The Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA) held its 2014 International Annual Conference with a theme “The Study and Practices of Public Administration in Asia and the Rest of the World: Trends, Nuances, and Challenges”. It was held on 6 to 8 February 2014 at Madarin Plaza Hotel, Cebu City.

This conference aims to create a dialogue among scholars and practitioners of Asian public administration and public policy to address various challenges in the field of public administration. It focuses on the following set of issues: (1) exploring the public administration disciplinary agenda – theoretical and methodological issues; (2) public administration across borders – comparative trends and practices; (3) public sector reforms and innovations; and (4) public administration, public governance, and international cooperation.

There were two delegates from Ateneo de Naga University, namely: Dr. Malu C. Barcillano who presented her paper entitled “Effective Public Administration and Governance of the Local Government as a Strategy for Tourism Development: The Case of the Local Government Unit of Naga City, Philippines” and served as moderator in the presentations on Issues and Challenges in Public Sector Reform; and Ms. Ma. Filipina H. Bana who presented her paper entitled “Functional Partnerships of the Naga City along the Attainment of the Four Prioritized Millennium Development Goals” for sessions on Disciplinary Issues and Challenges.

The said conference was attended by members of the Association of Public Administration in the Philippines and in Asia.

– Jay P. Abawag