Dear Members of the Japan Comparative Education Society,
It is our great honor to welcome our members to the 62nd Japan Comparative Education Society (JCES) Annual Conference, to be held at Ritsumeikan University from Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5, 2026.
Today, the world is experiencing profound changes, including rising geopolitical tensions, prolonged armed conflicts, widening economic inequality, and rapid advances in digital technology and artificial intelligence. These developments invite us to reconsider the purposes and forms of education in contemporary society.
This conference aims to provide a platform for members to examine and compare educational systems and practices across countries and regions, and to engage in multi-perspective discussions on the challenges facing today’s world. Further details will be announced through the conference website and the mailing list. The Organizing Committee warmly welcomes your participation and looks forward to seeing you at the conference.

The 62nd JCES Annual Conference Organizing Committee
Saori HAGAI (Ritsumeikan University), Chair

Conference Website: https://www.gakkai.ne.jp/jces/taikai/62/
Contact e-mail address: jces62rits@gmail.com
Conference Announcement: jces_annual_meeting_62_en.pdf

July 3 (Fri) – July 5 (Sun), 2026 @ Ritsumeikan University, Kinugasa Campus

Public Symposium
TBA
Keynote Speaker: Sayaka Ogawa (Vice President, Ritsumeikan University)
Speakers and Panelists: TBA
Discussant: TBA
Moderator: Saori Hataya (Ritsumeikan University)
＊This session is in Japanese only and no interpretation will be provided.

Selected Research I
“A Japan–France Comparison of Competency-Based Higher Education Reform: Focusing on Articulation with Secondary and Vocational Education”

Speakers and Panelists: Fabienne Maillard (University of Paris 8), Kayo Matsushita (Kyoto University)
Discussant: Miki Horie (Ritsumeikan University)
Moderators: Moeko Hosoo (Ritsumeikan University)
Interpreters: Chihiro Tagawa (Osaka University), Jun Oba (Hiroshima University)

Selected Research II
“Re-examining Comparative Education in an Era of Connectivity (3):
Comparative Education as a Process of Seeking ‘Commonality’”

Speakers and Panelists:
Hitoshi Sato (Fukuoka University)- Methodology of International Comparison
Noriyuki Hashimoto (Yamanashi Prefectural University)- Theoretical Perspectives
Kampei Hayashi (Shinshu University)- Challenges and Possibilities of ‘Commonality

Discussant: TBA
Moderators: TBA (Member of the Research Committee)
＊This session is in Japanese only and no interpretation will be provided.

Requirements for the Presenter Eligibility

  To apply for a presentation, all of the listed presenters must be active members of the Japan Comparative Education Society in AY2025. Please complete the membership admission procedure before applying for the presentation. If you and your co-presenters are active members of the society, you will need to pay your annual membership fee by the end of March 2026 and renew your membership status for the new academic year. You are advised to pay the membership renewal or admission fees as soon as possible, because it may take several days to confirm your membership payments.
  Those who are currently applying for membership of the Japan Comparative Education Society will also need to pay the annual membership fee. To participate in this conference, we need to receive your membership application via post by Thursday, March 12, 2026. After the approval of your membership application, you need to pay the membership fee by the end of March 2026.
  Please check our website or contact the secretariat for more information on the membership applications and the payment of the annual membership fees.
(https://www.gakkai.ne.jp/jces/nyuukai.html )

Address for Membership Applications
  Japan Comparative Education Society
  Galileo, Inc. Tokyo Office
  2-39-2-401, Higashiikebukuro,
  Toshima Ward, Tokyo, 170-0013, JAPAN
  Email: g020jces-mng@ml.gakkai.ne.jp

Presentation Formats

• Individual Presentations: 20 minutes with an additional 10 minutes for Q&A
• Group Presentations: 20 minutes with an additional 10 minutes for Q&A (In the case of 60- minute slot: 40 minutes with an additional 20 minutes for Q&A)
  
  • Presentation is limited to one presentation per member, including individual and group presentations.
  • If you are not an oral presenter in a group presentation, you can apply for one additional individual presentation.
• Roundtable Sessions: 120 minutes for presentation and Q&A

Application Process

Presenters should apply for the presentation application (for an individual session, group presentation session, or roundtable session) through the website of the annual conference (Japanese or English) via the designated URL. For the online presentation application system, you will need your JCES membership ID and registered password. If you have forgotten your password for the website, please use the “I have forgot my password” link to reset your login information.

• Online Presentation Application System
  https://service.gakkai.ne.jp/society-member/auth/public_eng/JCES
• Application Period for Presenters
  Monday, March 2, 2026 – Friday, April 3, 2026, 18:00 JST
  [＊The application deadline will be strictly observed, please be careful of time zone differences.]

Presentation Application Guidelines

• Those who apply to present need to register to participate in the conference through the online registration system (https://service.gakkai.ne.jp/society-member/auth/apply_eng/JCES )
• Regular members, student members, and special members of the society will be able to present their research. (Temporary members will not be able to apply to present.)
• As a general rule, the conference will be held face-to-face.
• Presenters will not be able to change the submitted presentation titles or subtitles.
• You will receive a confirmation email from the online system after submitting your presentation application. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please be aware that the system did not complete your application registration correctly.
• You will select a research theme, geographic area, or both that would fit your presentation. The conference steering committee will be responsible for presentation session classification and assignments.
• For roundtable and group presentations, the group representative must submit the group presentation application through the presentation application system. The group representative will be responsible for entering the names and member ID number, and roles (moderator, presenter, co-author, etc.) of your co-presenters. Please note that separate registration for this conference must be completed for the moderator and presenter (see Section V below). If there is a duplicate presenter and moderator, please enter this information in the correspondence box. All listed speaking presenters in your presentation must have active membership in the society at the annual conference.
• Please refer to the “Presenter Eligibility Requirements,” and complete the enrollment procedures of all presenters of your presentation at your earliest convenience.
  
  Geographic Areas
  East Asia / Southeast Asia / South Asia / Central Asia / North America / Central and South America / Oceania / Europe / Africa / The Middle East
  
  Research Themes
  Theory, Thought, History / Research Methodology / Educational Opportunities / International Education, Educational Exchanges / Cross-Country Comparison / Development and Education / Educational Reform, Educational Planning / Peace and Human Rights / Democratization and Decentralization / Gender and Minority / Teacher Education, Teacher Issues / Early Childhood Education / Primary and Secondary Education / Higher Education / Vocational and Technical Education / Educational Administration, Educational Management / Religion and Education / Education and Economics / Local, Regional, and Community Education / Multicultural Education / Cross-cultural Education / Education and Welfare / Conflicts and Education

＊Please note the following additional conditions for presenter applications, as set by the society’s executive directors:

• If you cancel your presentation after the application has been accepted without an appropriate reason, you will not be allowed to make a presentation at the following year’s conference.
• Please be sure to register as a society member before the deadline. If your society membership status is not active on the listed deadline, your presentation application will not be accepted.

Presentation Abstracts

• Individual presenters and group presentation representatives should submit a presentation abstract following the format guidelines explained below through the online application systems.
• To add your abstract file, please click the “Upload your paper” and choose your file. Once you complete your application submission process, you will receive a confirmation email from the online system. Please ensure that the name of the file appears in the email once you have successfully completed the upload.
• Abstract Submission (Upload) Period:
  Friday, April 10, 2026 – Friday, May 8, 2026, until 18:00 JST
  [＊The application deadline will be strictly observed, please be careful of time zone differences.]

1. Abstracts should be on one A4 page, with 44 lines of text. English language abstracts should use Century font, 10.5 point size.
2. Please include the title and subtitle of your presentation in the same font in the top three lines of the page. (The title should be 1-3 lines long. If your title is less than 3 lines, please leave the additional lines blank.)
3. Please skip a line on the 4th line of the page between the title and add your name to the 5th line. On the 6th line, please list your affiliation, enclosed in parenthesis. Lines 5 and 6 should be right-aligned.
4. After skipping a line on Line 7, please include the body of your abstract with a one-column, justified alignment.
5. The page margins should be 25mm on the top and bottom of the page and 23mm on either side of the page.
6. Please leave the bottom margin of the page blank. (Do not include page numbers or other inserts.)
7. Please follow these rules even when submitting handwritten abstracts.
8. Please submit abstracts as PDF files (.pdf file extensions). Please do not protect the PDF file with the security password.

• Abstracts should clearly state the purpose, method, content, and results of your research
• If your abstract is submitted after the deadline or there are major errors in content or format, your abstract may not be included in the conference materials. Please understand the requirements and formats.

Poster Session

There will be no poster session at this conference.

・ English Abstract Form

Please pay the conference participation fee via the online conference registration system by credit card. Payment should be made by credit card from the participation application completion screen (https://service.gakkai.ne.jp/society-member/auth/apply_eng/JCES ). If, due to unavoidable circumstances, credit card payment cannot be made, or if advance payment has not been completed, payment in cash will be accepted at the reception desk on the days of the conference (Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5).

• Please note that we will not be able to respond to your inquiry regarding IDs and passwords for the participation application system on Saturday and Sunday during the conference. Please complete the application procedure by Friday, June 26, 2026.
• Once you complete your registration, you will receive a confirmation email from the online system. Please be sure to receive the email. If you do not receive the email, your application has not been completed yet.
• If you wish to use a payment method other than a credit card, please contact the society’s secretariat at g020jces-mng@ml.gakkai.ne.jp.
• A registration purchase receipt for the conference participation can be downloaded from the online registration system. If you need a specific form, please contact the society’s secretariat at g020jces-mng@ml.gakkai.ne.jp.
• If you have any questions, such as when your status (membership type) changes, please contact the administrative office at g020jces-mng@ml.gakkai.ne.jp.

Lunch Arrangements
In consideration of the reduction of food waste, which has become increasingly important in recent years, and due to the summer schedule of the conference, no boxed lunches will be sold, taking into account food hygiene management and the risk of foodborne illness. Participants are kindly asked to make their own lunch arrangements.

On Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5, campus shops and cafeterias will be closed. There is one convenience store and several restaurants (approximately three to four) near the university; however, congestion is expected. If possible, participants are encouraged to bring their own lunch. Classrooms and other designated rooms at the venue may be used for lunch on the day of the conference.

Childcare Service (New)
For this conference, a professional childcare provider will be engaged to offer complimentary childcare services within the conference venue building at Ritsumeikan University. (Details below are currently being finalized.)

• Dates: Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5, 2026
• Location: Ritsumeikan University, Kinugasa Campus
  (For security reasons, the childcare room location will be disclosed only to registered users.)
• Eligible Age: 0 to 6 years old (pre-school children)
• Capacity: Approximately six children per day