Academic associations in the field of administrative sciences in Central and Eastern Europe, or what could be the medium-term objectives of the newly established Central and Eastern European Society for Administrative Sciences?

Abstract

When we search for the significant players of administrative sciences on both the domestic and international level, we find – amongst others, amongst departments of universities, think-tanks and committees of academies of sciences – also organisations that can be treated as parts of civil society, especially scientific societies, particularly scientific associations. My current paper deals exclusively with the latter ones (with scientific associations) and my main goal is to enlist those functions that can be or even should be provided by our newly created Central and Eastern European Society for Administrative Sciences. To provide the catalogue, the elements of which are based on scientific evidence, my paper covers a) the main roles of contemporary scientific associations; b) the general features of Hungarian civil society; c) the names and main features of the contemporary scientific associations in administrative sciences in Hungary; and d) also the results of an international survey conducted among 142 representatives of administrative sciences of 18 countries in our region, especially of those countries which were formerly socialist states. And finally, with the help of these facts collected I aim to show, and offer some fairly new possible functions to invent in the interest of our ’beloved’ Society.