The Second APPPA Conference Concludes with Resounding Success
The second APPPA (the Asia-Pacific Politics and Public Administration) conference brought together a vibrant community of scholars across the university, the region, and further afield.
During his opening remarks on May 18th, Professor Robert Thomson, Head of PPA (Department of Politics and Public Administration) at HKU, welcomed around 150 scholars to HKU.
The conference covered all fields of political science and public administration. Another distinguishing feature of this year’s APPPA conference was its multi-generational lineup with many prominent contributions by emerging scholars.
The conference covered a remarkably wide spectrum of topics, including global connectivity, international relations theory and security, public policy and administration, media influence, the political economy of state-building, research methods, public opinion, AI governance, legislative representation, and economic shocks. These panel discussions were complemented by diverse poster sessions tackling issues from political narratives and regime support to housing attitudes and international diplomacy.
The growing role of artificial intelligence and new technologies in research on politics and public administration was also on display. Noting that many of the featured papers focused on digital technologies, Professor Thomson’s opening remarks reflected on how these tools intersect with traditional political science: “What stands out to me is that many of the core questions remain recognizably our own. There are questions about the exercise of power, accountability, representation, state capacity, and legitimacy. Part of engaging with AI is about being able to ask sharper questions with more powerful methods.” Ultimately, AI serves as both a powerful analytical tool and a new frontier of research for addressing enduring questions in politics and public administration.
The conference was made possible by the hard work of the organizing committee—Professor Kwan Nok Chan, Professor Fangda Ding, Professor Enze Han, Professor Dov Levin, Professor Hui Li, Professor Ian Li, Professor Joohyung Park, Professor Kai Quek, Professor Nicole Wu, and Professor Jiangnan Zhu. The administrative and technical staff, students, chairs, and discussants are also thanked for their hard work.
Positive Feedback from a Global Academic Community
Many of the 150 attendees praised the “great atmosphere and brilliant panellists” and expressed a strong desire for the conference to be held more frequently.
The event was also a transformative experience for younger attendees. One undergraduate student shared:
“By listening to many presenters share their work, I learned how academic research is professionally conducted and presented. Additionally, as an undergraduate student, this was an extremely insightful opportunity for me to receive feedback on my posters from scholars across the world. This experience was vastly different from simply completing a regular coursework assignment. Experts from various fields were genuinely generous in offering constructive advice, such as practical suggestions on how our project could be further extended in future research. Through these valuable discussions, we gained tremendous insights.”
Closing Ceremonies and Looking Ahead
Professor Jiangnan Zhu hosted the closing ceremonies on behalf of the organizing committee. Reflecting on the high volume of high-quality paper submissions received this year, she thanked everyone who contributed. She gave a special commendation to the discussants who volunteered their time to actively and happily offer highly constructive comments on their peers’ research. She also thanked PPA colleagues who made the conference possible, especially Professor Robert Thomson. “Without his support and initiative, we would not have gone this far.”
Professor Zhu described the attendees as a group of political scientists who are passionate about research, excited by new ideas, and eager for a platform to share knowledge and learn from one another. She encouraged everyone to be thankful for maintaining such a genuine passion for discovery, noting that this shared curiosity is the “fundamental magic” that connects the academic community and makes the work enjoyable.
Finally, she encouraged all participants to consider submitting their papers to the Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration (APJPA). Hosted by the PPA Department at HKU, the rapidly rising journal will soon celebrate its 50th anniversary. She encouraged attendees to keep an eye out for upcoming special publication opportunities organized by the journal.
Stay tuned, and until next time!
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