Successful 2016 EGPA Conference strengthens international status Utrecht University

From August 24 to 26, Utrecht University’s Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance hosted the EGPA Annual Conference, one of the biggest and most important conferences in the field of public administration and public management. EGPA stands for European Group of Public Administration, the European Branch of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS). It was for the first time that Utrecht welcomed the international EGPA community. From the reactions of participants, speakers and EGPA representatives, it emerges that the conference is unanimously viewed as an enormous success. A record number of over 500 participants took part in the various sessions of the conference, in some of the most beautiful locations of Utrecht’s inner city. 

In total, 22 panels convened in Utrecht, discussing topics like E-Government, performance management, local governance, welfare governance and professionalism, court administration, law and public administration, public financial management, EU governance, HRM and even more. 

Innovative conference
The opening ceremony in the Janskerk, the panel sessions on exquisite locations in the inner city and the conference dinner in the FC Utrecht football stadium could all count on many participants. This also applies to the innovative elements in this conference. For example, panels were organized in which high profile practitioners from Dutch public administration had discussions with academics about change strategies and the modernization of governance. In addition, in the Louis Hartlooper Complex, the so-called EGPA Edge Talks were organized: TEDx presentations EGPA-style, in which participants were challenged to be inspired by the boundaries of their disciplines.

‘More conferences in Utrecht please’
In three days, participants got to know Utrecht University very well, as well as the - in all aspects - warm city. Participants highly valued the ‘professionalism, hospitality and vision’ of the organization, to quote a prominent guest. ‘More conferences please in Utrecht!’ was one of the tweets of a well-known colleague from the USA. ‘This was the best EGPA conference ever’ another experienced participant said. During the EGPA 2016 Conference, the international status of Utrecht University has again been strengthened. 

Photo impression and the aftermovie.