA Secretariat, including improvements in publishing and the EROPA website, to strengthen EROPA’s presence in the public administration community.
Reports of the Heads of EROPA Centers
Mr. Yun Changhee, the Deputy Director of the National Human Resource Development Institute (NHRDI), rendered the report of the Development Management Center, the EROPA Center in South Korea.
Ms. Xie Jing, the Deputy Director of the Research Division of Education and Training of the Chinese Academy of Personnel Science, rendered the report of the Human Resource Research Center, the EROPA Center in China.
Dr. Tri Widodo Wahyu Utomo, the Deputy for Policy Studies and Public Administration Innovation of the National Institute of Public Administration, rendered the report of the Policy Studies Center, the EROPA Center in Indonesia.
Dr. Kikuchi Yoshinobu, President of the Local Autonomy College, the EROPA Center in Japan, rendered the report on the implementation of international training programs focused on local governance, designed for central and local government officials from Asian countries involved in local governance reform. Additionally, since 1984, the EROPA Center for Local Government has published a series of comparative studies on public administration, a collection of articles from experts primarily from EROPA State members, with a focus on local governance.
Report on the EROPA publications and Reports of EROPA Committees
Dr. Kristoffer Berse, EROPA Deputy Secretary-General and Dean of the National College Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines, rendered a report on the developments and status of EROPA’s Publications, which includes the Asian Review of Public Administration (ARPA) and EROPA Bulletin. Dr. Masao Kikuchi, Chair of the Future Plans and Programs Committee, presented the report on the Committee’s ongoing matters.
An overview of the meeting.
On November 5, 2024, the opening ceremony of the 2024 Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA) Conference, themed “Towards World Class Bureaucracy”, will be held at the Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
