Much of the practical work to integrate EaP countries with EU institutions takes the form of transnational cooperation. Transnational public administration and organizing takes place at the level of state, regional or local public agencies and extends to, or must reckon with, jurisdiction and practices from other countries. It is not limited to issues that transcend national borders, e.g., environment, communication, and trade, but may include policy areas that are traditionally addressed nationally and locally, such as employment, education, healthcare, and many more.

This module focuses on strengthening the capacity of young professionals in the five Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries and Belarus in meeting the challenges of building closer ties with the EU through transnational public administration by (1) getting acquainted with the broad spectrum of established practices of TPAO in Europe, (2) analysing these practices from the perspective of good governance, democracy and sustainable development, (3) reflecting on their own experiences with the help of relevant scientific literature, case-method exercises and innovative group projects, and (4) establishing contacts with young professionals from their own and other countries with a potential for future cooperation.

The module combines lectures, seminars, and cased-based exercises with study-visits and individual oaching culminating with regionally anchored project applications written by the participants throughout the course under the guidance of experts. These applications will follow actual project calls available to EaP countries and will be viable for submission.

Building upon an interdisciplinary approach, instructors and participants explore the foundations of TPAO through themes such as regional integration and differentiation, experimentalist governance, public sector reforms and democracy promotion as well as more organisational aspects such as different forms of auditing, good governance, organisational resources, collaborative capacity, and more. We discuss key elements of TPAO, focusing on knowledge, democracy and cooperation between multiple stakeholders. By taking part in learning activities delivered by prominent experts in their respective fields, the participants are given a unique opportunity to develop their professional skills, systematising and critically reflecting on their experiences.

Upon completing the module, the participants will be able to:

• ·demonstrate understanding of the specifics of TPAO, in particular how it differs from local and national public administration;
• communicate, reflect upon and critically evaluate the theoretical postulates of TPAO from a multidisciplinary perspective;
• apply different organisational perspectives to appraise the internal dynamics that the introduction of a transnational dimension triggers in public organisations;
• assess the ongoing processes in their home organization from a transnational perspective.

A detailed course syllabus and schedule will be provided upon admission to the module.

The module is open for applications from policymakers/politicians, public servants, and representatives of civil society organizations and businesses at the age of 25 - 40 years (born 1985 - 2000).

Citizens or residents of Armenia, Azerbaijan*, Belarus*, Georgia*, Moldova, and Ukraine are eligible.

*Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia can only receive participants from civil society.

More detailed information can be found on the Swedish Institute's webpage Länk till annan webbplats..

The module has four parts.

The first part is online between November 2025 and April 2026. Monthly online meetings introduce the module and provide the theoretical context.

The second part is an on-site meeting in April 2026 in Stockholm. Now we turn our focus to what TPAO entails for organisational dynamics. We will also visit Swedish organisation engaged in TPAO and learn about their experiences.

The third part will take place on site in Chisinau, Moldova for participants from Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine and in Tbilisi, Georgia for participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Now we focus on the more practical side of the module and start working on our TPAO project applications together with local and Swedish experts. During this part we will also introduce current participants to our alumni networks and will enlarge the TPAO family by bringing current and former participants together.

The fourth part will focus on supporting participants in their TPAO work. We will focus on individual coaching in managing challenges you face with TPAO at your work place as well as providing expert feedback to your work on the project application.

The schedule is as follows:

Online introduction: Nov 2025 – April 2026, with the start on Wednesday Nov 5th 2025.

Main programme in Stockholm: 19-25 April 2025 (incl. arrival/departure).

Second on-site meeting: Chisinau 4–8 October 2026 (incl. arrival/departure); Tbilisi 1–5 November 2026 (incl. arrival/departure).

Online consultations: Nov 2026 – March 2027, with final presentations of the project applications on Friday March 10th, 2027.

We reserve the right to make changes depending on changes in third party scheduling and security situation.

Participation is free of charge; meals, accommodation in shared rooms, and travel costs are covered by the organisers.

The language of instruction is English.

Active participation in all parts is required for the completion of the course. On-site meetings are full-day meetings. It is not possible to combine on-site meetings with regular job tasks.

This course can also be taken as a Master's level course worth 7.5 ECTS credits.

For further information about the module, please contact the project coordinator Jaakko Turunen, Senior Lecturer in Public Administration, or project manager Petya Burneva, PhD in Business Administration.

To submit your application for TPAO, complete the form and append the necessary documentation.

Applications are accepted until August 26th, 2025 (23:59 CET), the results will be announced in October 2025.