Academy of Public Administration and Governance Discusses Cooperation Opportunities with City University of Hong Kong (China)

Attending the meeting, on the side of City University of Hong Kong, were Prof. Alfred Tat Kei Ho, Professor of Public Governance and Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS); Prof. Bert George and Prof. Wang Xiaohu, Associate Deans of CLASS; and Ms. Patsy Chung from CLASS. On the side of AVSE Global, there was Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Phuong Tra, Economic Policy Directorate Director at AVSE Global.

On the side of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance, participants included Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of the Academy; Dr. Nguyen Quang Vinh, Editor-in-Chief of the State Management Journal; Ms. Le Thi Tuyet, Vice Director of the Scientific Management and International Cooperation Department; along with officers from the department.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh, Vice President of APAG, expressed his delight in engaging in an online exchange with the leadership of City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK). He expressed expectations that through this working session, both sides would open up numerous cooperative opportunities in education, scientific research, and academic exchange.

Dr. Bui Phuong Dinh also emphasized that the State Management Journal—the scientific research and mouthpiece organ of APAG—is currently undergoing standardization to join the Scopus international citation system within the next two to three years. Therefore, the Academy wishes to receive cooperation and support from experts at City University of Hong Kong by joining the Editorial Board, conducting double-blind peer reviews for scientific articles, directly submitting research papers to the journal, and supporting APAG in connecting with international scholars in administrative science and public governance.

Building upon the topics of cooperative orientation between the two sides, Prof. Alfred Tat Kei Ho, Dean of CLASS, introduced two key cooperation programs that CityUHK plans to implement in the coming time, highlighting that APAG possesses great potential to participate.

First is the specialized training program CLASS Advanced Methods Seminars (CAMS), taking place over two weeks at City University of Hong Kong from August 3 to 14, 2026, in a hybrid format combining face-to-face and online learning. The program aims to enhance research capacity in the social sciences, focusing specifically on quantitative research methods and data analysis. Participating in the program equips trainees not only with research methodology knowledge but also skills in data analysis, research design, and statistical thinking. At the same time, this serves as an opportunity to build academic networks with international scholars, creating a favorable foundation for studying and researching at leading universities worldwide. For this program, APAG can nominate doctoral candidates, master's students, lecturers, and researchers to attend.

Second is the International Conference on Public Policy and Public Management (ISPPM 2026), scheduled to take place at City University of Hong Kong on October 15 and 16, 2026. The conference is co-hosted by the Department of Public and International Affairs at CityUHK, AVSE Global, and Audencia Business School (France). APAG has accepted the invitation to participate in this event as a strategic partner.

Speaking at the meeting, Prof. Bert George, Associate Dean of CLASS and co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Public Management, expressed his readiness to support the State Management Journal in connecting with international universities and partner organizations. He also informed that within the framework of the CLASS Advanced Methods Seminars (CAMS) program scheduled for this coming August, editors-in-chief of scientific journals will participate to discuss organizational models, operational workflows, and experience in developing academic journals. Therefore, he recommended that APAG send officers to participate in the program to learn from this experience and expand its international academic network.

Within the framework of the session, both sides also discussed several potential cooperative directions between the two institutions, including student exchange programs, joint master's degree programs, and co-organizing international scientific conferences.

At the conclusion of the meeting, leadership from both sides agreed to maintain regular exchange mechanisms to promptly operationalize the discussed contents, aiming to enhance training and scientific research quality while strengthening academic connections between the two institutions. In the immediate future, both sides will coordinate to successfully prepare and organize the International Conference on Public Policy and Public Management (ISPPM 2026) in Hong Kong, an event in which APAG has agreed to participate as a strategic partner.