20th ICA-AP Cooperative Research Conference Explores the Future of Cooperatives
The 20th ICA Asia-Pacific Cooperative Research Conference was held on 6 and 7 October 2026 in Melbourne, Australia, bringing together 64 scholars, practitioners, policymakers and cooperative leaders from across the region and beyond. Supported by the ICA-EU Partnership Programme, it was hosted by the Mutual Value Lab, Impact Labs at Monash Business School, in partnership with the ICA-AP Committee on Cooperative Research (CCR) and the Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals (BCCM), with additional support from CLIMBS Life and General Insurance Cooperative (Philippines), the Australian Mutuals Foundation and Credit Union Foundation Australia (AMF-CUFA) and the Australian Co-operative Housing Alliance (ACHA).
Under the theme “Transforming Cooperatives for the Future,” the conference explored how cooperatives and mutual enterprises (CMEs) are emerging as active agents in shaping future-oriented solutions, with the capacity to design and govern resilient models that balance economic viability and organizational continuity with social purpose and democratic accountability.
The conference began on 6 October with the Young and Emerging Scholars (YES) Workshop, which gave emerging researchers a platform to present their work, engage with senior academics and strengthen their networks. A Case Study Pitch Session helped young scholars develop proposed case studies into descriptive cases for academic and educational use, while a panel on publishing in academic journals looked at how to maintain research quality and build an academic career while responding to the needs of the cooperative sector.
Professor Simon Wilkie, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics and Head of Monash Business School and Mr. Balasubramanian Iyer, Regional Director, ICA-AP, opened the conference. The opening set the tone for two days of discussion on the future of CMEs, their economic and social role, and their ability to create resilient and inclusive solutions.
The conference also featured the BCCM Industry Panel: The Transforming Role of Cooperatives. The panel explored how cooperatives are responding to changing economic and social environments while keeping their distinctive identity, democratic values and commitment to members and communities. It featured Ms. Liz Thomas of Common Equity Housing Ltd, Ms. Michelle Bagnall of Bank First, and Mr. Nick Hislop of Mutual Care Services and the Care Together Program, and Ms. Melina Morrison, CEO of BCCM, as the moderator.
A thematic highlight on 7 October was the opening panel on “Cooperatives and Care (Coop4Care),” which examined how cooperative models can help address emerging care challenges and build more inclusive, accessible and community-oriented care systems. The session, organized under the ICA-EU Financial Framework Partnership Agreement, brought together Mr. Osamu Nakanu of CICOPA Asia and Pacific, Ms. Bharti Birla of the International Labour Organization, and Mr. Nick Hislop of BCCM, with Dr. Paul Thambar of Monash Business School as moderator. It connected with ICA-AP’s wider engagement with the care economy and the growing demand for care across the region.
The academic program featured 36 research presentations across 12 thematic sessions, covering women’s cooperatives and inclusion, the circular economy, financial cooperatives and housing, digital transformation, cooperative identity and principles, and the political economy of cooperative futures. Hybrid presentations allowed researchers to join remotely, with topics ranging from agricultural credit cooperatives in India and credit unions in Nepal to care models for aging populations and cooperative-led climate-smart villages. Research came from Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, the Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Viet Nam.
The conference also presented the Dr. Mauritz Bonow Award, established in 2016 by ICA-AP and the ICA Domus Trust to recognize outstanding research on the social and economic contributions of cooperatives. The 2026 Award was bestowed on two young researchers. Ms. Hoang Tram Anh (Angie) Nguyen, a Master’s student at Monash University, was recognized for her paper on how agricultural cooperatives can act as inclusive intermediaries in Viet Nam’s green transition. Ms. Anisa Azizah of Avaniterra, Indonesia, was recognized for her paper on whether multi-stakeholder cooperatives can serve as effective vehicles for impact investment in Indonesia.
Mr. Gobinda Pandey, Agri Extension Officer at Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives, received the CLIMBS Cooperative Education Award for his paper on cooperative-led climate-smart villages in Gandaki Province, which examines how government and cooperative partnerships can support environmental sustainability and inclusive rural development.
Young scholars also submitted 11 full papers from six countries, reflecting the breadth of emerging cooperative research.
On 8 October, participants joined a field visit to Australian housing cooperatives to learn about cooperative housing models and their contribution to affordable living and community wellbeing.
The conference reaffirmed the importance of sustained collaboration between academic institutions, researchers and cooperative organizations. ICA-AP congratulates all award recipients, presenters and participating researchers, and thanks Monash Business School and BCCM for their partnership. The 21st ICA-AP CCR Research Conference will take place in Beijing, China.