The 3rd Congress of the East Asian Sociological Association (EASA), hosted by Jilin University (JLU), opened at the university on Aug 12, 2023.

Themed "Modernization and Post-modernization: Comparisons and Prospects of Social Development in East Asia", the event aimed to examine social development models across East Asia and assess their social development situation from a global perspective.

JIANG Zhiying, Chairman of the University Council, JLU, delivered a speech, while Professor LI Peilin from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences moderated the keynote speeches.

The conference attracted over 100 sociologists from China, Japan, ROK, Lebanon and other countries. Professor Sari Hanafi, president of the International Sociological Association, and other key figures from the EASA were also in attendance.

JIANG hoped that JLU’s research teams would foster deeper academic collaboration and exchange with global peers to advance scholarly progress.

Professor LI presented honorary plaques to Professor BING Zheng, chief expert at the Institute for Northeast China and Northeast Asian Studies of JLU; Shujiro Yazawa, president of the EASA; and Professor Kim Seung-kuk, honorary professor at Pusan National University in ROK, in recognition of their contributions to East Asian cooperation and exchanges.

Experts exchanged views on major social challenges such as population aging, low birth rates, and gender discrimination. Keynote speakers from various universities also discussed the convergence of modernization and post-modernization and China's evolving social structure.

Founded in 2017, the EASA fosters academic exchange and collaboration in East Asian sociology. Its 3rd congress, the first session held in China, lasted two days and featured 12 sub-forums and over 120 high-quality papers from scholars across multiple universities.