Call for a Host Country Institution for the 7^th Asian Population Association Conference

The Asian Population Association (APA) invites institutions, organisations and national population associations in Asian countries to consider hosting the 7^th Asian Population Association Conference either in the second half of 2026 or in 2027. The APA organises Asian Population Conference every three years in collaboration with a host country institution to discuss the latest population research and debate pressing regional population issues. It is anticipated that the next Conference will take place over three to four days (with possible pre-and post-conference activities) and will have around 500 participants. The conference will be organized in face-to-face mode.

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, academic, 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 organisations are invited to submit a written proposal to the APA. The proposal should include the following headings:

1. Structure of the proposed National Organizing Committee

2. Collaborative institutions – e.g. national population association, universities, key government population related departments, national NGOs working on population issues. Letters of agreement from each institution should be in Annex 1. Indicate the lead organization.

1. Who are the individuals who will take the lead in discussions with APA?
2. Who will sign formal letters of invitation, contract and other communications with donors and supporters?
3. Modality of collaboration with the host country government.

3. Suggested members for the APA managed Conference Scientific Committee

• List of 3-4 national experts who will be willing to participate in the Scientific Committee in the design of the scientific program (Oral and Poster sessions).
• List of 3-10 national experts who will commit to reviewing abstracts in a timely manner.

4. Proposed conference venue and brief description of facilities available

1. Describe the possible conference or conference-hotel facilities in the selected
2. Describe the plans for travel, hotel, and local activities management, indicating whether this will involve a commercial meeting organizer or the lead organization’s administrative structures.

5. Provide estimated budgets for

1. Venue, meals, snacks, entertainment (Indicative estimate, which will be borne by NOC)
2. Indicative daily rates for hotels, from budget to 4-star accommodations
3. Indicative budget airfares from various Asian cities and major regions to the conference city
4. Indicative estimate of the per person local transport

6. Summary calculation of registration fee needed to cover all conference costs

7. Summary calculation of full cost and partial cost of scholarships for participants

8. Fundraising plan including

1. List of funders to be approached for conference costs and indication of likely support
2. List of funders to be approached for scholarship costs
3. Registration fee/budget transfer plan/system of the host country

9. Schedule plan for NOC and APA meetings to meet critical target times for the scientific and conference planning which normally takes around one year

10. Formation of sub-committees with TOR for smooth organization of the conference: working committee/secretariat, logistic/resource mobilisation, hospitality, event management, media, rapporteurs, volunteers

11. Assurance (to the extent possible) that the host country 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: 31 July 2025

Interested institutions should submit their proposal electronically to the APA Secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

The Council will review the submitted proposals submitted and determine which one to accept. A brief site visit may be conducted by the APA Council to the preferred venue. Thereafter, APA Council will formally announce the host country institution and the venue for the 7^th APA Conference.

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Sincerely yours,

Asian Population Association
Website: https://asianpa.org/

Workshop on Asian Migration Network and Migrants' Health | 21 March 2025

Dear APA members,

We are delighted to announce the workshop on ‘Asian Migration Network and Migrants' Health’. This workshop invites speakers from four Asian countries, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal and India, and commentators from Japan, Australia and other countries (TBC), to discuss the issues concerning the migration between Asian countries from both origin and destination country perspectives in general and on migrant health in particular. We welcome you to join for active discussion.

<Date and Time>
Friday, 21 March 2025
14:00-16:00 Bangkok time, 16:00-18:00 Tokyo time

<Venue>
Please register from the link below for the Zoom
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/S6mPPqhAQzaHW8LKXnzg3w

<Language>
English

<Program>

* This workshop is co-organized by Asian Population Association (https://www.asianpa.org), Japan Association for Global Health (https://jagh.or.jp/) and the Migration Research Unit (https://www.ipss.go.jp/projects/j/MRU) of National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (IPSS), with the Research Grant 24BA1001 by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan

Call for Proposals to form Scientific Groups

The Asian Population Association (APA) Council is seeking proposals from APA members to form Scientific Groups on key or emerging issues in the population field in the Asian region. The proposed Scientific Groups will be active for the period 2025-2027.

Scientific groups (SG) play a key role in developing and implementing the work programme of the APA, involving its members in advancing specific research themes. SGs are expected to organise scientific activities to encourage high-level scientific research and deliberations on critical or emerging issues in the population field. We encourage SG activities to explore innovative ways of scientific engagement, such as face-to-face workshops or seminars, online seminars, training workshops, developing training materials and other tools for population scientists, preparation of journal issues or books, or organising themed sessions at conference organised by other associations. Such activities are expected to stimulate interest and generate impact among a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, national and international organizations, industry and the scientific community.

A SG generally has four to five high level experts including the Chair who is responsible for developing a programme of activities for the Group in consultations with the SG Coordinator of the APA. The present call seeks proposals for Scientific Groups to be submitted by current active members of the APA. The proposal should identify a Chair, at least three additional members preferably drawn from different countries to lead the activity, and at least one Early-Career Researcher. The Scientific Group chair and members should be chosen for their expertise on a topic, ensuring geographic and gender diversity of group members, in order for the groups to benefit from a variety of cultural and regional perspectives. Given the limited funds of the APA, the Scientific Group chair and group members are responsible for raising funds to support the group’s activities.

If proposed members are not current APA members, their appointments will be conditional upon activation of their membership by paying the annual APA dues before June 2025.

A SG proposal should include a scientific theme that has a specific focus on population studies, clear objectives and methodology, and relevance for collaborative activities across Asia.

Interested members should send a proposal (maximum two pages) outlining the following details.

1. Title of the scientific
2. Rationale of the theme highlighting relevance and potential impact.
3. Proposed chair for the scientific group and their institutional affiliation.
4. List of three to five potential members including an Early Career Researcher and their institutional affiliations.
5. Objectives and provisional programme of activities that the group would like to pursue over the period from June 2025 through December 2027.
6. Planned outputs and outcomes anticipated from the group’s activities.

The proposal should specify the resources needed for their activities, and the potential sources of funding and support.

Deadline for submissions of proposals is 15 May 2025. Interested members should submit their proposal electronically to the APA Secretariat (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), with copy to the APA President Professor James KS (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).

Please note that the APA Council is responsible for the scientific programme of the APA and will select proposals from APA members on the basis of scientific relevance to key population issues of broad interest to the membership, including those which have relevance in terms of application of research to public policy.

The APA Council reserves the right to suggest modification of the topics and nominate other individuals to participate in each Scientific Group. The Council will formally announce the final decision on the approved proposals by the end of May 2025. The President may assign a Council Member to help the Group in scientific matters and in the preparation and execution of planned activities.

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Sincerely yours,

Asian Population Association
Website: https://asianpa.org/

APA Announcement on the Global Data Deprivation

The Asian Population Association (APA), in support of concerns raised by the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP) and the Population Association of America (PAA), expresses its deep concern regarding the increasing deprivation of population and health data. The recent blocking of access to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), along with the potential abandonment of these surveys in the future, will severely limit the information base necessary for research, policy-making, and programs. Through DHS data, countries have made significant progress in addressing public health challenges, monitoring progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and shaping evidence-based policies to improve the lives of their populations.

The abandonment of population and health data collection is increasingly evident in many Asian countries, threatening the ability to assess emerging health risks, address inequalities, and respond effectively to the evolving needs of their populations. The APA calls on governments and international donors to prioritize the continuation of vital population and health statistics, recognizing their indispensable role in sustainable development and public health.

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Sincerely yours,
Asian Population Association
Website: https://asianpa.org/