Public Administration and Policy

Public Administration and Policy, led by chairholder Dave Huitema, aims to analyse how actors, embedded in institutions, attempt to govern sustainability transformations. We use the generated insights to help develop or co-design governance arrangements that would invite transformative initiatives in society, or to remove current governance obstacles to such initiatives.
Research themes
Dynamics of governance change
This research line aims to capture the mechanisms that drive or inhibit policy and institutional dynamics in the direction of societally desired sustainability outcomes.
Between fragmentation and connectivity
We study how governance arrangements can better connect actors, scales and sectors to address complex sustainability challenges.
Conflict and contestations
We strive to understand the relevance and implications of observed value conflicts and varying risk perceptions for governing transformations.
Education

Education by Public Administration and Policy
The Public Administration and Policy group offers a wide range of courses, thesis topics, and internship opportunities. While many courses are given primarily by this chair group, PAP also collaborates with many other chair groups for courses. Our professors and lecturers supervise many students during their internship, thesis, and PhD projects as well.
Publications & Projects
Our mission is to analyze how actors, embedded in institutions, attempt to govern sustainability transformations, and to use the generated insights to help develop or co-design public governance interventions, governance arrangements that are conducive to transformations in society, or to remove current governance obstacles to societal initiatives in this direction.
Highlighted projects
Highlighted publications
- Legitimacy in an Era of Fragmentation: The Case of Global Climate Governance
- The governance challenge of implementing long-term sustainability objectives with present-day investment decisions
- Mechanisms for policy (dis)integration: Explaining food policy and climate change adaptation policy in the Netherlands
Chair Holder
Dave Huitema is professor and chair group holder Public Administration and Policy at Wageningen University and Research. His research is focused on the role of government in accomplishing transformations in the sustainability domain. Much of the work done by Huitema is aimed at the domains of water management, climate change and energy.
prof.dr. D (Dave) Huitema
Professor / Chairholder
Follow us on social media
Stay up-to-date and learn more through our social channel.



