Minoru Morishita
President
Japan Comparative Education Society
I am honored to have been appointed the 18th President of the Japan Comparative Education Society at its 62nd Annual Conference, held at Ritsumeikan University in July 2026. As I take on this role, I would like to share a few remarks. During my term of office, the Society’s secretariat will be based at the Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, where my colleague, Prof. Katsura Ichikawa, will serve as Secretary-General. As only two society members are affiliated with the university, I have also asked Prof. Takayo Ogisu, Director, to serve as Assistant Secretary-General, as well as appointing four standing executive officers from nearby universities to join the secretariat. Together, we will work as a team to manage the society’s operations.
Founded in 1965, the Society celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2025. While serving as director under former President Mina Hattori, I was responsible for the Society’s 60th-anniversary commemorative projects. This role provided me with an opportunity to reflect on society’s six-decade history. I was deeply moved by the contributions of past presidents to its development, as well as by the commitment of numerous members to advancing comparative education. This reflection also made me realize the limitations of my own knowledge and abilities, and I felt deeply humbled by the rich history created by our predecessors. However, although my position at the university focused on science and engineering does not allow me to directly train the next generation of comparative education scholars, I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to our society. I will devote myself fully to the duties of the presidency and respectfully ask for your continued support.
Former President Mina Hattori not only led the 60th anniversary events, but also enabled fully in person conferences, online journal submissions, and online voting for board elections. During my term, I face various challenges, including reforming the director’s election system. The systems and activities that form the cornerstones of this society, such as the current directors' election system, the biannual publication of the society's journal, the issuance of JCES News and the establishment of ethical guidelines, were introduced around 25 years ago led by the 12th president, Prof. Toru Umakoshi. At the time, Prof. Umakoshi felt a sense of crisis regarding the field of comparative education. As other areas of education began to address various aspects of education abroad, the very raison d’être of comparative education was called into question; at the same time, once an academic society grows to around 1,000 members, the increase in size poses a risk of diminishing its cohesive force. I believe the scholars of that era, sharing this sense of crisis, examined the future direction of our society from a long-term perspective and undertook various reforms. Now, as we seek to reform the director’s election system, I don't think it's simply a matter of changing how directors are elected, but rather a more complex issue. We must consider the direction of our society for the next 10 to 20 years. This will likely reveal various issues that require reform. Although this is a daunting task, I am fully committed to seeing it through.
On a personal note, my deep attachment to comparative education simply comes from how fascinating it is. For example, field research is often difficult, but precisely because of that difficulty, new discoveries and insights feel so fascinating that I become fully absorbed. I believe this feeling is one of the greatest motivations for researchers in comparative education. I strongly feel that our society is meaningful because it is a place where we can share the fascination of comparative education. I hope to continue approaching comparative education with the expectation of discovering its fascination alongside all of you in the warm and enjoyable atmosphere of our society. I will do my very best in this role and sincerely appreciate your continued support.
2026
・July 27, 2008
・July 2, 2009
・2014
・2023
