環太平洋乳幼児教育学会　日本支部　（PECERA JAPAN)

Welcome letters from Mayor of Kobe and from JNTO (President of Japan National Tourisum organization).

 

On behalf of PECERA JAPAN, we would like to express our deepest and sincerest condolences to those who have lost relatives, friends, or colleagues in the disaster of the Tohoku District Earthquake and Tsunami. We pray for the people who have been suffering in the disaster areas, and we also pray for a fast recovery.
The organizing committee of the PECERA 12th Annual Conference feels the need to give more information about the present situation in Kobe, the site of the conference. Because of the geographical distance (600 kilometers away of Fukushima), Kobe has not suffered any damage, there has not been any radioactive pollution, and there has not been any shortage in electricity or other supplies at all. For your information, see data on;

http://mextrad.blob.core.windows.net/page/28_Hyogo_en.html
As a result, the organizing committee can see no reason for changing its plans for the conference. Living in West side of Japan, we have no damage at all, and we have to work very hard to promote products and economic revitalization. The PECERA 12th Annual Conference in KOBE will be held as originally planned from 30th July to 2nd August 2011.
Our thoughts are with the children who have suffered considerably, and our early childhood care and education field professionals and practitioners who are devoted to caring and supporting the young children in the area. Through the media, we get information every day that makes us really proud of our colleagues on their mission in ECCE in the Tohoku area. We believe that it is important to carry on with our work and with the conference, also as a symbol of support for the young children in the Tohoku area, and also for the improvement of the ECCE field.
The organizers at PECERA JAPAN will do the best to cut the costs, and to find ways of helping financially the children who have become orphans because of the disaster.
If case of any inquiry, please do not hesitate to contact the secretariat (pecera.japan.secretariat@gmail.com).

 

 

To Participants in the 2011 PECERA Conference:

Greetings!
I would like to welcome you to the 2011 conference of the Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association.  The theme of the conference is “Evidence -based Practice in Early Childhood Care and Education-promoting Professionalism in the Field’.  This theme recognizes the importance of teacher qualification in Early Childhood Education. These days many developed countries consider early childhood education to be increasingly important, as the foundation of their societies and their economies. Also early childhood education is being recognized as a basic foundation for the total education of our children. Although early educators like us do know that teachers are the key to this, we need to learn more about promoting professionalism in this field. The Kobe conference will fulfill this need.
The presentations of research and the face-to-face contacts between early childhood education researchers from around the area provide a foundation for dissemination, collaboration and discussion of research in training and education of early childhood educators in their own country. We can share our experiences and find a better way to educate teachers. I urge you to make the most of the opportunities available here to become increasingly aware of the research being conducted in this region and to interact with fellow researchers in order to build networks that can support our own work.
As president of PECERA I am so glad to have the 12th PECERA conference here in Kobe. Until we had the 2000 Kobe conference we didn’t believe in our ability to have our own international conference in this region. Unconsciously, Asian early professionals accepted the fact that international conferences would belong to Western scholars and their associations. We just tried hard to attend International conferences in Western countries and to submit articles to their journals. However, Dr. Spodek, who believed in the necessity of PECERA and in our ability to make it happen, helped us to start it. Eleven years ago when Dr. Spodek succeeded in opening the first PECERA Kobe International conference, we all were overwhelmed by it.
For the successful inaugural conference in the year 2000, there were invaluable efforts and scarifices by Dr. Yoko Shirakawa and the Japanese planning committee staffs.  Dr. Shirakawa and all the Japanese professionals, who worked hard for the 2000 conference, thank you so much. This year, my sincere gratitude must go to Dr. Katsuhisa Gomi, who is the chair person of this 12th PECERA conference, Dr. Sachiko Kitano and all the planning committee members who worked for the whole year.
According to Dr. Spodek’s recollection 200 people showed up and more than 70 papers were presented in 2000. Dr. Spodek and Dr. Shirakawa built the foundation of an organization at this first conference. Now PECERA attracts more than 400 people each year and about 200 papers and posters are presented. Not only the quantity but also the quality of research is improved so that we could now publish the Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education twice a year. Seven years after the Kobe conference, PECERA was registered as a non-profit organization in Hong Kong with the assistance of Dr. Betty Chan, who is PECERA Hong Kong president and vice-president of PECERA. We need to thank to Dr Betty Chan and the staff of  the Yew Chung Educational Foundation for the work they have done.
The Japanese planning committee has made an outstanding program available to you. You need to work at making it worthwhile. Spend some time with participants who are not from your country or region and share experiences. Take time to speak with presenters, asking questions and making comments.  Make use of the social opportunities as well as the intellectual opportunities.  Feel free to submit a paper for publication in the Asia-Pacific Journal of Research in Early Childhood Education.  Make this conference as full an experience as it can be for you.
Sincerely,
WON YOUNG RHEE
PRESIDENT OF PECERA

 

Conference Chair : Professor Katsuhisa Gomi of Kobe University.