Trans-European Dialogue 2027

Dr. Marco De La Cruz Rejoins the IIAS Secretariat as Scientific Director

Diogo Pereira,

The International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) is pleased to announce the return of Dr. Marco De la Cruz, who rejoins the IIAS Secretariat as Scientific Director.

Dr. De la Cruz holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from KU Leuven, with a specialization in governance and education. His academic background also includes a Master’s degree in Statistics and Data Science, as well as an Advanced Master in Development Evaluation and Management from the University of Antwerp. His profile uniquely combines strong theoretical foundations with advanced quantitative and methodological expertise.

His work focuses on applied quantitative research, policy evaluation, and data governance, particularly in comparative and multi-country contexts. Over the years, Dr. De la Cruz has collaborated extensively with European and international institutions on large-scale surveys, policy evaluations, and methodological innovation, contributing to evidence-based policymaking and institutional learning.

Prior to returning to IIAS, Dr. De la Cruz served as a Senior Research Expert at Ipsos’ European Public Affairs team in Belgium, where he was involved in high-level research projects at the intersection of public policy, governance, and data analysis. He is also actively engaged in international academic networks and regularly contributes to advanced training programs in statistics and research methods.

In his role as Scientific Director, Dr. De la Cruz will play a central role in strengthening the scientific quality of IIAS activities, supporting research initiatives, and fostering collaboration across the Institute’s international networks.

IIAS warmly welcomes Dr. De la Cruz back to the Secretariat and looks forward to his continued contributions to the Institute’s mission.

Public administration and management research has long drawn most of its ideas from Western, industrialised democracies. Yet Asia and the Global South have become major sites of administrative change, with large-scale reforms, fast-moving technology and some of the most inventive experiments in governance. Research from these regions has grown accordingly, but it is still often used to illustrate or apply theories made elsewhere, rather than to produce new ones.

This special issue of Public Management Review aims to change that. It invites authors to treat practice in Asia and the Global South as a starting point for theory: to test, question or extend established approaches, and to propose new concepts and explanations. It does not look for a single theory of these regions, which are far too diverse for that, but for context-sensitive contributions that also say something useful for policy and practice.

ASPA and EGPA call for papers | New Orleans, April 12-13, 2027 | Deadline: November 30, 2026

As democratic institutions face mounting pressure worldwide, public administrators are increasingly asked to spell out the role of their field in protecting and improving democratic systems. The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA) are responding with the 2027 Transatlantic Dialogue (TAD), held alongside ASPA’s Annual Conference.

The theme is The Role of Public Policy and Administration in Shaping Democracy and Promoting the Resilience of Democratic Norms and Institutions.

From 12 to 16 October 2026, the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration (IASIA) held its Annual Conference in Athens, hosted by EKDDA, the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government. Under the theme “Rethinking Governance for a Changing World”, the conference gathered 400 delegates from 57 countries and marked the 65th anniversary of the association. Athens was a conference grounded by learning and history but also new projects and connexions.

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