APA Brochure (Feb 2009)

News :

Call for a Host Country Institution for the 3rd Asian Population Association Conference

The Asian Population Association (APA) invites institutions, organisations and national population associations in Asian countries to consider hosting the 3rd Asian Population Association Conference in 2015. The APA organizes a regional population conference every two-three years in collaboration with a host country institution to discuss the latest population research and debate pressing regional population issues.

Both the APA and the host country collaborators commit themselves to significant financial and administrative responsibilities by agreeing to organize the conference. The host country collaborators are expected to set up a National Organizing Committee (NOC) that includes key members of the host country population community and others who will be responsible for local logistics. Host country collaborators can include government, non-government or private institutions, national professional associations, or a group of institutions. The expectation is that all partners will have a commitment to population research, teaching and policy.

Interested groups are invited to submit a written proposal to the APA. The proposal should at minimum include:

Structure of the National Organizing Committee (leadership, membership),
Proposed conference venue and description of facilities available
Estimated budget of anticipated conference expenditures
Indicative estimate of the per person in country costs for participants (accommodation, living costs, local transport)
Fundraising plan including list of potential funders and indication of likely support
Description of division of responsibilities among the local organizers including but not limited to indication of where responsibility for financial management will be held
Assurance (to the extent possible) that the host nation is accessible to all APA members with a reasonable guarantee of visas

The proposal should identify the formal organization extending the invitation and its capabilities, and the local coordinator who would handle communications with the APA Secretariat.

Deadline for submissions: 30 June 2013

Interested institutions should submit their proposal electronically to the APA Executive Secretary Professor Sureeporn Punpuing (prspu@mahidol.ac.th) and copy to the APA President Professor Terence Hull (Terry.Hull@anu.edu.au)

The decision on the next Conference venue will be taken by the APA Council in early August 2012. The Council will review proposals submitted and decide which proposal to accept. The APA Council will formally announce the host country institution and the venue for the 3rd APA Conference at the upcoming IUSSP International Population Conference in Busan.

APA Brochure (Feb 2009)

Dear Colleagues,

As you are aware, Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. With almost four billion people, it is home to more than 60% of the world's current population, including the two largest national populations, China and India. Asia is also the centre of some of the fastest sustained economic growth rates in the world as well as some of the most intractable problems of poverty. It is home to several language families and many language isolates. Indeed, Asia is both diverse and dynamic in terms of population growth trends. There are many emerging population issues posing significant impacts on the future of the world?s population as they pose major challenges to communities and local governments across the region.? Thus, there is a great need for scientific studies of population which can be translated into policy actions in countries with diverse socio-demographic settings.

The idea of the establishment of an Asian association of population professionals was raised by Asian demographers in several meetings held in Thailand in 2004, Pakistan in 2005, and India in 2006. An online forum was held in 2007 where many demographers and population experts expressed their views on the model and name of the association; and the Establishment Committee (EC) of the Asian Population Association (APA) was formed.? The first meeting of the EC of the APA was held at the University of Tehran in December 2007.? The EC meeting produced a draft Constitution and made decisions on the APA membership drive as well as the Nomination Committee for the first election of the Council of the association.? The Secretariat Office of the APA has been set up at the College of Population Studies of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, and the APA has been registered in Thailand. At the second meeting of the EC held in Bangkok in June 2008, the first online election of the APA was planned which took place during September-October 2008 and the following scholars were elected as the members of the first council of the APA:

President: Leela Visaria (India)
Vice-President: Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi (Iran)
Secretary General: Anthony Abeykoon (Sri Lanka)
Treasurer: Aphichat Chamratrithirong (Thailand)

Council Members:
Moneer Alam (India)
Abbas Bhuiya (Bangladesh)
Terence H. Hull (Australia)
Shireen Jejeebhoy (India)
Naohiro Ogawa (Japan)

Executive Secretary: Bhassorn Limanonda (Thailand)

The first council meeting of the APA was held during 7-8 February 2009 in Bangkok, where it was decided to hold the first APA conference in India during 14 - 19 November 2010. The details of the conference will be announced soon. There will also be joint meetings and training workshops with other population associations including the IUSSP and the Population Association of America in the near future.

Membership Drive Committee of the APA is encouraging applications from population professionals and graduate students in all Asian countries and from professionals living outside Asia who research the population of Asia or individual Asian countries. The new Council has set up regular fee of $US25 per annum for regular members but members will NOT be charged any fee for 2009. Please visit the APA website (http://www.apa.cps.chula.ac.th) and Join the APA.