On January 7, 2023, the 2nd MPA Advisory Board Inauguration and the First Advisory Meeting was successful held at SYSU in a hybrid format, both online and offline. Members of the 2nd MPA Advisory Board, including Professor Chen Ruilian, Professor Gao Xiang, Mr. Liao Qinan, Mr. Lan Zhiwei, Mr. Tu Zipei, Mr. Yeqian, Associate Professor Zhang Pengju, Associate Professor Chen Cheng, Ms. Li Biqin, Professor Tan Ankui and Professor Wang Qiushi attended the meeting. Participants also included Associate Professor Li Mianguan, Director of the MPA Program, and other staff in the program office. The meeting was chaired by Director Li Mianguan.

(The 2nd MPA Advisory Board Inauguration was launched.)

Professor Tan Ankui, Dean of the School of Government, introduced the background, aims and objectives of the Advisory Board, and expressed his expectation for the Board’s mission. Afterwards, he awarded letters of appointment to 11 members of the Advisory Board and announced the establishment of the 2nd MPA Advisory Board. After deliberation of the Board members, the meeting elected Professor Tan Ankui as Chair of the Advisory Board, and Professor Chen Ruilian and Mr. Tu Zipei as Vice Chair.

(Dean Tan Ankui was addressing.)

After the inauguration ceremony, Director Li Mianguan made a report to the 2nd MPA Advisory Board on the construction of the MPA program in the past three years from five aspects, including degree construction, training plans, faculty building, research achievements and talents training. Participants listened to the report and shared their views and suggestions on the future development of the program from the perspectives of curriculum design, faculty and education quality and NASPAA accreditation, .

Chen Ruilian claimed that the MPA program at SYSU should make breakthroughs from three aspects: (1) Utilize the positive effect of NASPAA accreditation on program development, (2) to invite professionals in the field to deliver MPA lectures, and (3) to establish program characteristics based on the university’s location advantages in southern China—the forefront of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Gao Xiang shared the experience from Zhejiang University, including diversity, information transparency, student tracking files establishment, and school resources utilization. Zhang Pengju said that suggested that the university take the advantages in faculty and students, as well as its unique teaching methods featuring both qualitative and quantitative characteristics.

Tu Zipei proposed to increase the weight of courses using quantitative methods, such as data analysis, statistics, data governance, information technology and algorithm analysis, and pool excellent teachers from other schools to set up relevant courses. Wang Qiushi said that NASPAA accreditation would contribute to the innovation of management concepts and the improvement of teaching and management of SYSU’s MPA program, He also stressed the importance of constructing technical and data courses.

Lan Zhiwei pointed out the significance to recruit quality teachers and part-time teachers with government practice, and attract middle to senior civil servants back to college. Meanwhile, attention should be paid to the needs of social development, and courses based on the characteristics of the Greater Bay Area should be introduced. Chen Cheng believed that the future of the MPA program counted on the efforts of every teacher. How to educate MPA students to graduate, how to balance faculty’s multiple goals and how to overcome career burnout were important issues to be considered.

Besides, Li Biqin, the student representative, as well as Liao Qinan and Ye Qian, the professional representatives, expressed their willingness to work with other members to promote the high-quality development of the MPA program.

At the end of the meeting, Professor Tan Ankui, Chair of the 2nd MPA Advisory Board and Dean of the School of Government, made concluding remarks. He stated that the meeting had achieved fruitful results, with valuable suggestions from the members on program construction, discipline construction and talents training. The School of Government and the Center for MPA Program would improve the program construction, so as to boost the development of the MPA education.

(Photo of participants)