A journal covering public affairs issues on the African continent was launched recently at the University of Pretoria (UP).
Titled the African Journal of Public Affairs (AJPA), it will be published biannually by the African Consortium of Public Administration. The editor-in-chief is professor Jerry Kuye, director of the school of public management and administration at UP, and the editor is professor Enslin van Rooyen, also from UP’s Faculty of economic and management sciences.
Kuye said the objective of the AJPA is to further the understanding of the theory and practise of public affairs by publishing articles of interest to practitioners and scholars. The journal publishes peer-reviewed articles, review articles, case studies, exemplar profiles and research results from practitioners of all grades and professions, academic and other specialists.
He said in the field of public administration there is a limited number of journals on the continent. “This journal will have an impact scholastically. It will create an African space for African ideas and will focus on areas including governance, leadership and policy.” Contributions are also invited from outside Africa.
Kuye said young academics are encouraged to contribute articles. “We will have a mentorship programme to assist them with the writing of articles. We are also encouraging a gender balance as more men than women publish in this discipline.”
The journal has international recognition as it has an international standard serial number and an application will be made to the department of education for accreditation as a journal.
The editorial board and the advisory panel of the AJPA comprise experts from various countries including Canada, India, France and the UK.