Strengthening Cooperative Education: Proceedings from the 16th ICEI Annual Statutory Meeting
The 16th Annual Statutory Meeting of the ICA-AP Committee on Cooperatives in Educational Institutions (ICEI) was held on 28 November 2024 in conjunction with the ICA Global Assembly 2024, at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India.
The meeting held in hybrid mode witnessed participation from 30 attendees from 7 countries, reflecting the sustained growth and interest in cooperative education. The Chairperson Mr. Mohammed Azlan Yahya (ANGKASA, Malaysia), and Vice-Chairperson Mr. Ichiro Nakamori (Managing Director, NFUCA, Japan) attended the meeting online and the committee Secretary, Mr. Ganesh Gopal, (Lead-Entrepreneurship, ICA-Asia & Pacific), Co-Secretary (Prof. Yashvantha Dongre, Vice Chancellor, Chanakya University, India) and Dr. Mallika Kumar (Asso. Prof, SRCC, India) attended in person.
Mr. Ganesh Gopal presented the growth in membership status, introduced new members and facilitated country-level presentations from member organisations. The ICEI has seen a growth in membership from 24 members from 13 countries in 2023 to 36 members from 16 countries presently, including new members from Fiji, Bhutan, Jordan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.
Country level presentations and year-long activity updates were made by member organisations from Japan (NFUCA), Sri Lanka (SANASA International), Malaysia (ANGKASA), India (NCUI) and Thailand (Cooperative League of Thailand). Ms. Dulce Bustamante, Chair, ICA-AP Committee on Youth Cooperation (ICYC) also attended the meeting as an observer and discussed areas of mutual collaboration in the upcoming International Year of Cooperatives – 2025.
Based on Nominations for office bearers of the committee invited as per the constitution, the following positions were filled and declared elected at the Annual Meeting:
Chairperson: Prof. Shogo Takegawa, President of the National Federation of University Co-operative Associations (NFUCA), Japan. Prof. Takegawa is a distinguished sociologist and professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, Prof. Takegawa brings expertise in social policy, cooperative advocacy, and education.
Vice-Chairperson: Dato’ Kamarudin Ismail, ICA Global Board Member from ANGKASA, Malaysia. Dato Kamarudin is a veteran cooperator who has played a key role in the development of school co-operatives in Malaysia for nearly two decades.
Secretary of ICEI, presented the 2024 Activity Report, highlighting key milestones. These included a series of Office Bearers Meetings (OBMs) and a webinar, “Digital Cooperative Platforms by and for Youth in Asia and Pacific,” held in June 2024 which saw the participation of nearly 100 attendees. Speaker Presentations covered the Malaysian DigiKOP 2030 Action Plan, NFUCA Japan’s Univ Coop app, and India’s TinkerHub Foundation’s student-led skilling model. The webinar has been made available on YouTube for open access.
The ICEI had the opportunity to host a panel discussion on “Cooperatives in Educational Institutions: Strengthening Cooperative Identity through Praxis and Leadership” at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference 2024. on November 27, 2024, in Delhi. as part of the Conference Plenary on “Reaffirming the Cooperative Identity to Advance Prosperity for All.” It featured speakers and committee members presenting perspectives and case studies from Japan, Malaysia, India, and the Basque Country in Spain. The panel discussion explored how cooperatives in educational institutions play a vital role in fostering cooperative values, sustainable leadership, and a strong cooperative identity and saw an overwhelming participation of over 160 attendees from across the world.
Looking ahead, the ICEI members discussed a Strategic Plan and Tentative Activity Calendar for 2025, aiming to deepen its impact and expand outreach. Planned activities include a webinar on cooperative leadership in university cooperatives, a virtual IYC 2025 competition for creative expression through poster-making and essay writing, and a hybrid seminar on sustainability and campus cooperatives & community-based campus interventions.
The committee also discussed plans to hold the 17th Annual Statutory Meeting and a seminar for members in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in conjunction with the 17th ICA-AP Regional Assembly. The proposed seminar is to address the aspect of cooperative identity and branding in educational institutions, reinforcing the ICEI’s dedicated role in strengthening the cooperative identity across diverse educational contexts. These initiatives aim to sustain momentum and foster collaboration as ICEI members prepare to celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.
The meeting also passed a resolution thanking the current officer bearers for their service and contribution to the ICEI committee and welcoming the new office bearers Prof. Takegawa (NFUCA, Japan) and Dato’ Kamarudin Ismail (ANGKASA, Malaysia) who also spoke at the occasion.
In his closing remarks, newly elected Chairperson Prof. Shogo Takegawa emphasised the role of digital transformation, youth engagement, and collaboration in ensuring cooperative education’s relevance and impact.
