Dr. Ra’ed Benshams, IIAS President; Prof. Francis Petersen, UFS VC; Dr Najat Zarrouk, IASIA President; Prof. Pamela Dube, CUT VC and Dr. Sofiane Sahraoui, IIAS Director General.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Pamela Dube hosted a gala dinner for 300 esteemed guests from all over the globe at the university's prestigious hotel school, renowned as one of the best in the country for its high standards.

This was after the second day of the IASIA 2024 Conference, which was hosted at the University of the Free State and included plenary sessions on contemporary public governance themes, special panels/forums, sessions of the IASIA Working Groups, and a PhD seminar. 

This dinner, rooted in our CUT culture of hospitality and value of uBuntu (the adage that I am, because you are), is an expression of our gratitude and a celebration of the friendships we have nurtured with our partners in the province and at national, as well as the community we have built with all our esteemed guests since the inception of the IASIA conference. 

Prof said that the the timing for the conference could not have been more apt, given the recent developments, especially in the outcomes of our election processes in South Africa, and all these fascinating developments and debates that have been finding expression during this special 30^th year of our democracy.

“I will not go further on this, nor into other developments elsewhere in the world, like in the US, Europe, and the UK – suffice it to say, the resounding call for change can no longer be ignored.    As an Association of Experts, your work is cut out for you in your pursuit of advancing excellence in public administration. The conference theme, ‘ alternative service delivery and sustainable societal responsiveness,’ is particularly relevant and underscores the importance of your participation,” she concluded.

Dr Najat Zarrouk, IASIA President; Prof. Francis Petersen, UFS VC and Prof. Pamela Dube, CUT VC. Dr Najat Zarrouk, IASIA President; Prof. Francis Petersen, UFS VC and Prof. Pamela Dube, CUT VC.

 The IASIA 2024 Conference provided a major contribution to the achievement of improving public governance research, education, and practice.