On 11 November 2011, the School of Public Administration of the Faculty of Political and Law of the Open University of China (OUC) held a workshop concerning issues of public administration after Covid-19.

Researcher Xie Yahong, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese Public Administration Society, and editor-in-chief of Chinese Public Administration, was invited to deliver the keynote speech, and Zhao Juqiang, director of the School of Public Administration, hosted the event. Administrators and teachers from the OUC Faculty of Political Science and Law and the Experimental School also participated.   

Based on the typical methods of major countries in dealing with social issues, the reshaping of public order, and the provision of public services since the outbreak of the pandemic, and especially China’s success maintaining public safety along with stable economic and social development, Xie Yahong gave an overview of the governance, administrative ethics, cultural foundations, and ideological origins of public administration in China in a comparative perspective. She pointed out that teaching and research should be in line with government operations, strategies and policy, and put forward views capable of rigorous scientific support.  

After the speech, other participants shared their views of the theme of the activity, and discussed the issues, including Chinese characteristics of the practice of public administration, local research into public administration, civilised steps toward government reform, policy innovations in local governance, and management of the system of open universities. The teachers stated that the workshop stimulated their interest in research, promoted combining practice and theory, and gave clear direction for enhancing their teaching and optimising the construction of majors and disciplines.   

Written by Cheng Ming; photos by Tian Yuan, OUC