Inaugural Conference of Asian Third Sector Researchers (1999):

The Third Sector, comprising organizations that are variously referred to as NGO's, people's organizations, nonprofit organizations, civil society organizations, co-operatives, along with philanthropy is as important in Asian countries as in other parts of the world. Yet, reflecting the size and diversity in history, level of economic development and political traditions in different countries that comprise the region, the Third Sector also varies in its shape and in its dynamics across the region. These were some of the conclusions that could be drawn from the Inaugural Asian Third Sector Research Conference held in Bangkok, 20-22 November 1999.

Almost ninety researchers from fourteen countries in the Asian region gathered for the conference. Over seventy papers were presented on such diverse topics as the growth of volunteerism and the decline of co-operatives; the performance evaluation of voluntary agencies to partnerships between civil society organizations, the corporate sector and government.

Many of those attending approached their research from a diverse range of disciplinary perspectives, often drawing on more than one: from sociology, economics, political science, geography, management, psychology, accounting, history and law. Most papers located themselves in one or more of the wider debates about the changing shape and importance of the Third Sector throughout the world: on defining and measuring Third Sector, on the meaning of civil society, and on relations between non-government organizations and government in an era of globalisation.

One of the features of the conference was the high proportion of young scholars who participated. Doctoral students and recently appointed lecturing staff presented at almost every session, a positive sign for the future of Third Sector research in the region. Another positive outcome was the opportunity it provided for scholars from particular countries to meet, often for the first time, fellow scholars from their own country. This in turn led to discussions about the formation of national Third Sector research networks or associations. Such associations already exist in Australia and New Zealand and in Japan but may soon be joined by associations in India, Taiwan, the Philippines and Korea.

.Second ISTR Asia and Pacific Regional Conference 2001:

The Second ISTR Asia and Pacific Regional Conference was held in Osaka, Japan, from 26-28 October 2001.

. "The Role of Volunteering and the Third Sector in Building Stronger Communities" was the major focus of the conference. Sixty-six papers were delivered at the conference (for the abstracts please see: www.asianphilanthropy.org/ndev). One paper session and one plenary session were delivered in Japanese with simultaneous translation. The conference was attended by over 100 scholars and practitioners from 15 countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Many papers dealt with aspects of volunteering , giving , role of social capital in Asian sustainable development , performance and achievement of Third Sector organisations , and management, governance, and accountability of Third Sector organisations. Other common themes in individual papers were related to cooperation and relationships among the three sectors, gender issues, development, and empowerment. The conference covered the full range of the Third Sector and included papers on co-operatives, the social economy and social enterprise. Several papers used sophisticated quantitative techniques of data analysis, but the great majority utilised various qualitative methodologies.