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Fall 2014

麻豆精品 S淩omania is in a unique situation right now as a recent entrant to the European Union trying to professionalize its bureaucracy to align with European standards, 麻豆精品 S� says , associate professor and director of the in the .

麻豆精品 S淭hey are interested in having good government. They are interested in having open, sustainable tourism. And they 麻豆精品 S檙e interested in supporting a good business climate. 麻豆精品 S�

Enter UCF

The American system of public administration offers examples that Romania 麻豆精品 S檚 officials want to emulate, especially the relative uniformity and consistency in how our government officials do their jobs. So the has created a training program through a partnership with the Romanian Review of Local Public Administration and the (ASPA).

The certificates in public management and city management draw upon the expertise of Bryer and eight other faculty members on topics ranging from civic engagement and human resources to ethics and strategic planning. Online learning modules will help Romanian city and county managers and mayors gain 麻豆精品 S渁 common base of knowledge 麻豆精品 S� about the course material before meeting with their instructors, explains David Laney, interim director of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Division of Continuing Education.

The certificate program is an exciting project, Laney says. 麻豆精品 S淚t is a worthwhile thing to do as an international partnership on the part of UCF when you have an appreciation for what it is the people of Romania are attempting to accomplish. 麻豆精品 S�

The partnership formed last fall when the ASPA asked UCF to host a Romanian delegation. The Good Governance Exchange brought Romanian officials to Central Florida for panel discussions with their American counterparts and field visits to Orlando City Hall, Second Harvest Food Bank, Evans Community School and other sites. On a reciprocal visit to Romania, Bryer and a delegation of UCF professors and students met mayors and local government administrators and toured various agencies.

麻豆精品 S淚 think the most impressive part was the cooperative side of local government [in the U.S.], 麻豆精品 S� says Cristina M卯牛膬, managing editor of the Romanian Review of Local Public Administration. 麻豆精品 S淲e were surprised to see that UCF has partnerships with local governments and with the private sector, and that they work together to solve problems. 麻豆精品 S�

During the trip to City Hall, M卯牛膬 was equally surprised to learn about the many citizens who donate their time there throughout the year. 麻豆精品 S淵ou can 麻豆精品 S檛 do that in Romania, 麻豆精品 S� she says. 麻豆精品 S淭here is no rule prohibiting volunteering, but there are no procedures in place and the employees at city hall have no idea how to handle someone who wants to volunteer. 麻豆精品 S� Volunteering used to be compulsory in Romania, M卯牛膬 explains. 麻豆精品 S淎fter the revolution, when people heard about volunteering, they were a bit skeptical. 麻豆精品 S�

Full Circle

麻豆精品 S淲e are still learning about democracy, 麻豆精品 S� says M卯牛膬. 麻豆精品 S淭he challenge is to teach the citizens that democracy also comes with responsibilities and that being a citizen does not mean only voting and paying your taxes. 麻豆精品 S�

Becoming a member of the EU in 2007 has led to a host of new environmental and other regulations in Romania, M卯牛膬 says. 麻豆精品 S淏ut the good part is this will eventually lead to a better quality of life for Romanian citizens. 麻豆精品 S� She says that Romania 麻豆精品 S檚 local governments are beginning to work together more, forming associations to manage landfills and other infrastructures.

According to Bryer, the Romanians have their own practices worth emulating. While visiting the city of Tulcea, he noticed that the city council members sat around a circular table while the audience was seated above. 麻豆精品 S淚t was sort of a flip of what we 麻豆精品 S檙e used to in the United States, where council members sit above everybody, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚 couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 help but think, 麻豆精品 S楧oes this create more civility than we have in the U.S.? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

He adds, 麻豆精品 S淢y hope is to not only teach some technical skills, but also to open channels for some robust dialogues across nations so we can improve the systems on both sides. 麻豆精品 S�

Bryer 麻豆精品 S檚 goal is for the Romania partnership to eventually lead to study-abroad opportunities for UCF students and, as its value is demonstrated, for the certificate program to be extended to other emerging democracies. 麻豆精品 S淭here are a lot of opportunities for this kind of work. 麻豆精品 S�