The conference is held once every three years and attracts more than 400 participants, elite of administrative officials, academics and practitioners of the public administration sciences from all over the world.
Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the conference is being hosted by Bahrain from June 1st to 6th 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 opens in Manama.
Overall 63 work papers out of 322, including 75 from the Middle East, were accepted. Bahrain alone had submitted 60 work papers out of which 49 were accepted, thus, accounting for 78% of the total number of work papers submitted from the Middle East.
It was the first time in the conference’s history that 29 work papers were submitted in Arabic after the Arabic language had been accredited as the third official language in the conference, alongside English and French.
Marking the occasion, BIPA Director General Dr. Raed Mohammed bin Shams welcomed participants in the conference, lauding the government’s tremendous support to ensure its success. He 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.
He added MEPAR aims to develop 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 exchanging ideas, establishing a network of governmental and non-governmental institutions of public administration, creating an intellectual link in the region by supplying all institutes and schools of public administration in the world with local research and expanding regional participation in international activities and events.
On Saturday IASIS held its annual meeting. Culture Minister Shaikha Mai welcomed the participants and stressed the importance of public administration in people’s development throughout the world.
It is worth noting that the opening ceremony is held on Monday, the 3rd day of the conference’s activities, and attended by all participants. The event will feature various functions including debate sessions and workshops.