Top executives from key Commonwealth government agencies across Asia have gathered on the Gold Coast to discuss Public-Private Partnerships policy.
In collaboration with the Commonwealth Secretariat, Bond University’s Centre for Executive Education hosted a forum designed to examine all dimensions of Public-Private Partnerships in infrastructure.
In what was touted as “the most innovative program the Commonwealth Secretariat has ever put together”; the forum brought together an esteemed group of infrastructure policy makers from nations including Bangladesh, Brunei, India, Malaysia, The Maldives, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and the UK.
“This was the largest gathering of senior executives from Commonwealth countries Australia has seen in years,” Program Director, and Associate Professor of Infrastructure at Bond University, Dr Michael Regan, said.
“We gathered the best possible forum of speakers from around the world together for a meaningful exchange about public-private partnerships.
“It provided the opportunity for delegates to hear some great ideas, look at best practice and also bring forward the issues they face in their own countries, which are very different to those we face here in Australia,” he said.
The ten-day intensive program, which ran from May 14 – 24, also saw delegates taken on field trips to major public-private partnership projects in South East Queensland including the Southbank TAFE and the River City Motorway.
“Australia is a world-leader in public-private partnership policy frameworks and project delivery, so we have enormous potential to export our expertise to the region,” Dr Regan said.
“The program was hugely successful, with the Commonwealth Secretariat already planning to run another program in August, with a wider reach to include African and Caribbean nations,” he said.
Public private partnerships are a specialised form of public procurement which improves value for money outcomes for large and complex projects. They are being employed widely in transition economies to improve the delivery of critical infrastructures.
The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth; it facilitates consultation and cooperation and assists policy development among member governments.
Bond University was founded on the Gold Coast in 1989 and is Australia’s first private, not-for-profit University. Bond’s personalised approach to education combined with its uncompromising focus on industry relevance sets it apart from every other Australian university.