Over the past decades, Global Asia has developed through expanding inter- and intra-regional connections, driven by the movement of people, capital, goods, and ideas across borders. Migration and its governance play a central role in these processes, highlighting how Asia is shaped not only through nation-states and regional frameworks, but also through cross-border networks, sub-ethnic communities, and broader ecosystems of exchange. Recent geopolitical and economic shifts—including the rise of China and India, changes in global supply chains, and the increasing influence of technology, finance, and media—further underscore the importance of scholarly engagement with these dynamics.


This conference aims to bring together scholars from multiple disciplines to examine intra-regional developments and their global implications, focusing on how Global Asia shapes migration experiences and governance practices. We hope to foster dialogues on recent empirical and comparative research related to nation-states, migration, and transnationalism.

Call for Registration

Rethinking Asian Public Administration in a Fragmented World: Inclusion, Resilience, and Sustainability

The 2026 Annual Conference of the Asian Association for Public Administration

October 29–30, 2026

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

The Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA) is a leading organization in the field of public administration in Asia and beyond. For more than a decade, its annual conferences have served as a premier forum for scholars, students, and practitioners to engage in scholarly exchange, present innovative research, and disseminate best practices. The Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) at Nanyang Technological University, in collaboration with the School of Public Policy and Management at Tsinghua University as co-organizer, is pleased to host the 2026 AAPA Annual Conference from October 29 to 30 in Singapore.

Conference Theme

The world is becoming increasingly fragmented and contested amid rising geopolitical tensions. Asia, with its close connectivity within the region and to the world, is both affected by and actively exercising agency within a complex and changing global environment. Asian states have shown initiative in responding, adapting, and striving through volatile times. What remains at the core of Asian public administration, both theoretically and practically, in navigating the turbulent waters? How can Asian governments maintain inclusive, resilient, and sustainable approaches in facing mounting challenges? What unresolved issues continue to confront Asian states? How do Asian states interact with governments from other regions? It is important to critically consider the historical experiences and future trajectories of public administration in the region and explore state engagements within and beyond the region.

To further scholarly solutions to the aim, the conference will invite discussions from scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the field on the theme of “Rethinking Asian Public Administration in a Fragmented World: Inclusion, Resilience, and Sustainability”.

Conference Tracks

The conference will explore diverse dimensions of public administration in Asia and beyond. Topics of interest span a broad spectrum of themes, including, but not limited to, the following areas:
• Governance and delivery of public services and welfare programs
• Public investment, fiscal management, and financial governance
• Political institutions, policymaking, and policy implementation
• Transformation, innovation, and reform in the public sector
• Risk governance, public security, and crisis management
• Environmental governance and administrative responses to climate challenges
• Sustainable development and governance strategies
• Digital governance, including big data analytics and artificial intelligence
• Comparative public administration and global governance perspectives
• Teaching, training, and leadership capacity-building in public administration
• All other relevant research on comparison, cooperation, interaction, or even competition in Asian and non-Asian contexts.

Important Dates

All attendees are advised to make travel arrangements to arrive in Singapore by October 28, 2026.

Conference Registration

Conference registration is compulsory for all participants. Please note that authors with accepted submissions must complete their registration by 31 August 2026, 23:59 (UTC+8).

To support your registration for the conference, kindly take note of the key information outlined below:

1. Payment

To confirm your participation, please first settle the applicable registration fee. The registration fee (per paper), as outlined in the table below, includes the AAPA annual membership fee and is non-refundable:

Please also note that the deadline for early-bird registration is Tuesday, 1 September 2026, 23:59 (UTC+8). Presenters with multiple accepted papers are required to make payment for each paper. For example, a student who is presenting two papers at the conference will be required to pay 1000RMB if he/ she registered by 1 September 2026.

Important Reminders:
•Accepted Currency: All payments must be made in RMB. Any foreign exchange fees, intermediary bank charges, or international transfer fees must be fully borne by the participant.
•Registration Fee Categories: Please ensure you select and input the correct registration fee that corresponds to your registration category.
•Keep Proof of Payment: Always save a screenshot or digital record of your transaction confirmation as proof of payment. This would be required for registration in ConfTool.

Payment Methods:

Option 1: Payment via QR Code (Preferred) - Best through being scanned in Alipay, WeChat Pay apps, or a mobile phone camera.

Select either Alipay or WeChat on that page, and you will be redirected to the respective web payment portal to finalize the transaction via your bank card. Please do not select QuickPay or Credit Card, as these options are not supported by the payment system and will cause the transaction to fail.

Mandatory Remark: You must include “AAPA + Full Name” in the Remarks (备注) section. Without this information, we cannot match your payment to your registration profile.

Upon successful payment, please take a screenshot of the successful transaction page and attach to the registration form in ConfTool (the image must clearly display the payment amount, date, and your “AAPA + Full Name” in the remark section).

Option 2: Bank Transfer

Transfer the registration fee to the account below: 

○         Account Name: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY

○         Bank Name: THE BANK OF CHINA, HEAD OFFICE 

○         Bank Address: NO.1, FUXINGMEN NEI AVENUE, BEIJING, PRC, 100818

○        SWIFT/IBAN: BKCHCNBJ 

○         Account Number: 778350033647

Mandatory Note: You must include “AAPA + Full Name” in the transfer memo, reference, or description field. Without this information, we cannot match your payment to your registration profile.

Upon successful payment, please download a digital copy, PDF, or take clear photo of your official bank transfer receipt, and attach to the registration form in ConfTool. 

If you require an invoice, please fill in your invoice details during the payment process. Alternatively, you may contact the organizing committee at ncpa-research@ntu.edu.sg. Invoices will be processed after the conclusion of the event and sent to your registered email address.

2. Registration

Registration is open. After making payment and saving your transaction details, you may proceed to register at the following link: https://www.conftool.net/aapa-2026/index.php?page=participate

3. Invitation Letter You may retrieve your official invitation letter through your ConfTool account upon successful registration. Co-authors are also encouraged to create their own user accounts, if they have not already done so, in order to access their respective documents.

Should you need further documentation pertaining to visa approval, please do not hesitate to contact ncpa-research@ntu.edu.sg. 

4. Full Paper Submission (to consider for Best Paper Award)
If you would like to be considered for the best paper award, please upload the full and final text of your paper via the Conference Management System by 30 September 2026. 

5. Additional Conference Information

For interested participants, you may consider staying at the conference venue, the Nanyang Executive Centre which offers guestrooms fully equipped with essential amenities and facilities.

You may click the following link to make a room booking request with the booking code of ACAAPA26:https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=SJPOFSq-K0aPwOF2WpsgSjxrrnZugw5LnJSoJH58rHRUQkQ0V0hVQ1NDRDU4Q1ozTUoxTEozVDVUNi4u&origin=lprLink&route=shorturl

Please take note that a room reservation is only confirmed when you receive an email from Nanyang Executive Centre and is subject to availability.

Other practical details regarding the conference and accommodation are available on Nanyang Centre for Public Administration and will be updated regularly as further arrangements are confirmed.

Lastly, should you be unable to attend the conference for any reason, kindly inform us at your earliest convenience at ncpa-research@ntu.edu.sg. This will help us manage the programme efficiently.

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at the following address.

Contact

AAPA 2026 Annual Conference Organizing Committee

Email: ncpa-research@ntu.edu.sg