On July 15, the MPA (Master of Public Administration) program of Tsinghua University passed the international accreditation by Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Management (NASPAA). It was the world's first MPA program that  certified by NASPAA outside the United States.

NASPAA (Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Management) was at first established in 1970. It used to be a professional joint organization of American Public Management Schools (formerly known as National Association of Schools of Public management and Affairs), and now it has become the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Management, also known as the most authoritative international accreditation organization in the field of Public Administration education. It has established a strict global standard system for Public Administration education. NASPAA accreditation is the most internationally influential qualification accreditation that delivered to those having reached a certain level of master's degree education in global public affairs, public administration and public policy. This accreditation is a voluntary one, based on the principle of mission-driven, process monitoring and result-oriented. It highlights the positioning and implementation of the value and capability of public service, including 7 major aspects such as target positioning, governance structure, faculties’ performance, students’ learning, resources allocation, communication channels and student service. It aims to evaluate the professional education quality of MPA program through a set of strict evaluation procedures, so as to ensure the cultivation of high-quality graduates with public service spirit, relevant competitiveness and high skills for the public sectors. Over 40 years since its establishment, the Network has been joined by more than 280 member schools and universities, and so far more than 160 schools and universities (57% of the total) have successfully passed the certification.

The MPA program of Tsinghua University was approved and initiated in 2001 as the first one in  China. The program has always inherited the tradition of Tsinghua University, closely combined with China's reality, fully drawn on international experience, clearly highlighted the concept of "Cultivating the virtue, serving the public" and consistently adhered to the principle of quality first. It has recruited and trained nearly 2,000 high-level public administration talents for China and the world, and has made its own unique and outstanding contribution in promoting the MPA education development in China. In the first China’s MPA universities evaluation in 2006, Tsinghua University was highly recognized by its peers with excellent results. In many years of running the school, Tsinghua University’s MPA program has been continuously reforming and innovating. In addition to the ordinary MPA classes, the school also initiated MPA-E classes for middle and senior public sector managers outside of Beijing, as well as English-taught IMPA classes for middle and senior officials in developing countries, which increased the training of high-level international Public administration personnel. Tsinghua University’s MPA program has always paid attention to continuous reforms and innovations. Especially since 2011, on the basis of in-depth investigation and reflection, it has clearly set "training leaders in public affairs that can lead national development and human being’s progress" as its core goal, emphasized both domestic practice and international development, attached importance to the trinity training of students' value, knowledge and ability in public service, and implemented systematic reform in the three major systems of enrollment, training and service. It has won the second prize for teaching achievements of Beijing City and has received high evaluation from domestic MPA education peers.

In order to promote the continuous innovation and development of public management education in Tsinghua and China, earn from international experience based on China's national conditions and use NASPAA platform to learn from international peers and disseminate China's development experience, our school joined NASPAA in May 2011, becoming the first Chinese member in this organization. At the beginning of 2012, an application for accreditation was formally submitted to NASPAA. After one and a half years of hard work, our school successfully passed the strict accreditation procedures in all aspects and successfully obtained the organization's authoritative certification.
On the morning of July 16, our school held a special press conference in the lobby on the first floor. The press conference was presided over by Professor Wu Yongping, Vice President of our school, and Professor Xue Lan, Dean of our school, officially announced the above news and delivered a speech. Chen Dongsheng from the State Administration of Civil Service Training Department of the State Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, represented Yang Shiqiu, Director of the National MPA Education Steering Committee, Deputy Minister of the State Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and Director of the State Administration of Civil Service, at the press conference and delivered a speech. Professor Cheng Wenhao of our school specially introduced the relevant situation of NASPAA accreditation. More than 20 news media from all over the country attended this press conference.

Regarding Tsinghua becomes a member of NASPAA, the representative of the National MPA Education Steering Committee said: "this means that Tsinghua MPA's objective of training ‘leaders in public affairs leading the country's development and human progress' and the training mode emphasizing the trinity of public service value, knowledge and ability have been highly recognized by international peers. This also marks the opening of a new exploration mode in the reform and practice of MPA education in China's schools and universities, and provides a new attempt for China's MPA education to better integrate China's national conditions and international perspectives. "

Regarding the significance of successfully passing the NASPAA international accreditation, Professor Xue Lan, Dean of our School, said: "the successful passing of the NASPAA international certification is not only the recognition of the international authoritative professional organizations for the continuous efforts of MPA education in Tsinghua in improving the quality, but also a new step taken by Tsinghua University in the process of building an international first-class public management school." At the same time, he also said: "Joining NASPAA and passing MPA certification can also make better use of the international Public management education platform, learn from international peers, continuously improve the standards and quality system of MPA training in Tsinghua, and realize the long-term sustainable development of MPA education." In addition, he also stressed: "Through MPA certification and active participation in NASPAA activities, we also have the opportunity to learn and master the standards and procedures of international MPA certification and participate in the formulation and implementation of international public management education standards, thus driving more MPA schools in China to actively participate in the cooperation and exchange of international public management education, expanding the international influence of China's MPA education, effectively spreading the relevant experience of China's public management and its education field, and enhancing the international community's accurate understanding of the development process of China's public management field."

MPA in Tsinghua University takes the lead to pass NASPAA International Accreditation

Speech by Dean Xue Lan