On 15-17 January 2019, the Gaidar Forum - an international research and practice conference took place in Moscow. The participants included public and political figures, academicians, university representatives and government officials from different countries – overall 13.5 thousand people.

Within the forum the Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Astana Civil Service Hub Alikhan Baimenov moderated the expert discussion “The Network Academy of Public Administration of the CIS countries: from the idea to the implementation of joint projects” dedicated to the issues of enhancing the professional competencies of civil servants in the region.

Opening the session, Alikhan Baimenov noted: “While developing training programmes, along with global trends and country specifics, it is crucial to consider certain regional aspects. Therefore, cooperation in developing curriculum for civil servants’ training is essential for all countries in the region.”

Having highlighted the necessity for joint research in civil service area, Alikhan Baimenov called on the participants to cooperate with the Astana hub and publish research articles in the international journal of civil service reform and practice.

The session participants discussed the possibility of designing joint academic programmes for civil servants in priority areas, and shared experience on staff training for public administration.

The session participants were addressed by the Advisor to the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Rustam Kassimov, Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Fatima Zhakypova, Rector of the Academy of Management under the President of the Republic of Belarus Gennady Palchik, Rector of the Institute of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Lutfiya Abdulholikzoda, Director of the Institute of Public Administration and Management of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration Igor Bartsits.