Faculty Members Attended ASPA 2025 International Conference and Presented Research Findings

The 2025 American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Annual Conference was grandly held from March 28 to April 1 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. This year's ASPA conference theme was “Not Robots Yet: Keeping Public Servants in Public Service,” focusing on the transformative challenges and opportunities that artificial intelligence brings to public administration. According to the organizing committee, the conference featured 150 panels across six thematic areas, attracting over one thousand experts, scholars, government officials, and representatives from international organizations worldwide.

Professor Junbo Yu, Assistant Research Fellow Yanbing Han and Yang Zhang from the Department of Public Administration, Assistant Research Fellow Wu Chen from the Department of Emergency Management, and Shi Ke, Doctoral Student in Public Administration were invited to attend the conference and deliver academic presentations.

Prof. Junbo Yu delivered the concluding presentation at the panel on “Global Digital Transformation,” reporting on his latest research titled “Engaging Big Data Technology for Organizational Survival: How Leading Agency Promotes Legitimacy in Digitalization.” His research applies longitudinal case study to explore the process in which digitalization leading agencies of Chinese local governments build up their reform legitimacy and authority so that cross-agency collaboration can be aligned to achieve progress and transformation. The research findings are not only ground breaking in uncovering the varying and dynamic strategies employed by the reform leading agencies, but also are informative and inspirational in advancing the mutual exchange for relevant theories and knowledge worldwide. Besides, Prof. Yu also attend the panel “Embracing Paradox Perspectives.”

Dr. Yanbing Han presented research findings titled "Governing AI Like Herding Cats: Prioritizing Effectiveness over Accountability?" at the panel of "Perceptions and Progress: Public Attitudes Toward AI and Digital Innovation". The research indicates that the rise of artificial intelligence in public decision-making is shifting administrative discretion from human bureaucracies to algorithmic systems. As governing AI likes herding cats, akin to taming an inherently uncontrollable animal, this transfer of decision-making authority is reshaping the legitimacy of administrative institutions. This study employs a survey experiment methodology to examine how AI accountability mechanisms and AI effectiveness shape citizens' perceptions of the legitimacy of AI-driven decisions across different decision outcomes.

Dr. Yang Zhang presented his research on "Government signals, Bureaucratic Reputation, and Digital Coproduction" at the panel of "Innovation and Citizen Engagement". Based on the practice of government-citizen interaction on mobile government platforms in China, this study explores how government signals shape active citizen participants. After the presentation, Dr. Zhang had full communication and discussion with scholars and government officials from different universities and countries, further demonstrating China's efforts and innovations in promoting digital governance and democratic participation. His collaborative research was presented by Dr. Shiyang Xiao from the School of Public Administration, Zhejiang University, at the panel of "Public Perception of Government".

Dr. Chen Wu delivered the opening presentation at the panel on "Collaborative Networks in Emergency and Crisis Management," reporting on his latest research titled "Networked Governance in Safety Production: Digital Integration of Cross-Department Inspections via Nanjing's 181 Platform." His research focused on networked governance models in emergency management within the smart city context, revealing how smart emergency platforms use digital technology to optimize government regulatory effectiveness, reduce departmental inspection redundancy, and enhance safety production management quality. This innovative approach not only provides new insights for building urban safety resilience but also offers valuable experiences that other cities can reference, carrying significant theoretical and practical implications. Dr. Chen also served as a discussant for the panel "Technology, Crisis and Policy: Critical Opportunities for Reflection."

Ke Shi delivered a presentation titled "Adaptation in the Emergency Management Interdepartmental Committees in China" at the "Phases of Emergency Management" panel .This research examined the development of interdepartmental committees within China's emergency management system. Four representative provincial administrative regions were selected as cases, which vary in economic development levels, geographical locations, and administrative traditions, providing an ideal sample for understanding the adaptability and diversity of China's emergency management system. Through systematic analysis, the research enhances scholarly understanding of organizational adaptation mechanisms in Chinese emergency management while elucidating the multifaceted interplay between structure innovation and authority concentration.

Founded in 1939, the American Society for Public Administration is one of the most influential professional academic organizations in the field of public administration globally, with approximately 10,000 members including public sector practitioners, university faculty, and students, dedicated to promoting the integration and innovation of public administration theory and practice. Several faculty members from our institution attended and presented at the conference, not only demonstrating the research capabilities of Chinese scholars in the field of public management but also making positive contributions to promoting international academic exchange in public administration.