With the radical changes in Hong Kong's political environment over the past 10 years come rising demand for public sector and non-governmental organisations' (NGOs) managers to be more accountable and responsive to social needs and voices of the community.
As a result, advanced training in public affairs and related policies have become increasingly popular for aspiring young managers and senior policymakers to enhance their public administration knowledge.
Launched in 1978 as the first of its kind in Hong Kong, the University of Hong Kong's (HKU) master of public administration (MPA) programme has always been the preferred postgraduate degree for mid-career professionals, especially those in the government, to reinforce their capability in the management of public affairs.
Danny Lam Wai-fung, associate professor and head of HKU's Department of Politics and Public Administration, said the MPA programme's contents were changing to meet the needs of the time, particularly in view of the political changes over the past decade.
Hong Kong's political environment had become more complicated after 1997 and many public sectors and NGO managers were looking for new insights and knowledge to help them take on the challenges, he said.
The 1997 handover had given rise to growing demand for knowledge and understanding of the public policy and administration in the mainland, he said.