Call for Papers: 2026 International Symposium on Public Policy and Public Management (ISPPM 2026)

CONFERENCE DATES 

15 October 2026 - 16 October 2026 

LOCATION 

City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR 

SCOPE 

The 2026 International Symposium on Public Policy and Public Management (ISPPM 2026) will take place on 15-16 October 2026 at City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR. The Symposium is jointly organised by AVSE Global, City University of Hong Kong, and Audencia Business School, with the strategic participation of the Academy of Public Administration and Governance (APAG) and The Business School, RMIT University Vietnam.

ISPPM 2026 marks the next stage in the evolution of the long-running Vietnam Symposium on Leadership and Public Policy (VSLP). After seven successful editions, the symposium broadens from a Vietnam-focused dialogue into an international platform connecting perspectives across East and West, Asia and Europe, and the Global North and South. 

The symposium explores how different regions design, implement, and evaluate public policies and public management reforms in an increasingly complex and uncertain world. It aims to create a platform for mutual learning, strengthen international collaboration, support early-career scholars, and raise the quality and publication potential of comparative research in public policy and public management. 

Participants will have the opportunity to present research, receive developmental feedback, discuss publication pathways, and build long-term collaborations among scholars, policy-makers, practitioners, and institutions across Viet Nam, Hong Kong, Europe, and other regions. 

TOPICS 

For ISPPM 2026, the scientific and organising committees particularly welcome submissions in the following topics, but not limited to: 

1. Comparative Public Management and Policy

• Cross-regional comparisons of policy design and implementation
• Public management reforms in Asia, Europe, and beyond
• Transferring and adapting public-sector best practices across contexts
• Comparative Neuro and Behavioral Public Administration experiments

2. Cities and Regions as Arenas of Policy Innovation

• Urban and regional governance under economic, social, health, and environmental pressures
• Metropolitan and regional coordination, decentralisation, and multi-level governance
• Comparative case studies of cities and regions in Vietnam, Hong Kong, and other economies

 3. Digital Transformation, AI and Data in the Public Sector

• AI-supported decision-making, accountability, and ethics
• Digital government, smart cities, and citizen engagement
• Data governance, privacy, and algorithmic transparency

4. Climate Risk, Resilience and Just Transitions

• Climate risk governance at city and regional levels
• Climate finance, disaster risk management, and adaptation
• Social equity, vulnerable groups, and just transition policies
• Crisis management at different levels and across regions

 5. Participation, Trust and Public Value

• Co-production of public services and citizen participation
• Trust in public institutions and legitimacy across regions
• Public value creation and performance in comparative perspective

 6. Gender Diversity in the Public Sector

• Gender diversity and public sector performance
• Women in state-owned enterprises and public organizations
• Barriers and enablers of women’s advancement in public organizations
• Gender-sensitive governance, ethics, integrity, and trust in public institutions

Dedicated Comparative Focus

We are particularly keen on comparative research and/or research that draws international lessons from local practices.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER 

CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS 

ADVISORS 

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE: 

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:  

TARGET AUDIENCE 

PAPER SUBMISSION 

Interested authors are invited to submit a 500-word extended abstract in English. Extended abstracts should clearly indicate the title of the proposed paper, author name(s), institutional affiliation(s), and contact details of the corresponding author.

The extended abstract should include:

• Research question, objective, and relevance to the ISPPM 2026 theme
• Theoretical or conceptual framing
• Methodology, data, case selection, or research design
• Expected findings, outcomes, or policy/practice implications
• Original contribution to public policy, public management, or comparative governance research

Authors of accepted abstracts may be invited to submit full papers before the symposium for discussant feedback and publication development. All submissions must be written and presented in English.

Authors are invited to submit their abstracts, in English, in PDF file, via the Symposium website: https://isppm2026.sciencesconf.org/submission/submit 

Early submission is strongly encouraged. 

PUBLICATION OPPORTUNITIES