Core Research Areas

NCPA established the Lien Chinese Public Service Research Programme in 2010 which focuses on areas such as developmental politics and economics, China’s economic revolution, Singapore’s economic policy and development, China’s public administration and reform, city planning, development and management, sustainable development and environment management, new economics and logistics management. Through the programme, a scientific and comprehensive assessment scheme, i.e.  Lien Public Service Index for Chinese Cities was developed to evaluate the progress of building service-oriented government in urban China.

Dedicated to preparing aspiring leaders and policymakers to deal with challenges presented by rapidly changing and complex social, economic and political landscape, NCPA scholars have expanded research scope and made notable achievements in areas including politics, economics, social development, public management and governance which integrates multi- and cross-disciplinary perspectives. Core research areas in NCPA are broadly categorised into Asia Governance and Public Administration; Global Talent Strategies and Transnational Networks; Philanthropy and Social Sector Governance; and Transnational Knowledge Transfer and Dynamic Governance.

 

asian governance

Asia Governance and Public Administration

This cluster of research at Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) focuses on inter-disciplinary research areas that cut across social sciences and public administration that impact on international and global scale, particularly through a comparative perspective between Asia and other parts of the world.

Global Talent Strategies and Transnational Networks

Launched in 2018, the Lien Research Programme on the Belt and Road Initiative by the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) focuses on conducting policy-oriented research on the BRI.
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Transnational Knowledge Transfer and Dynamic Governance

This research area at Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) focuses on the dynamics, processes and implications of two-way transnational knowledge transfer in the Global South.
social management

Social Management

This cluster of research at Nanyang Centre for Public Administration (NCPA) offers a unique perspective and insights from Singapore and China in governance of the social sector, social management and social policy.

Research Collaboration

As a leading institution that promotes good governance and public service excellence, the research team continuously seek out strategic alliances and collaborations to organize events and conduct research that inform practice in public and non-profit sectors. NCPA has established solid collaborative networks with world-renowned organisations in public administration, such as the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS), Metropolis International, Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA), the UNDP Global Centre for Public Service Excellence (GCPSE) and Asia Philanthropy Circle. NCPA also collaborates with many renowned Chinese universities such as Shanghai Jiaotong University, Renmin University, Sun-Yat Sen University, etc to conduct joint research on the relevant policy issues that have far-reaching impact in China and Asia.

Research Funding

In recent years, NCPA has devoted more attention to public policy oriented research. With the generous support and funding from the Lien Foundation, NCPA and Singapore’s Ministry of Education (MOE). ​​​​​