On March 7, 2016, Dr. Geert Bouckaert, President of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) gave a special lecture at GRIPS, entitled,“Current and Future Trends in Public Sector Research.” The audience of approximately 60 included GRIPS students, government officials and researchers from GRIPS and other institutions. The moderator, Professor Masahiro Horie, has been the chairperson of the IIAS Programme and Research Advisory Committee since 2013.

IIAS, based in Brussels, is a science-based NGO established in 1930. The institute provides a worldwide platform for the exchange of knowledge and practice to improve public administration organization and operation and to ensure that public agencies can respond optimally to the current and future expectations and needs of society. IIAS has worldwide membership, including members of the Japanese government, the Japanese Society for Public Administration and the Japan Public Law Association.

In this speech, a general view was given of past administration research trends and tendencies in the United States and Europe, with importance placed on the state of disciplines, interest in culture, and viewpoint towards the future. To connect these things to practical implementation, the European way of thinking was introduced about education and research that should be performed by public administration while focusing on practical implementation. Dr. Bouckaert stated that major discussions have taken place in the U.S. every 20 years in the past since Minnowbrook I in 1968, and it is likely that such discussions will continue in the U.S.A . as well as in Europe every 20 years in the future. Next, he spoke about the role of the public sector. The public sector’s role is risk management for taking on various types of wicked problems, social innovation, and implementing routine administrative services. Public administration and administrative research should, for example, consider seriously how to contribute to issues such as the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and IIAS is also considering initiatives. Dr. Bouckaert also mentioned issues that are being discussed in various places at present, such as governance and trust, and introduced the various types of governance and varied dimensions and perspectives of trust. This inspired interest and curiosity among the researchers and students that attended.