For a long time – pretty much since its inception – JLGC has enjoyed good links with the Institute of Local Government Studies at the University of Birmingham, the oldest and most respected academic department specialising in local government in the country. As one important element in that relationship, the Institute ran a two-week special course for Japanese local government officers as part of a three-month programme in the UK (and a short period in France) organised by JLGC, which also included intensive English study and study placements in local authorities.
Since the early nineties, eager local government officials from many local authorities embraced the chance to widen their horizons and acquire solid knowledge about not only the world of local government in the UK, but also aspects of Britain’s culture and way of life, in the process visibly gaining in competence and confidence. However over the past years it has become increasingly difficult for local authorities in Japan to fund such training, and after the past years already saw dwindling numbers of participants, the programme has now come to its end. In order to reflect on the achievements of the course and consider how to maintain ties between INLOGOV and JLGC, the Director and staff concerned went to Birmingham on the 11th of March. A discussion with John Raine, Director of INLOGOV, Tony Bovaird (Professor of Public Management and Policy) as well as people most closely involved in the course and with JLGC in general (Simon Baddeley, Chris Game, Peter Watt and last not least course secretary Fay Wilson) proved very fruitful – there will be opportunities for common research projects and hopefully training events for JLGC staff, so that we have every hope of continuing this relationship to mutual benefit.
