In the morning of 20th September, 2014, ‘2014 Working Conference of Shanghai Public Affairs Administration Seminar and Enlarged Council Conference’ were successfully held in Academic Exchange Centre of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. Participants of the conference include Prof. Zhu Qianwei, Director of the Seminar, and Vice Directors Prof. Shang Hongri, Prof. Zhou Xianghong, Deputy Prof. Zeng Jimao, Secretary-General Prof. Gu Limei, as well as other members and more than 20 leaders and teachers of MPA nurturing colleges and universities in Shanghai. Jiang Youfen, Vice Director of Shanghai Academic Degree Office, Bai Yu from Shanghai Academic Degree Office and Wang Yu, Vice Chief of Special Administration Section of Shanghai Federation of Societies Institute were also invited to participate in the conference.
The conference was hosted by Prof. Gu Limei from School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University, who is Secretary-General of the Seminar. In the first place, Prof. Gu Limei introduced leaders and participants of the conference from the seminar. Mr. Shen Hui, Secretary of School of Public Economics and Administration of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, presented a speech of welcome to participants of the conference on behalf of the organisers. Afterwards, Prof. Zhu Qianwei, Director of the Seminar, Professor of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs of Fudan University and member of National MPA Education Guidance Committee, introduced the structure, functions and operation mechanism of National MPA Education Guidance Committee in a relatively detailed manner. After that, Jiang Youfen, Vice Director of Shanghai Academic Degree Office, briefly introduced the situation of Shanghai professional academic degree education on behalf of the Director, Prof. Shu Jinlong, explaining the idea of and reason for establishing Shanghai MPA Education Guidance Committee.
Three main themes were discussed on the conference, the first being the setting of Director and Vice Directors, the second being whether it was necessary and how to retain specialists from departments of actual practices as members of Education Guidance Committee, and the third being the discussion of the draft of regulations of Shanghai MPA Education Guidance Committee that was submitted.
As for the setting of Director and Vice Directors, Vice Directors Shang Hongri, Zhou Xianghong, Zeng Shimao and Members of the Seminar Prof. Zhang Yongqing and Prof. Che Liping clearly suggested that the candidates of Director and Vice Directors should firstly be considered from within the specialists who are from the first 4 nurturing colleges.
Retaining specialists from departments of actual practices as members of Education Guidance Committee was considered very necessary by members of the seminar, Deputy Prof. Zhang Liang and Deputy Prof. Li Jianzhong, etc. Prof. Zhang Yongqing suggested to refer to the way of National MPA Education Guidance Committee, retaining leaders of the Ministry of Organisation, Human Resource and Social Security Bureau and National Bureau of Civil Service. Tao Dongming, Director of MPA Centre of Fudan University, pointed out that part-time teachers of government department of Public Administration and Education that were retained by National Bureau of Civil Service has already been released, with four of them in Shanghai. It might be possible to choose and retain from these for teachers, which was considered a feasible solution by all participants.
