Toward Successful Overseas Training for Chinese Public Officials

Abstract

Following the dramatic economic reform and development of the past 30 years, China is experiencing increasingly complicated political and social problems that call for the government to enhance its administrative capacity and working efficiency. Different levels of the Chinese government, ranging from national to local, have sent teams of public officials to developed countries for training, in order to build a modern and professional civil servant team. This paper demonstrates how to build and maintain a successful overseas training program by analyzing a case study of a group of 10 Chinese municipal officials who were trained for six months in their United States sister city. The case study finds that several important elements, such as strong academic support, a professional government internship, and active community involvement are crucial for the success of this type of training program.