| Influencing the Next Generation of Public Servants | ||
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ppp | Job
Title: Lecturer Organization: Graduate: Home Country: |
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| What do you enjoy about your job? What aspects of your job are the most exciting or interesting? | ||
| My
job as lecturer in a Public Administration
Department provides a special environment in which
it is possible to influence the education and
training of future and current civil servants.
Several aspects of my work are particularly
enjoyable: 1) class discussions with students some
of whom are aiming to take jobs in public service;
2) trainings conducted with current civil servants
interested in developing themselves professionally
and upgrading their information, and 3) research on
current topics pertaining to the reform of public
administration in Romania. My research is focused on
decision-making at a local level, and it is
fascinating to analyze how changes in
decision-making behavior are going at the local
level. |
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| Why did you choose to pursue an MPA/MPP degree? | ||
| I was interested in the changes of the Romanian public institutions after 1989, given the impact that the events of December 1989 had on Romania. The start of my endeavor was a Political Science undergraduate degree, followed by a European Studies degree. Those years crystallized my interest towards the functioning of the public institutions and the investigation of how the policy process works. I knew that something more needed to be done to improve my professional credentials. Exposure to American visiting professors, class discussions and professional literature encouraged me to investigate the possibility of pursuing a Masters degree in Public Administration. | ||
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| How did you select your graduate school? | ||
| Two
aspects were important for this decision: 1) to
identify for myself an area of interest (for example
decision making in the policy process) and 2) to
understand that the public administration schools in
US are different, focusing on various aspects of the
administration. Coming from a country which at the
time (I made that decision in the second half of
90s) was just out of the "one nationally
established compulsory curricula" approach, it
was difficult to understand how it is possible to
have different curricula in different schools.
Discussions with American visiting professors were
extremely important to understand these differences
and to clarify what area I was interested to pursue.
A further step was an internet investigation of
curricula, which helped me identify several graduate
schools that I believed were closer to my interest.
During my interview for a Ron Brown Fellowship, I
expressed and argued my interest towards these
schools. Being accepted by the Rockefeller College
of the University at Albany, my top preference, was
an honor and joy. |
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| How do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to make a difference? | ||
| The
experience of the MPA degree in Albany was
particularly important for my work after returning
to Romania in 2000. Learning interactive design for
courses, having updated material, and first hand
experience in public institutions through the
internships I had while completing my degree,
provided me with many useful examples to bring in
class discussions and investigate together with the
students how solutions found abroad could be
adjusted and adapted to Romanian environment. It
feels very good when contacted by former students
(current employees in Romanian public institutions),
and they tell me "It is really true, we can
make a difference now". |
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| How would you characterize your personality? | ||
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Compassionate * Creative * Flexible * Curious * |
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| Contact Veronica Junjan with questions regarding her graduate experience: | ||
| Email Veronica | ||