Message from the APA President: Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi

Dear APA Members,

It gives me a great pleasure to assume my responsibility and work for the next two years with the Second Council of the Asian Population Association. As you all appreciate, the APA has made great progress during the First Council term. The number of APA members has increased to around 1100 by December 2010. The First Conference of the APA was successfully held in New Delhi and recorded as a significant event in the history of the Association. Many members participated and presented high quality papers. We were delighted to see so many young demographers from across Asia who experienced the stimulating environment of the conference. The Scientific Committee of the APA Council initiated to establish some scientific panels, but the decision has not been finalized yet. The first issue of the APA Newsletter was published last year. These achievements have been made by your active support, and by the great efforts of members of the First APA Council.

Despite these achievements, however, there are many tasks and challenges ahead of us. Organization of the second APA conference will be one the main activities of the APA over the next two years. We should also continue our membership drive and increase the number of APA members. Our record shows that out of 845 regular members, only 205 members (around 25%) paid their registration fees, and thus, the Secretariat of the APA will plan to facilitate active participation of members in the APA activities including payment of the registration fees. Several Scientific Panels will be established over the next two years, and we hope many of you will actively participate in the organization of these panels. We will also plan to publish the APA Newsletter regularly.

The first meeting of the new council has been scheduled for 6-8 March 2011 in Bangkok. The aim of the meeting is to discuss the APA activities over the next two years, and plan for the 2nd conference to be held in 2012. Please do let us know if you have any suggestion that the council should discuss in its meeting. We will inform you of the result of our meeting including the venue and timing of the APA Second Conference after our council meeting.

Let me take this opportunity, and thank Leela Visaria, the First APA President, and other outgoing council members for their time and efforts. Thanks also to Professor Bhassorn Limanonda for her dedication and support over the last three years. As you all know, the APA Secretariat has smoothly been transferred to the Institute for Population and Social Research of Mahidol University, and Dr Sureeporn Punpuing will be working with us as the new APA Executive Secretary. I would like to welcome the new Council members and the new Executive Secretary who will be working hard to ensure the sustainability of the association. I am confident that with your great support, dedication, and commitment we will be able to accomplish many more goals during the next two years.

I wish you all a happy, healthy, and productive 2011.

Mohammad Jalal Abbasi-Shavazi
President
Asian Population Association