4
EROPA Bulletin
Agata highlights
JSPA legacy in
keynote address
Professor Koichiro Agata delivers his keynote address to the
conference participants. (Photo: LAC)
Professor Koichiro Agata, President of the Japanese
Society for Public Administration (JSPA) delivered his
keynote address on the opening day of the 2013 EROPA
Conference (15 October). In his speech, he emphasized
the role of JSPA in promoting public administration
research and exchange in the Asia-Pacific region and
beyond.
Professor Agata presented the organizational structure,
activities and publications of JSPA. He then discussed
the trends of the topics involved in lectures, serminars
and publications by the said organization. He showed
that much of the discourse delved on territorial and
organizational reforms at the local and national levels.
In contrast, he pointed out that there is relatively little
research on personnel management and international
empirical studies on finance.
Prof. Agata also highlighted three emerging trends:
organizational and policy theories, local research on
public administration discipline, and international
research studies on finance. He suggested that
Vol. 34 Nos. 3-4 (July-December 2013)
international studies should be better cultivated in the
future, particularly in the area of consultative research.
He also hoped that JSPA would look into opportunities
for practical and interdisciplinary discussions.
Prof. Agata presented various areas for cooperation
between JSPA and other multilateral organizations
such as EROPA. Meanwhile, he lamented the low
participation of youth in JSPA, and voiced out the need
to invite young professionals and students to public
administration organizations. He concluded his address
by urging partner organizations to work more closely
with JSPA as they strive to attain a common goal in
promoting public administration study and practice.
Aside from being JSPA President, Dr. Koichiro Agata
is Professor of Public Administration at the Graduate
School of Public Management and at the School of
Political Sciences and Economics at Waseda University,
Japan. After finishing his Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees in Political Sciences, Prof. Agata earned
the degree of Dr.rer.publ. at the German School of
Administrative Sciences Speyer in 1992. He has since
then been involved in various research projects and led
discussions on public administration.
Founded in 1950, the Japanese Society for Public
Administration (JSPA) is an academic organization
inclined to promote research activities on public
administration, as well as cooperation among
academicians and practitioners in the field. JSPA hopes
to develop a three-year study group system, which
would first tackle disaster technologies and catastrophe
management, and strengthen ties with its international
partners.
JSPA is one of the active institutional members of
EROPA.
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