WEBINAR

What a great way to start 2024 by holding a webinar with close to 120 participants from around the world. This SANPA-SIPG webinar was held on 28 January 2024 and moderated by SANPA President Professor Akhlaque Haque. Global scholars James Perry, Akhlaque Haque, Kim Moloney, Shahjahan Bhuiyan, Aisha Azhar, Dr. Amir Nasrullah, and Alex Brillantes Jr discussed and debated how to build collaboration to create global knowledge on public administration. James Perry presented a very thought-provoking note that invoked critical discussions from the panelists. We thank our partners, SIPG, EROPA, ACSH, UNPAN, BCGD, PAAN, and AAPA, for their support. Special gratitude to EROPA for ensuring high attendance.

SANPA organized its 4th SANPA-SIPG webinar on 25 November 2023, on Political Patronage in Asian Bureaucracies! A record number of participants from different continents joined the webinar. Congratulations to all. The webinar featured Prof Guy Peters, Prof Colin Knox, Prof Shahjahan Bhuiyan, Prof Durga P Chettri, Prof Syeda Lasna Kabir, Prof Suporna Soni, and Dr Kohei Suzuki. SANPA EC is grateful to all the speakers and attendees! What an excellent way to complete the year. SANPA EC appreciated the contributions of its partners, SIPG, UNPAN, EROPA, AAPA, ACSH, and BCGD-DIU, for spreading the flyer and encouraging colleagues to join.

SANPA successfully organized the third SANPA-SIPG webinar, “Learning from the Covid-19 Pandemic and Proposing Policies for a Transformative Future,” on 30 September 2023. Associate Prof of the University of Philippines Diliman Dr Ma. Victoria R. Raquiza presented the keynote. Dr Abiha Zahra moderated the webinar. Prof Nurul Momen, Chair of the Public Administration Department at Rajshahi University, and Dr Tanwir Arshed, Political Science Department at Presidency University, commented on the presentation. Many colleagues from different countries attended the webinar. Our heartfelt greetings to the resource persons and the attendees.

The 2nd webinar of 2023 was held on 29 April 2023 and attended by academics, researchers and practitioners from different continents. Professor Wolfgang Drechsler, Tallinn University of Technology, presented the keynote on the ‘New Neo-Weberian State’, and Professor Akhlaque Haque, SANPA Vice-President and University of Alabama at Birmingham, made remarks as a panellist. SANPA President Professor Habib Zafarullah moderated the webinar, while Professor Shiladitya Chakraborty offered the vote of thanks.

SANPA organized its first webinar in 2023 on 12 February via zoom platform. Professor Leslie Pal of Hamad Bin Khalifa University and Professor Ishtiaq Jamil of the University of Bergen presented the keynote on ‘publishing scholarly writings: how and where’. Professor Habib Zafarullah, President of SANPA, moderated the webinar and Dr Shabana Naveed, SANPA General Member and of the University of Central Punjab, made the concluding remarks. Many scholars and practitioners from different universities and countries attended the webinar. SANPA’s institutional partner South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), provided logistics assistance in hosting the webinar.

SANPA organized the fourth webinar of 2022 on 10 December 2022. Professor Emeritus Dr. Krishna K. Tummala, Kansas State University, presented the keynote, while SANPA EC Member Professor Prabhat K. Datta moderated the webinar. The designated panelists were: Professor Akhlaque Haque, The University of Birmingham at Alabama; Professor Alex B. Brillantes, Jr., Secretary-General, EROPA; Senior Professor Lalitha Fernando, University of Sri Jayewardenepura; Professor Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, Director, South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG); Dr. Naresh Saxena, IAS (Rtd.), former Secretary, Government of India. The keynote speaker and the discussants underscored the necessity to protect democracy, and in doing so, they emphasized the need for critical thinking and institutional building. It was expected that SANPA members will work to safeguard democracy and justice.

A webinar on ‘Dr. Akbar Ali Khan: Contribution to Bangladesh State and Society’ was organized by the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) and South Asian Network for Public Administration (SANPA) on 3 October 2022 at NSU. Dr. Akbar Ali Khan was an influential academic, researcher, active and objective public intellectual and renowned bureaucrat- reaching the position of Cabinet Secretary in Bangladesh. He successfully combined multiple roles in his career- academia, research, and national and international bureaucracies. He died on 8 September 2022. His demise is a great loss for the nation. This webinar was organized to commemorate and discuss his contribution to Bangladesh state and society. The distinguished panelists were; Mr. Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, Former Advisor, Caretaker Government; Md. Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, Former Secretary, Economic Relations Division, Finance Division, Government of Bangladesh; Dr. Mohammad Tareque, Director, Bangladesh Institute of Governance & Management (BIGM) & Former Finance Secretary, GoB, and Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). The moderator was Professor Salahuddin M Aminuzzaman, Advisor, South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), NSU. Academics, researchers, practitioners, civil servants, journalists, and students from both Bangladesh and abroad participated in the webinar. Dr. Habib Zafarullah, Founding Chair, SANPA said that he is the pioneer of regulatory governance in Bangladesh. His resignation from the Caretaker government was a brave step. His post-retirement years were productive as he wrote eloquently. He is an epitome of a perfect ‘pracademic.’ The webinar started with a video presentation on SIPG and concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Mohammad Mizanur Rahman, Secretary General, SANPA.

The third webinar of 2022 was held on 15 October 2022. Dr. Fara Azmat, Deakin University, presented the keynote on “Sustainable Development Goals- where do we stand? Moving forward- challenges and opportunities”. Professor Rumki Basu, Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi; Dr. Mohamed Evren Tok, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar; Dr. Maria Victoria R. Raquiza, the University of Philippines Diliman; Mr. Trilochan Pokharel, Nepal Administrative Staff College spoke in the webinar as designated speaker. During the floor discussion, SANPA EC member Dr. Aly Shameem commented on the issues. SANPA Chair Professor Habib Zafarullah moderated the webinar, while SANPA EC member Dr. K M Kabirul Islam offered the vote of thanks. Scholars and practitioners from different countries joined the webinar.

The second webinar of 2022 was held on 20 August 2022. 161 academics and practitioners worldwide joined the webinar. The webinar’s theme was public administration in developing countries: practitioners’ perspectives. Dr. Nivedita P Haran, IAS (Rtd.), former Secretary to the Government of India, presented the keynote. Mr. Mohammad Mejbahuddin, former Senior Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, Dr. Aly Shameem, former President, Civil Service Commission, Maldives, and Mr. Bokyun Shim, former Vice-Minister, Government of the Republic of Korea, were the designated panelists. Dr. M Mahfuzul Haque, Treasurer, SANPA Executive Committee, moderated the webinar. Professor Yaamina Salman, SANPA General Member, offered the vote of thanks.

The South Asian Network for Public Administration (SANPA) organized its 1st webinar of 2022 on 7 May 2022. Professor Alasdair Roberts, University of Massachusetts Amherst, spoke as the keynote speaker on STRATEGIES FOR GOVERNING: REINVENTING PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FOR A DANGEROUS CENTURY. The distinguished panelists were: Professor Ahmed Shafiqul Huque, McMaster University, Professor Catherine Althaus ANZSOG, and Professor Jon Pierre, University of Gothenburg. SANPA Chairperson Professor Habib Zafarullah moderated the webinar, and Dr. Aly Shameem, SANPA EC Member, offered the vote of thanks. Sixty-four public administration academics and practitioners from different continents attended the webinar.

SANPA organized the second webinar on 10 October 2021. Public administration academics and practitioners from different regions and continents attended the webinar. Professor Evan Berman, Sao Paulo School of Business Administration, presented the keynote on the ‘pandemic effects: exploring the horizon of public administration as an academic discipline and a field of practice.’ Citing examples from different countries in managing the pandemic, Professor Berman argued that strong leadership of the national government, particularly the senior bureaucrats, and effective coordination would play a key role. Meiji University Emeritus Professor Akira Nakamura, Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration Secretary-General Professor Alex B. Brillantes, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development Professor Inderjeet Singh Sodhi, the Panjab University Associate Professor Sidra Irfan spoke as panelists. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Professor Akhalque Haque moderated the webinar. Moving forward, the panelists opined that public administration experts need to look forward to a new approach. University of Sri Jayewardenepura Professor Lalitha Fernando offered the vote of thanks. SANPA Chairperson Professor Habib Zafarullah thanked all participants, particularly the keynote speaker and panelists, for their contribution and hoped that SANPA would become a significant international platform for advancing knowledge and insights in public administration.

SANPA organized a webinar on “Implementing the UNCEPA Adopted 11 Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development: Why We Need to Talk More Strongly on the Political Insulation of the Bureaucracy” on 26 June 2021. Professor B. Guy Peters, Maurice Falk Professor of American Government, Pittsburgh University, presented the keynote, while Professor Habib Zafarullah, Chair, SANPA and the University of New England, moderated the webinar. Professor Akhlaque Haque, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Professor Lalitha S Fernando, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka, Professor Ahmed Shafiqul Huque, McMaster University, Dr. Mahfuzul Haque, former Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh, Dr. Aly Shameem, former Chairman, Maldives Civil Service Commission, Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan, Independent University, Bangladesh, Professor Prabhat Datta, former Centenary Chair of Public Administration, University of Calcutta, Dr. Fara Azmat, Deakin University, Professor Yaamina Salman, University of Punjab, Mr. Bokyun Shim, Head of Office, United Nations Project Office on Governance, were the designated panelists. SANPA EC Member Mr. Trilochan Pokharel offered a vote of thanks. The speakers underscored that bureaucracy requires an autonomous working environment backed by adequate political insulation to be more productive and contribute to national development and improve governance quality, particularly in developing countries. However, alongside political insulation and autonomy, there should be a strong accountability framework to hold the bureaucracy to account.