The establishment of the Institute of Public Affairs Management was inspired by similar developments in several of the world s most advanced democracies. Since the 1980s, it has become increasingly common for leading universities around the world to combine the study of economic, social, and political aspects of regional development into a unified institute or department. Taiwan is gradually catching up with the developed democracies, and one aspect of this development is that the interrelations among governmental and private sector organizations are becoming increasingly complex.