The creation of the Institute for Public Administration and Regional Development was the result of the implementation and development of the best traditions, achievements and models of the "Center for Administrative Reform and Assistance" Program. The Program operated during 1995-1997 at Uzhhorod State University within the framework of an institutional partnership with the University of Georgia, USA, and was financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the administration of the International Research and Exchange Council (IREX). The Institute is a structural unit of Uzhhorod National University and operates on the basis of the Regulation on the Research Institute of Public Administration and Regional Development, approved by the Rector of Uzhgorod National University.

 The formation and development of the Institute's capacity, its involvement in international and national training and research programs in the period of 1997-2013 was carried out on personal initiative and with dynamic participation of the current Dean of the Faculty of International Economic Relations of UzhNU, Doctor of Political Sciences, Professor Mykola Palinchak, who headed the Institute during this period. 

 The Director of the Institute, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of International Economic Relations Volodymyr Prykhodko has an extensive experience of working in the real sector of the economy where he managed the implementation, consulting and engineering support of large-scale investment projects of national and transnational corporations in the automotive and electronic industries. In 2009-2010, he worked as Rector of the National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine. The Director of the institute heads the Scientific Council, which consists of leading UzhNU researchers who are experts in the field of public administration and regional development, as well as partner scientific and research institutions, and representatives of the Institute’s structural units.  

Experts of the Institute at the international conference "Cross-Border Statistics and Spatial Cohesion: Challenges and Prospects". April 18-19, 2018 Rzeszów, Poland 

 The Institute’s experts together with partners have published 7 collective works, 68 materials of international conferences, and more than 90 methodological materials on current problems of public administration and regional development  ( https://dspace.uzhnu.edu.ua/jspui/; see the link ). 

Major publications co-authored by the experts of the Institute

 Europian Production Day 2023 in Transcarpathia: https://www.uzhnu.edu.ua/uk/news/Yevropejskij-den-virobnitstva-v-ukrajini.htm

 The goal of the Institute is the efficient use of the intellectual potential of UzhNU for the improvement of public administration on the basis of "good governance", the provision of scientific, educational and consulting services for state authorities, local governments, NGOs and businesses in the process of implementing regional development projects.

The main areas of activity are as follows:

• Analysis of theoretical problems of public administration and search for optimal solutions; 

• Study of the influence of government policy on the development of the region, as well as elaboration of alternative models for making optimal decisions in this area; 

• Development and implementation of advanced training and professional development programs for civil servants of various categories; 

• Consultation, expertise, informational and technical assistance to state administration and local governments, NGOs and businesses; 

• Publication of training manuals, reference books and theoretical studies; 

• Implementation of information technologies in the activities of state administration and local government agencies.

The Institute's achievements were made possible due to the activity of research experts and the support of regional and local governments, as well as international foundations, including the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, the Carpathian Euroregion Fund, IREX, IATP, the Renaissance Foundation, the Zakarpattia Regional Council, Uzhhorod City Council, the Department of Economic Development and Trade of the Zakarpattia Regional State Administration, etc. The Institute's experts have implemented many successful training projects for public officials and applied research for state authorities and local governments.

In the course of the project implementation, the experts of the Institute have prepared and provided the following: 

• Practical recommendations for the main institutions of the European Union, state and local self-government agencies and NGOs regarding the efficient implementation of the Nordic experience of cross-border cooperation; 

• Proposals on cluster development of the region, reorganization of the Carpathian Euroregion, creation of a network of cross-border industrial parks in cooperation with territorial communities of the border regions; 

• Elimination of disparities and development of a number of scenarios for spatial development of the regional center in the context of administrative and territorial reform (Development Strategy of the Zakarpattia Region and Development Strategy of the City of Uzhhorod); 

• Chapter III of the Concept of Innovative Development of Uzhhorod National University as a regional integrator of knowledge, innovations and technologies, in terms of interaction with territorial communities and a list of indicators of the development of academic entrepreneurship and cross-border educational and scientific cluster.

The Institute is a permanent participant in the process of regional and cross-border strategic targeting. Its experts played a prominent role in the preparation of the Development Strategy of the Zakarpattia Region for the period 2015-2020 and for the period 2021-2027, Development Strategy for the City of Uzhhorod -2030, the Concept of Innovative Development of Uzhhorod National University for the period until 2025, which was developed with the support of the Visegrad Foundation and in partnership with universities and institutes of the Visegrad Group.

A training course "Regional Development: Efficient Tools for Strengthening the Competitiveness of the Community (District, City)" for heads of territorial communities. December 9-12, 2019, UzhNU, Uzhhorod.

The Institute's experts Prof. V. Prykhodko and Prof. V. Shpachuk, together with colleagues from the University of Newcastle-upon- Tyde (UK) and the University of Economics in Krakow (Poland), are working on the creation of the International Center for Safe Economic Development.