ABOUT ICA AP RESEARCH COMMITTEE

Research has been and is of vital importance for the functioning of co-operative organizations. This is all the more so in the current economic crisis engulfing the whole world. Co-operatives have proved again that the Cooperative Model of Business is probably the only alternative to corporate sector in surviving in the complex problems and difficulties faced by all business organizations.

Research activities were continuing in the Asia-Pacific region since a long time, in some form or the other. In the year 2000, a group of researchers in the region have got together and organized the first Co-operative Forum in Singapore, with active involvement of the late Mr. Madhav Madane, formerly working for ICA Asia-Pacific, and Mr. Akira Kurimoto of JCCU, Japan. This Co-operative Forum was followed by others in Cebu, Philippines (2002), Chiangmai, Thailand (2004), Colombo, Sri Lanka (2006), and Hanoi, Vietnam (2008).

During and after the Research Conference in Colombo, the researchers who were associated with the Forum felt the need for setting up a proper Committee for Co­operative Research under the ICA Regional Assembly.The Committee was officially approved and set up at the ICA Regional Assembly held in Hanoi, on 5th December, 2009. Dr. G.N. Saxena , Director (Cooperative Development), IFFCO, India, was unanimously elected as the Chairperson of this Committee, while Mr. Akira Kurimoto was elected as the Vice Chair. Mr. P. Nair was entrusted to provide secretarial support to the Committee and function as its Secretary.

While there was no specific activity since its inception in December, 2008, Dr. Saxena felt that the Committee should have some activity during 2009 and hence organized the two-day Seminar from 22nd of oct to 24th of oct 2009 on the theme "Co-operatives a better business model: Emerging Opportunities" and a meeting of the Committee thereafter. It is heartening to note that a large number of participants, almost 50, from Thailand, Mauritius, UK and Nepal, apart from researchers in India, participated at this Seminar.