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IASIA 2024
The International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) 2024 Conference fostered critical discussions and insights into the future of public administration and service delivery.

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently hosted the esteemed International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) 2024 Conference. This notable event was organised by the UFS Department of Public Administration and Management, bringing together 280 academics, researchers, students, and practitioners to delve into the theme, Alternative Service Delivery and Sustainable Societal Responsiveness.

The relevance of this theme aligns with the Global and Africa Agendas 2030 and 2063, emphasising the need for a transformative dynamic to ensure that no one is left behind. The conference addressed the roles and challenges faced by public institutions, governments at all levels, public servants, and citizens worldwide. It highlighted the importance of managing uncertainties, challenges, and expectations in an era of complex reforms.

The conference featured a diverse and distinguished line-up of speakers, including Dr Najat Zarrouk, President of IASIA; Dr Sofiane Sahraoui, Director General of IASIA; Dr Ra’ed Benshams, President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS); Prof Francis Petersen, UFS Vice-Chancellor and Principal; and Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, former Minister of Public Service and Administration of South Africa.

Advancing excellence

IASIA is dedicated to strengthening administrative capacity worldwide, advancing excellence in public administration education and training, and fostering the dissemination of innovative scholarly research and practices in governance and administration. The key objectives of the conference are to promote the exchange of knowledge on the evolution of public administration theory and practice and to facilitate comparative studies and the development of public administration theory. In addition, it aims to encourage innovation in ideas, methods, and techniques in public administration; strengthen the dialogue between academics and practitioners; as well as to develop and consolidate a community of public administration experts open to contributions from young researchers and public officials.

Sustainable solutions

“Hosting the IASIA Conference was pivotal for addressing sustainable solutions to service delivery challenges in the public sector, both globally and within the South African context. It provided a valuable platform for international exposure and networking for the UFS Department of Public Administration and Management, the broader UFS community, the Free State Provincial Government, and the South African as well as the global public administration and management fraternity,” said Prof Liezel Lues, UFS Professor of Public Administration and Management and rapporteur of the IASIA conference.

“It also included practitioners from South African universities and various public sector stakeholders, aligning with Vision 130's goal of making a significant social impact by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovative solutions to local and global challenges,” she added.

Exploring the future of public service

A significant focus of the conference was exploring alternative service delivery models aimed at enhancing efficiency, responsiveness, inclusiveness, collaboration, co-production, and accountability. Public institutions and governments worldwide are grappling with numerous complex challenges, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, rapid urbanisation, climate change, inequality, youth disorientation, migration, and the digital revolution. These challenges have led to a critical lack of trust in public institutions and growing dissatisfaction with government performance.

Embracing alternative service delivery

Traditional government models have often struggled to meet citizens' needs and address these multifaceted issues. The conference highlighted the emergence of alternative service delivery models, emphasising the need to open public services to other actors and stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society organisations, and community groups. This approach seeks to enhance public service delivery through collaboration and innovation, ultimately striving to build a more responsive and sustainable society.

Click to view documentPlease click here to scan the QR code with the IASIA app for more information about the conference.

Watch the conference highlights video



News Archive

Linguistic resourcefulness impresses at 15th Student Symposium on the Natural Sciences
2015-11-26


UFS students walk away with more than half the prizes at this year’s Student Symposium on the Natural Sciences.

This year, the fifteenth annual Student Symposium on the Natural Sciences was hosted on the Bloemfontein Campus by the UFS Departments of Chemistry and Physics, together with the South African Academy for Science and Arts (SAAWK).

According to Dr Ernie Langner, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, this symposium provides postgraduate students from all over South Africa the opportunity to present their research in Afrikaans, to learn from each other, receive feedback on their work through the review process, and to build networks. If their abstracts are selected for publication in the Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie, it also provides them with further exposure in the broader academic context.

Besides research of the highest quality, this year's symposium had no shortage of linguistic resourcefulness. “Students, accustomed to writing and expressing their research in English, astonished everybody with their beautiful Afrikaans. Outstanding research from honours, master's, and doctoral students was expressed in scientific terminology of the highest standard,” Dr Langner said.

The Student Symposium is the only event (worldwide) where the development of 'elektrostatiese potensiaalkaarte', 'femtosekonde pomp-proef spektroskopie', or 'endokrien-ontwrigtende chemikalieë' is explained step by step. This is where one hears enthusiastic students talking about how hard they are working on 'geïntegreerde drywende sonkragstelsels', or 'geneste virtuele rekenaars binne die wolkstelsel'. The results of hours of hard work in the lab, cold nights behind a telescope, or long midnight sessions in front of the computer, had to be condensed into 15-minute presentations on the synthesis of metal-organic networks, or metal-carbene complexes, the identification of pulsar rhythms, or the refining of rapid-eye technology.

Of approximately forty participants from five universities, eighteen were awarded prizes for their papers and posters. Students from the UFS walked away with more than half of the awards. Jacques Maritz (Physics) and his wife, Elizabeth, (Mathematics and Applied Mathematics) from the UFS were both awarded first place in their respective sessions.

 

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