On October 30-31, 2021, the 2nd International Conference on Behavioral Public Management, sponsored by the International Research Society of Behavioral Public Administration（IABPA), undertaken by the Center of Psychology and Human Resource Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, was successfully held in College of Public Administration in Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The conference was initiated by Professor Chen Zhixia, Founding President of ICBPA and IABPA, Director of the Psychology and Human Resource Management Research Center, Director of BPA Research Group， Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and served as the chairman of the conference. More than 200 experts from 16 countries including China, the United States, Denmark, England, Spain, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Iran, etc., scholars, and students attend the conference online. The conference was held both online and offline. Huazhong University of Science and Technology was the main venue, and three online sub venues were set up in Northwest University, Nanchang University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Wuhan East Lake New Technology Development Zone.
With the theme of "Behavior Public Management and Social Governance in the Context of the Epidemic", this conference aims to bring together behavioral public administration researchers and practitioners based on the background of the COVID-19 pandemic to build a public management community that fosters, maintains, and develops an important academic platform to enhance the influence of behavioral public management, increase the participation of behavioral public management researchers in social governance and enhance the visibility of behavioral public management research results in social governance.
At 8:00 am on the October 31st, the conference officially opened. The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Chen Zhixia, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Professor Xu Xiaodong, the vice president of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Professor Susan Fiske（PrincetonUniversity）, Bradley Wright（University of Georgia）, Asmus Olsen(University of Copenhagen)， Professor Zhu Xufeng（the secretary-general of the Chinese Society of Public Administration）, and Professor Chen Zhixia（HUST, the founding chairman of ICBPA and IABPA）, delivered welcome speeches.
The keynote report of this conference had two sessions: The first session was chaired by Professor Chen Zhixia, Professor Sebastian Jilke, and Professor Yahong Zhang, followed by Professor Sebastian Jilke from Georgetown University, Professor Chen Zhixia from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Professor Claudia from Indiana University, and Rutgers University. Professor Yahong Zhang, Professor Zhu Xufeng of Tsinghua University, President Tucci of Learning Solutions, Professor Bradley Wright of the University of Georgia, Professor Qiyuan Jin of California State University gave keynote speeches. The second session was carried out in the afternoon. The meeting was presided over by Professor Olsen and Professor ChungAn Chen from Nanyang Technological University, Professor Chen Lijun from the School of Public Administration of Zhejiang University, Professor Olsen from the University of Copenhagen, and Professor WS Chandrasekara from the University of Colombo gave thematic reports. The 12 experts gave wonderful presentations from different perspectives of behavioral public management.
Then came the expert's forum. There are two parallel forums in the expert forum; Wang Shuzhen、Li Wenbin、Zhao Shusong、Li Xiaoqian、Fu Chengzhe、Fang Xuemei、Chen Cheng LiQing and Yu Yanghang gave their presentations.
The conference set up 8 sub-forums, which were held simultaneously on the afternoon of the 31st. The themes of the sub-forums include "Public Management Decision-Making and Behavior Promotion", "Public Behavior and Promotion", "Community Governance and Crisis Management", "Social Governance under the Epidemic", "Public OB&HRM"， "Special Topics on Social Governance of Northeast University", "Optics Valley Community" Governance Forum" etc. Experts and students from Renmin University of China, Hong Kong Baptist University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Huazhong Normal University, Shanghai University, Northwest University, etc., and representatives from Valley High-tech Zone presented papers successively and gave a special report.
The conference closed with warm applause.
