International Spotlight: Japan

2009 cohort engaging in group discussion, facilitated by Professor Nishishiba

The Tokyo Foundation and the Center for Public Service at PSU’s Hatfield School of Government have jointly developed a specialized professional development training program for Japanese municipal government managers. This program is designed to prepare local government managers in Japan for the increased responsibility placed upon them as a result of a major initiative to decentralize governing responsibility in Japan. Since 2004, a talented group of municipal managers from around Japan are appointed by their mayor to partake in this educational experience.

Performance Management & Leadership: International Conference Oct. 1-2, 2011

The Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University is pleased to announce our 2nd International Conference on Government Performance, Management, and Leadership. Working in tandem with the School of Management at Lanzhou University in China, the conference has been designed to focus on government innovations that foster institutional trust and accountability, while promoting sustainable solutions. The partnership between the two schools, beginning in June of 2006, has led to greater educational cooperation and exciting research advances regarding public performance management. Other conference cosponsors include: Japan’s Waseda University, Rutgers University, and Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh National Academy for Politics and Public Administration.

The conference will convene from October 1st – 2nd of 2011 with a full speaking schedule of leading scholars and practitioners in the field of performance management. The Hatfield School of Government has issued a corresponding call for papers on themes of importance to conference sponsors. These include: initiatives that integrate “management” and “leadership” innovations as related concepts, growth models which promote sustainable development, and creative strategies for addressing institutional trust and accountability. We hope that both attendees and presenters will consider submitting papers in order to ensure a more diverse and accessible marketplace of ideas. Please note that the submission deadline for abstracts is April 30th, 2011. For registration forms and other information, please visit www.lanzhou-hatfield.pdx.edu.

Whether you are a scholar in the field, a practitioner, or simply an attendee, the Conference provides an excellent opportunity to learn, share and engage in dialogue with others on developing new approaches to performance management that provide sustainability for future generations without sacrificing the stability of present ones. We hope that you will join with the Hatfield School of Government and its partners to chart a new course in performance management and leadership. See you at the conference!