Veronica Junjan
| Influencing the Next Generation of Public Servants | ||
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ppp | Job Title: Lecturer Organization: Graduate: Home Country: |
| What do you enjoy about your job? What aspects of your job are the most exciting or interesting? | ||
| My job as lecturer in a Public Administration Department provides a special environment in which it is possible to influence the education and training of future and current civil servants. Several aspects of my work are particularly enjoyable: 1) class discussions with students some of whom are aiming to take jobs in public service; 2) trainings conducted with current civil servants interested in developing themselves professionally and upgrading their information, and 3) research on current topics pertaining to the reform of public administration in Romania. My research is focused on decision-making at a local level, and it is fascinating to analyze how changes in decision-making behavior are going at the local level. |
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| Why did you choose to pursue an MPA/MPP degree? | ||
| I was interested in the changes of the Romanian public institutions after 1989, given the impact that the events of December 1989 had on Romania. The start of my endeavor was a Political Science undergraduate degree, followed by a European Studies degree. Those years crystallized my interest towards the functioning of the public institutions and the investigation of how the policy process works. I knew that something more needed to be done to improve my professional credentials. Exposure to American visiting professors, class discussions and professional literature encouraged me to investigate the possibility of pursuing a Masters degree in Public Administration. | ||
| How did you select your graduate school? | ||
| Two aspects were important for this decision: 1) to identify for myself an area of interest (for example decision making in the policy process) and 2) to understand that the public administration schools in US are different, focusing on various aspects of the administration. Coming from a country which at the time (I made that decision in the second half of 90s) was just out of the "one nationally established compulsory curricula" approach, it was difficult to understand how it is possible to have different curricula in different schools. Discussions with American visiting professors were extremely important to understand these differences and to clarify what area I was interested to pursue. A further step was an internet investigation of curricula, which helped me identify several graduate schools that I believed were closer to my interest. During my interview for a Ron Brown Fellowship, I expressed and argued my interest towards these schools. Being accepted by the Rockefeller College of the University at Albany, my top preference, was an honor and joy. |
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| How do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to make a difference? | ||
| The experience of the MPA degree in Albany was particularly important for my work after returning to Romania in 2000. Learning interactive design for courses, having updated material, and first hand experience in public institutions through the internships I had while completing my degree, provided me with many useful examples to bring in class discussions and investigate together with the students how solutions found abroad could be adjusted and adapted to Romanian environment. It feels very good when contacted by former students (current employees in Romanian public institutions), and they tell me "It is really true, we can make a difference now". |
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| How would you characterize your personality? | ||
| * Compassionate * Creative * Flexible * Curious * |
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| Contact Veronica Junjan with questions regarding her graduate experience: | ||
| Email Veronica | ||
