Lending a Hand to Restore the City’s Prosperity

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A glance at Dr Bert GEORGE’s academic qualifications and you would half expect to meet an economist-cum-business entrepreneur, yet the moment he walks into a room to talk about his research into public administration, his passion and enthusiasm light up the place. 

“It doesn’t seem obvious when you look at my background in business administration and economics and now in public administration,” says the Associate Professor at the Department of Public and International Affairs of CityU.  “It’s not a usual route, but it was a question of my own purpose and what I wanted to achieve in life.”

George received a BSc in Business Administration, then an MSc in Strategic Management, and finally did his PhD in Applied Economics at the Ghent University in Belgium. And it was during his earlier BA studies that he was drawn to the social side of his studies, taking a keen interest in public economics, the business of government and international organisations. Finally, it was during his first public administration conference when the penny dropped and he realised what he wanted to do, which was to effect change and make his mark in the field of public administration.

“They were talking about public value, being more responsive and collaborative as public organisations and being more equitable, and this was inspiring and pushed me into this field—I was just so inspired by the purpose of making society better and helping public organisations tackle big challenges and create value for their service users,” he beams. 

George has travelled the world, advising public organisations and international bodies. His research interests can be structured into two areas: the processes and behaviour underlying public sector strategy, and the drivers and characteristics of public sector performance.