History 

On 14^th July, 1988, 49 student affairs practitioners from 12 countries decided to form the Asia Pacific Student services Association at the conclusion of the first Asia Pacific student affairs conference organized by the Hong Kong Student Services Association in Hong Kong.  It was in a period of rapid growth and development in Asia.

Urge for a platform for international sharing and learning

Till the 1970? Asia was poor and under-developed in all aspects. Higher education was accessible to the elite few with one or a handful of institutions of higher learning in each country except China, India and Japan. International linkages were primarily with western countries, part of their historical/colonial heritage. Intra regional communications in higher education were few and were only possible with financial support by international or western funding agencies. 

In 1988, the Hong Kong Student Services Association, formed in 1984 by student affairs practitioners in Hong Kong for the purpose of sharing and learning, saw the need to extend its contacts beyond Hong Kong. It soon realized that unlike academic disciplines and the professions which were already global in nature, student affairs was primarily something local. It decided to organize an international Student Affairs conference on the following beliefs:

• a.       There was a sufficiently large number of universities in the Asia Pacific region and it was likely that each would have a student affairs set up;

• b.      Universities in the Asia Pacific region had already developed to a stage that they could and were ready to finance attendance of student affairs practitioners at an international conference; and

• c.       It should be able to gain local community support in funding for mounting an international conference if it can develop a good program with good purpose. 

An international conference and the making of an international association

Participants came with cautious uncertainties. They hardly knew any others not even the organizers. Yet even before the first session began, they found there was so much in common among practitioners and there were so much to gain through international sharing and learning.  In between formal sessions, the main focus of discussion was how to sustain international sharing in future.  An international association was taking shape on the following mutual understanding:

• a.       It should be an association of practitioners independent from influence and directives of particular institutions nor countries;

• b.      Membership should be primarily on individual basis with room for institutional membership allowing practitioners with difficulties in paying membership subscriptions in foreign currencies to be involved in association affairs;

• c.       Operation expenses be covered by membership subscriptions and income generated by association activities;

• d.      A conference should be held once every two years for international exchanges; and

• e.       Leadership should be from as many countries as possible with emphasis on rotation on the one hand and continuity on the other.

The following were soon decided:

• a.       A planning meeting to be held right after the conference to discuss and make decisions on the formation of an international association for the purpose of sustaining sharing and learning.  Hong Kong practitioners undertook to prepare a draft constitution in line with mutual understandings  achieved so far for the purpose;

• b.      Practitioners from Malaysia agreed to host the second conference in 1990.

Formal establishment of an international association with focus on the Asia Pacific

At the planning meeting held on 14^th July 1988 at the Council Chamber of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the 49 persons present made the following decisions and signed the most important historical document of APSSA as founding members of the Asia Pacific Student Services Association: 

• a.       The planning meeting was endorsed by all as the first general meeting of the association;

• b.      While international in nature and outlook, its activities should best be confined to the Asia Pacific region , thus the name of the association, in view of resources available and capacities of the leadership involved at that stage of development;

• c.       The association should be registered in Hong Kong ;

• d.      The secretariat will be in Hong Kong and it will take care of bank accounts to be open in Hong Kong; and

• e.       An Executive Committee in line with the newly approved constitution was elected with Luke Wong, then Director of Student Affairs of Hong Kong Polytechnic and Chairman of the Hong Kong Student Services Association as the President for the coming two years.

Fruit of strong leadership, hard work and international cooperation

This first international conference played a very important part in the development of APSSA.

Under the strong, committed and outstanding leadership of Ms Grace Chow, chairperson of the conference organizing committee and the then Director of Student Affairs of the Chinese University of Hong Kong,   the conference had achieved more than its intended purposes.

• a.       It had led to the establishment of the  Association;

• b.      It had projected a strong and positive image of the role of student affairs in Hong Kong higher education community;

• c.       It had gained considerable community financial support leading to a surplus that has since been an important part of the financial reserves of the association;

• d.      It has set a fine example of how through concerted efforts of and contributions by practitioners from different parts of the world, an international association   can be formed and sustained with self generating resources.

Ms Grace Chow with delegates at 1st Asia Pacific Student Affairs Conference in Hong Kong

A humble start with good will, dedication and self sacrifice of members

The Association had a humble start, knowing well its limitations in achieving its noble goals. There were much to be done in recruitment of members or even in approaching potential members, meaningful activities to be developed and organized and resources to be explored. In the first year, it published a simple guidebook for staff exchanges among members listing physical and learning facilities available in participating institutions for exchanges. It failed to lead to any formal exchange.  

Sharing and learning however were successfully achieved through the biennial international conferences each of which provided occasions for scores and dozens of practitioners to present written papers for sharing with colleagues from around the world, not to mention the teams of staff involved in actual organization. Those involved were sincere and committed in generating resources for and prudent in spending of funds of the association.  Dr Enoch Markum, President 1992 to 1994, then Director of Student Affairs in the Ministry of Higher Education of Indonesia insisted in sharing a room with two other Indonesian colleagues for cutting down expenses in Executive Committee meetings. He was well remembered for calling the Secretariat in Hong Kong to meet him while in transit in Hong Kong at the airport to hand over 20 US$100 notes, being contribution by Indonesia to APSSA  arising from surpluses gained from the 1992 APSSA conference.

Dr Enoch Markum, front 3rd from right at Executive Committee meeting in Bangkok, 1993

Consolidation, expansion and development at the turn of the century

Significant changes in the development of  APSSA took place in the few years at the turn of the century as follows:

• a.       The expanding international liaison network of the association was much strengthened in  1998 through organization of an international symposium held immediately after its biennial conference in Hong Kong followed by a student affairs study visit to Beijing, China; and

• b.      Sound financial management of the 1998 events, with low costs for participants, and credit to  Ms Pandora Yuen, a practitioner of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology where two events were held, had generated  substantial financial surpluses  which were later put in good use  for funding of stable operations of the Executive Committee and new programs with far reaching achievements;

• c.        Establishment of clear financial guidelines for ensuring full financial support for members of Executive Committee in attending meetings to perform their leadership role.

Pandora on right  with colleagues in outing to Huangshan, PRC

An international staff attachment scheme

From 1998 to 2007, the Association organized an international staff attachment scheme under which participating institutions offered free accommodation and learning programs for periods of around 4 weeks in duration for practitioners from other countries while the Association provided fellowship to cover travel and other living expenses of participants. Guidelines for program preparation and learning and sharing practice by participants were laid down and followed.  Participants kept a log of their learning processes and outcome, compiled a final report and made presentations at seminars. Over this period, the Ateneo de Manila, Bangkok University, National University of Singapore, University of Philippines and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology had played hosts to the program and over 200 practitioners from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and USA had taken part. Outside the scheme and in a similar way, the German national student affairs organization, Deutsches Studentenwerk, had sponsored association members in attaching to its operations. 

International study visit programs

From 1998 onwards, the Association has organized for its members study/visits to Germany, UK and USA on top of those to within the region. For all study visits, participants learned and contributed with serious pre-visit preparation and post visit sharing. In 1998, 17 delegates attended the annual conference of the Association of Managers of Student services in Higher Education in UK. Each prepared a written article on a topic related to work at home and along the theme of the conference for circulation at the conference in form of a booklet. At its study visit to China in 2005, the Association organized jointly with Huazhong University in Wuhan, an international student affairs conference.  It was attended by a strong delegation from the Deutsches Studentenwerk who in return hosted an APSSA study visit to Germany in 2007.  

The first conference declaration and student forum in Bangkok in 2004

In 2004, Dr Janjira Wongkhomthong,  President of APSSA 2004 to 2006 and President of Christian University of Thailand introduced two new features to the biennial conference in Bangkok. Participants signed for the first time a declaration at the conclusion of conference pledging their commitment to student affairs work as an important component of higher education. A student forum, attended by over 100 students from six countries was held concurrently with the conference for the first time in the history of APSSA. Student participants were much moved by the personal involvement at all stages by Dr. Pradit Takemgrangsarit, Vice President for Student Affairs, Payap University of Thailand and  chairman of the forum organizing committee. Soon after the forum he was appointed president of the University. Student forum has since become a regular feature of APSSA conference in subsequent years. 

Dr Janjira, middle in picture at Executive Committee meeting in Singapore

Training and development programs

Training and development of members have always been a main concern of the Association. From 1998 onwards, it has mounted a good number and a good variety of training programs with local, national, regional and international participants and instructors at different localities in the region, some jointly with local and national organizations. Academic faculties from universities in USA, the only country in the world with large numbers of graduate programs on student affairs, had been invited to run courses on concepts and theories in student affairs in 1998, 2000 and 2001. 

An institute of student affairs for training and development

In 2000, to facilitate expansion of training activities, the Executive Committee decided to establish an Institute of Student Affairs ISA to coordinate and promote training activities with well defined guidelines on use of the name of association and on finance management. Luke Wong , a past President was appointed as its first chairman serving from  2000 to 2006. The institute has since established training arms in Hong Kong and the Philippines with ongoing activities.  

Bella Villanueva, a practitioner at the University of Philippines till her retirement in 2008, has under the name of ISA-APSSA, unstintingly organized training programs that were much needed and welcome in the Philippines at a time when the higher education ministry of the country has mandated that student affairs is an important component of higher education and that each higher education institution should have a student affairs set up.  Through  APSSA network, experienced practitioners from around the world had joined her efforts as instructors in training programs which have in turned introduced APSSA to all practitioners in the country. Financial surpluses generated have been instrumental in financing practitioners in the Philippines in APSSA organized overseas study visits

Bella Villanueva, 3rd from right at Executive Committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur, 2001