It is my great honor to be elected as the President of the East-Asian Association for Science Education (EASE). My association with this esteemed organization dates back to the early days, when I was introduced by my PhD supervisor, Prof. Alice Siu Ling Wong, and the 5th EASE President, Prof. May May Hung Cheng, to participate in EASE 2013 conference, where I was honored to receive the Young Scholar Award. Three years later I was appointed as the secretary of the headquarters of EASE, serving from 2016 to 2018. In 2022, I was further elected to the position of Vice-President, an experience that has deepened my commitment to the mission and vision of this dynamic community.
Over the years, I have witnessed the remarkable journey of EASE, as it has grown from strength to strength under the visionary leadership of its past presidents. Since the organization was first established at Seoul National University, Korea, the 1st President, Prof. Masakata Ogawa, the 2nd President, Prof. Jinwoong Song, the 3rd President, Prof. Chi-Jui Lien, the 4th President, Prof. Lei Wang, the 5th President, Prof. May May Hung Cheng, the 6th President, Prof. Yoshisuke Kumano, the 7th President, Prof. Myeong-Kyeong Shin, and the most recent President, Prof. Anna Permanasari, have all demonstrated unwavering commitment to advancing the frontiers of science education. Under their stewardship, EASE has successfully organized a series of impactful academic events, including the 2009 EASE Conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the 2011 Conference in Gwangju, Korea, the 2013 Conference in Hong Kong, PRC, the 2015 Conference in Beijing, PRC, the 2016 Conference in Tokyo, the 2018 Conference in Hualien, Taiwan, the 2021 online EASE Conference in Japan, the 2022 Conference in Daegu, Korea, and the upcoming 2024 Conference in Bandung, Indonesia. Additionally, EASE has run six summer, autumn, or winter schools in Taipei (2010), Beijing (2012), Seoul (2014), Shaanxi (2017), Shizuoka (2018), Bandung (2022), and Bangkok (2022), with the aim of enhancing the learning and research experience of postgraduate students working in the field of science education.
I am grateful to be working alongside a new executive group comprising distinguished scholars and educators, including Prof. Shingo Uchinokura from Japan, Prof. Chun-Lei Zhang from Mainland China, Prof. Shu-Chiu Liu from Taiwan, and Prof. Chanyah Dahsah from Thailand as Vice-Presidents, Prof. Ida Kaniawati from Indonesia as Secretary, and Prof. Yongsoon Kwak from Taiwan as Treasurer. With the transfer of the EASE headquarters to Hong Kong, Dr. Weng Xiaojing has kindly offered her service as the Secretary of the headquarters. Together with the 28 executive members from the seven different regions, I am confident that EASE will continue to develop and make a distinctive contribution to science education.
Looking into the future, I am excited about the prospect of building new partnerships and exploring collaborative opportunities that will further strengthen our global network and enhance the learning and research experiences of our members. Apart from planning for conferences, summer and winter schools, we welcome your ideas and thoughts. Please send in your ideas and suggestions to the executive members in your region or directly to the EASE headquarters at wanzh@eduhk.hk.
Peter Zhihong Wan, (萬志宏), Ph.D.
The 9th President, East-asian Association for Science Education (EASE)
Associate Professor of Science Education
Department of Curriculum and InstructionThe Education University of Hong Kong
