Summer: Rutgers-Comparative Urban Governance: E-commerce, E-government, and Emerging NPOs
The Program
This course immerses students in the evolving global landscape of urban management and public policy, bridging theory and real-world practice through cross-cultural learning and on-site experiences in Hangzhou, China.
Governance is undergoing rapid transformation across the globe. In response to these changes, this course is designed to offer an in-depth examination of the increasingly interconnected global environment, equipping students with the analytical tools and cross-cultural lenses required to navigate and lead in today’s evolving public administration landscape.
By integrating classroom lectures/discussions and immersive on-site visits in Hangzhou, China, students will actively connect theoretical frameworks in public administration and nonprofit development with practical, real-world applications. Special emphasis is placed on the influence of emerging technologies and the benefits of comparative perspectives for effective problem-solving and innovation in public service contexts.
Program Locations
China
Hangzhou
The onsite component offers a 10-day immersion experience in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, China. Hangzhou is renowned for its picturesque West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and its stunning natural landscapes that have inspired poets and artists for centuries. The city seamlessly blends ancient charm with modern innovation, providing an ideal environmental for students understanding public administration practice in a different historical, cultural, economic, and political context.
Academics
The course is delivered through a combination of in-class lectures and an immersive onsite visit. At Rutgers, professors will engage formally with the class for several days to introduce students to China’s and Hangzhou’s history, governance, administrative, legal, and economic structures, as well as its culture and current key issues and policies. This period will also integrate key public administration and digital governance literature relevant to the course.
The onsite component offers a 10-day immersion experience in Hangzhou, the capital of Zhejiang province, China. During the visit, faculty and students will meet on site with multiple local companies, local government units which used emerging technology, such as digital governance tools and AI, in urban governance, and multiple non-profit organizations. We will also explore cultural and national heritage sites, including West Lake. At last, students will meet with the faculty and students from Zhejiang Gongshang University and exchange ideas on the similarities and dissimilarities about governance practice between the U.S. and China.
We believe that including formal coursework and travel for excursions as a group will help build closer bonds between fellow students and the professors in a relatively short period of time. The preplanned itinerary and group dynamics of this program has the potential to make this a very supportive and structured program type. Upon return to Rutgers, students will meet formally for one full day to debrief and for final course presentations.
This course could be counted towards an elective course at Rutgers-SPAA with the code and name of “40:834:330 Special Topics in Public Service”.
Housing and Meals
Upon arrival in Hangzhou, all group transportation for field trips, on-campus accommodations, and on-campus meals will be fully covered by our local partner, Zhejiang Gongshang University.
However, expenses incurred during non-group activities - such as off-campus dining, street food purchases, or personal outings - will not be covered by the university.
Scholarships
Faculty Leaders
Dr. Pengju Zhang is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University, Newark. His expertise lies in the realms of public finance and budgeting, local government studies, and education finance and policy. His work has been accepted in peer-reviewed journals, including National Tax Journal, International Tax and Public Finance, Education Finance and Policy, Public Finance Review, Public Budgeting and Finance, American Review of Public Administration, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Journal of Regional Science, among others. Dr. Zhang is a recipient of many prestigious awards and fellowship, such as the Academic Excellence Award from New Jersey Chapter of ASPA, Best Paper Award from Midwest Public Affairs Conference, Samuels Public Affairs Fellowship, International Fellowship from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, All-University Doctoral Prize from Syracuse University, Starr Fellowship from Indiana University. Dr. Zhang earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in 2016.
Dr. Briana Huett is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at Rutgers University - Newark. She earned her Ph.D. in Public Policy, a Master's in Public Administration (MPA), and a Master’s in Statistics and Analytics from the University of Arkansas.
Her professional background has included working for nonprofits, community organizations, and community-centered research initiatives, while her research interests are centered around both the formation and change of policy perceptions and the application of public policy. Her focus is to use research and methodological tools for improving access to - and equitable practices within - public services, and specifically to connect scholarly research to tangible and direct applications that public administrators can use to enhance their practices.