School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University
Hangzhou, China
The 2021 ARNOVA Asia Conference, which will take place at School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China on July 17 - 18, 2021. The conference is co-organized by Zhejiang University’s School of Public Affairs and Academy of Social Governance, and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA).
ARNOVA is the U.S.-based, international association that connects scholars, educators, and practice leaders to strengthen the field of nonprofit and philanthropic research in order to improve civil society and human life. ARNOVA is committed to strengthening research about and helping shape better practice in these realms.
Theme
The theme for the 2021 ARNOVA Asia Conference is “Engaging in Governance: The Evolving Roles and Actions of Nonprofits in a Year of Uncertainty”. Today nonprofits are confronting unprecedented uncertainty. The development of digital technology has changed the way they communicate, engage, and fulfill their mission. Rapid changes in economic, political, and environmental situations have also heightened concerns about accountability and sustainability of nonprofit and voluntary sectors. More recently, risk and safety issues have moved to the forefront of nonprofit practitioners and scholars. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacted an unprecedented toll on all of us on this planet and tested our collective capacity to understand, survive, and bounce back. Despite the mounting governance, management, and financial challenges that they must confront, civil society organizations have played a proactive role in response to the pandemic.
Nonprofit and voluntary sectors across countries and regions are joining forces with government, businesses, and individuals to protect their communities, particularly those that are most vulnerable.
Host Organizations & Conveners
School of Public Affairs of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou
The School of Public Affairs (SPA) of Zhejiang University, a young and vibrant school, guided by the school motto “World Affairs as Responsibility and Truth as Faith”, devotes itself to cultivating thoughtful leaders with extraordinary conscientious as well as persistence to serve the people.
Prof. Jianxing Yu is a Professor and Dean of the School of Public Affairs and Academy of Social Governance, both at Zhejiang University. He is also the President of Zhejiang Gongshang University. Prof. Yu is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Chinese Governance, the new SSCI journal in the field. His research interests have focused on government innovation, nonprofit governance, Chinese rural reform and Chinese medical reform. His awards and honors include the Special Expert in Zhejiang Province, the Special Government Allowances of the State Council, the Leading Talents of the National Philosophy and Social Sciences, the Changjiang Scholar Program of Ministry of Education of PRC, Fudan Outstanding Contribution Award of Management, and the others. He has authored and edited books including Palgrave Handbook of Local Governance in Contemporary China (2019), A Path for Chinese Civil Society: A Case Study on Business Associations in Wenzhou, China (2012) and among others.
Academy of Social Governance of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou
The Academy of Social Governance of Zhejiang University aims to lead, advocate and impact the research and practice of social governance in China. The four main research fields of the Academy are: Governance Innovation, Law of Social Governance, Nonprofits Governance, and Grass-roots Social Governance. Journal of Chinese Governance is the Academy´s official journal. It is published four times a year and provides a forum for researchers from around the world to publish timely articles from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
Association for Research on Nonprofit Organization and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA)
ARNOVA is the U.S.-based, national and international association that relates scholars, teachers, and practice leaders interested in research on nonprofit organizations, voluntary action, philanthropy and civil society. Founded in 1971 as the Association of Voluntary Action Scholars, ARNOVA is a neutral, open forum committed to strengthening the research about and helping shape better practice in these realms.. It brings together both theoretical and applied interests, helping scholars gain insight into the day-to-day concerns of third-sector organizations, while providing nonprofit professionals with connections to research they can use to improve the work of their organizations and the quality of life for citizens and communities.
Dr. Chao Guo is associate professor of nonprofit management in the School of Social Policy and Practice, and faculty director of the International Master of Public Administration (I-MPA) program, both at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also founding co-director of the China Institute for Philanthropy and Social Innovation at Renmin University of China. Prof. Guo is Editor-in-Chief of Nonprofit & Voluntary Sector Quarterly, the premier journal in the field. His interests are in collaboration within and across sectors, technology and nonprofit advocacy, and social entrepreneurship. His award-winning research includes the 2014 text, Social Entrepreneurship: An Evidence-Based Approach to Creating Social Value. Actively involved in community-serving projects, he serves as Faculty director of PREP, Penn Restorative Entrepreneurship Program, which helps formerly incarcerated persons become social entrepreneurs.
