Bridging Realities for Global Sustainable Development: A Call for International Comparative Public Administration Research

ABSTRACT The ASPA Section for International and Comparative Administration (SICA) was established in 1973 and over the last 50 years it has been a beacon for international and comparative public administration research. The need for comparative public administration seems evermore important in the face of fragile, even failing, states. This commentary draws on the concepts of ‘topos’ (space) and ‘chronos’ (time) to explore how we may support the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These concepts are explored in relation to the need to learn from different systems, including from fragile and failing states, as well as the need to consider possible futures, including utopian models. It is argued that comparative research particularly in non‐Western contexts, and sharing learning across different systems, has never been more important and that drawing on models such as the Neo‐Weberian State can provide new insights to address contemporary global challenges.