Public administration higher education in Lebanon: An investigation into the substance of advertised courses

Abstract

This article examines public administration education in Lebanon. Using data collected from university course catalogues, the article considers the extent to which advertised public administration courses address topics and competencies associated with NASPAA’s curricular guidelines and the seven principles of New Public Service. Using data collected from focus groups comprised of students and professionals, the article also reviews several themes related to the state of public administration in Lebanon. Although Lebanon’s institutions of higher education are involved in public administration education, the findings reveal gaps in the curriculum related to human resource management, information and technology management, program evaluation, ethics and accountability, research methods, decision-making, citizenship, and community engagement. The findings also reveal insufficient coverage of Lebanon’s bureaucracy, and more broadly, a mismatch between the content of the advertised courses and the challenges that exist within Lebanon’s bureaucracy. The article considers several recommendations that explore how public administration higher education in Lebanon might be strengthened.