The people behind PMRC 2027.

György Hajnal is full professor at Corvinus University of Budapest and heads the University’s Department of Public Policy. In addition, he is Research Professor at the ELTE-HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Science Centre of Excellence. His current research interests extend to comparative analysis of public management reforms and reform doctrines at central and local levels, robust governance under conditions of turbulence, and the structural dynamics of central government organization, with a prime focus on the Central and Eastern European region and the patterns of illiberal transformation therein. He served and serves in international academic organizations, including as past President of NISPAcee and past Vice-President for Eastern Europe of IRSPM. Currently, he is Chair of the Board of the European Association for Public Administration Accreditation. In 2025 he was selected as a member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (CEPA). He and the same Department of Public Policy team hosted IRSPM conferences at Corvinus in 2017 and 2023.

Sabina Schnell is Associate Professor at Corvinus University of Budapest in the Department of Public Policy, Institute of Social and Political Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from George Washington University and previously served on the faculty of Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. Her research examines how democratic values such as transparency, integrity, accountability and commitment to public service can be embedded in public policy and administrative practice. She is currently Associate Editor of Public Administration Review and has served on organising and programme committees for international research and practitioner conferences. She also has extensive practical experience collaborating with international organisations including the World Bank and GIZ on public-sector reforms.

Nándor Petrovics is a senior research expert and research impact manager at Corvinus University of Budapest. His responsibilities include research governance, internal research support policy, corporate research partnerships and research impact support. Nándor is also a lecturer at the Department of Public Policy, teaching subjects including Public Policy Analysis, Program and Performance Evaluation, Cost-Benefit Analysis, Multi-Level Governance and Public Financial Management. He has almost 20 years of event-organisation experience and has been involved in international conferences and events including IRSPM 2017 and 2023, ISDRS 2025 and the Budapest Science Diplomacy School.

Edit Waffenschmidt is an experienced executive assistant and project coordinator at Corvinus University of Budapest, currently serving as Head of Secretariat at the Institute of Social and Political Sciences. She has a strong background in administrative support and project management and has managed international events including the IRSPM 2023 and EMPA 2023 conferences and the ASPA Young Scholars Workshop in 2024. She has also been actively involved in organising academic events hosted by the Department of Public Policy.

Dr. Gábor Tamás Molnár is Assistant Professor at the Department of Public Policy at Corvinus University of Budapest and a member of the Steering Committee of NISPAcee. He has served for many years as section secretary of the Public Policy section of the Corvinus University Scientific Students’ Associations Conference, coordinating submission, review and evaluation of student research papers. He has extensive experience in international academic conference organisation, particularly scientific programme management, abstract administration, reviewer coordination and conference management systems.