The Conference is being held in Bahrain from June 1 to 6, 2013 and organized by Bahrain Institute of Public Administration (BIPA) in collaboration with the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) and the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Public Administration (IASIA), the two largest organizations specializing in administrative sciences in the world.
The first day saw legal meetings of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences and the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Public Administration. The first workshop in the conference, chaired by Dr. Raed Mohammed bin Shams, the Director General of the Institute of Public Administration (BIPA) was also held in the presence of senior officials at the institute and participants from all the schools and institutes of public administration across the world.
Bin Shams introduced the new initiative of the Institute which consists in the establishment of a Middle East research group in the field of public administration (MEPAR), with the aim of enriching the concept of public administration in the Middle East. The participants lauded this initiative and congratulated Bahrain for creating this group, stressing the importance of highlighting the research area in public administration in the Mideast region. Dr. Ban Suk Kim, head of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences and Dr. Michelle Ferris, head of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Public Administration also praised this initiative and wished it great success.
When introducing the initiative, Dr. Bin Shams revealed that MEPAR is a network of organizations active in the field of thought and practice of public administration in the Middle East, and explained that MEPAR is short for Middle East Public Administration Research. MEPAR has been launched and embraced by the Institute of Public Administration (BIPA) though it is a completely independent body. Dr. Bin Shams also announced that MEPAR welcomes all the participations and contributions from the institutions, researchers and professionals from all over the world.
“MEPAR will seek to be a forum for research and a centre for the exchange of experiences among professionals and academics on important topics related to the management of changes in public governance, with focus on the Middle East, and will serve as a an experimental field or a “box of ideas” where topics of public policy and public administration in the region are discussed,” Bin Shams, said.
Dr Bin Shams said MEPAR aimed at advancing research in the areas of public administration, public policy and good governance in the region, as well as taking part in and enriching intellectual debates on public policy and administration in the region.
“MEPAR will serve as a regional forum for the exchange of ideas between actors in the field of public administration and public policy and will establish a network of governmental and non-governmental institutions of public administration, create an intellectual link in the region through the supply of all institutes and schools of public administration in the world with local research and the expansion of regional participation in the international activities and events,” he added.
“MEPAR will not stop at this point as it also seeks to organize seminars, functions, conferences and meetings to discuss public administration affairs in light of the broad participation and patronage by Mideast and foreign organizations. It will also play a role in the intellectual debates run, by specialized media and civil society institutions, to shed light on the latest developments in public administration policies. MEPAR will also propose some strategies for the development of public administration competencies, mainly in policies and governance and will mobilize experts’ efforts to meet this end so as to boost joint endeavors and be a part in cooperative research projects with other entities,” he said.
BIPA gave an account on the most enriching ideas for public administration in the Middle East, including first-hand results such concept work papers and experimental case studies in addition to global forums that attract thinkers and put forth the best practices in public administration and governance. BIPA also presented what we call “White Papers” that explain potential strategies and examined topic-related recommendations, development of joint research areas, holding functions to promote strategy-related elements and organizing debates as part of the ongoing activities of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS).
It is worth noting that the opening ceremony will be held and attended by all participants on the third day of the conference in addition to holding the sessions of the work groups and other debates whereas the second day will witness the main meetings of IIAS Board of Directors and IIAS leaders’ round table discussions. The open sessions and the workshops of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Public Administration (IASIA) will be resumed on the fourth day of the conference whereas the conference as a whole will be wrapped up next Thursday, the sixth and last day of this international event.