Kobayashi, Noboru (Japan)
[Come visit Koby's Note]

M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of the University of Tokyo; President Emeritus of the National Children's Hospital; Honorary Director of Child Research Net (CRN). Awards include the Japan Medical Association Award for Outstanding Distinguished Service (November 1984), the 56th Mainichi Shuppan Culture Prize (October 1985), International Pediatric Association Award (July 1986), Second Class Order of the Sacred Treasure (Autumn 2001), and the Takemi Prize (December 2003). Books outside his area of specialization, pediatric medicine, include Human Science (Nakayama Shobo), Kodomo wa mirai de aru [Children are Our Future] (Medi-Science Inc.), Sodatsu sodateru fureai no kosodate [Reciprocal Development Through Child-raising] (Akaishi Shoten).

Sakakihara, Yoichi (Japan)
[Come visit Director's Blog]
[Come visit Dr. Sakakihara's Research Room]

M.D., Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Ochanomizu University; Director of Child Research Net, Executive Advisor of Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute (BERD), President of Japanese Society of Child Science. Specializes in pediatric neurology, developmental neurology, in particular, treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Asperger's syndrome and other developmental disorders, and neuroscience. Born in 1951. Graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, the University of Tokyo in 1976 and taught as an instructor in the Department of the Pediatrics before working with Ochanomizu University.

Zhu, Jiaxiong (China)
[Come visit Dr. Zhu's Research Room]

Professor Emeritus, East China Normal University. Chairperson of the Preschool Education Professional Commission, advisor of academic committee, the Chinese Society of Education; Chair of Committee for Mainland China, Pacific Early Childhood Education and Research Association (PECERA). Serves on the editorial board of international publications on early childhood education. Specializes in the theory of early childhood education and kindergarten curricula and has published numerous research papers, translations, and teaching materials. Recipient of many distinguished awards and a special grant of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Jiaxiong Zhu Early Childhood Education Research: http://www.zhujx.com

Chang, Shih-Tsung (Taiwan)
[Come visit Dr. Chang's Research Room]

Prof. Shih-Tsung Chang, a retired professor of National Taipei University of Education (NTUE), is the founder and president of the "International Play Association-Taiwan branch" (IPAT). He is the former chairperson of the Department of Arts & Plastic Design, Head of the Graduate School of Toys and Games Design, and Director of the Visual Art Education Center of NTUE; guest professor of National Taiwan Univ. and National Taipei University of Art, overseas advisor of Practice Performing Arts School of Singapore, etc.
In addition to researches and teaching on Creativity, Instructional System Design and Innovation Design, Professor Chang has been engaged in the development and design of software, hardware and firmware systems in learning environments such as kindergartens and children's museums. He has designed and founded many edutainment-oriented learning spaces such as a Play Room for the National Gallery, and many community museums for "children of all ages."
Prof. Chang presently focuses on the research of UE-Learning (Ultimate Education Learning) for cross-generations, and the design and promotion of new learning and teaching strategies in children's museums, children's hospitals, and school classroom settings.

Che Mustafa, Mazlina (Malaysia)
[Come visit Dr. Che Mustafa's Research Room]

Associate Professor Dr. Mazlina Che Mustafa has been a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Early Childhood Education (ECE), Faculty of Human Development, Sultan Idris Education University (SIEU) Malaysia since 2008. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand (2015), a Master's Degree in Early Childhood from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia (2004), and a B. Ed (Hons) TESL from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom (1998).
Since 2020, Dr. Mazlina has served as the Director at the National Child Development Research Centre (NCDRC). Her research interests include children's well-being, quality early childhood care and education (ECCE), child development, ECCE pedagogy and curriculum, leadership in ECCE, and inclusive ECCE.

Chen, Christine (Singapore)
[Come visit Dr. Chen's Research Room]

President, Association for Early Childhood Educators (Singapore).
In Singapore, Dr. Chen was the Founder President of the Association for Child Care Educators (ACCE) and Founder and current President of the Association for Early Childhood Educators (AECES). Dr. Chen received her BA in Social Work from the University of Singapore, continued with her Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College of Education, New York City and the Doctor of Education from the George Washington University, Washington D.C. Internationally, she was the President, Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI, 2015-2017), and Director of the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC, 2014-present). She has been advocating for professional development of EC educators for the well being of children and their families for over thirty years.

Hartati, Sofia (Indonesia)
[Come visit Dr. Hartati's Research Room]

Professor in Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Education, State University of Jakarta.
Dr. Sofia Hartati received her Bachelor degree in Geography Education from the IKIP Bandung in 1981, earned her Master's degree in Sociology from Padjadjaran University in Bandung in 1992, then her EdD in Early Childhood education from the Jakarta State University (UNJ) in 2009.
She is qualified as a lecturer of Early Childhood Education, a researcher in early childhood of social skill spectrum, and a reviewer of the Indonesian Journal of Early Childhood Education Studies.

Hoshi, Miwako (Japan)
[Come visit Dr. Hoshi's Research Room]

Professor Emerita of Jumonji University, and Nagoya University of Arts. Specializes in developmental psychology. Her research includes Japan-France collaborative research in the transmission of cultural value from teachers to infants, research of communication among infants, and on ECEC in Pistoia, Italy, all based in the field of childcare facilities. She also took part in a four-country research project on childrearing and childrearing-support, and was also involved in the Japanese translations of the first, second, and third editions of Starting Strong, OECD's reports on ECEC. Completed a Ph.D. program without dissertation in Educational Psychology, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo.

Hung, Fu Tsai (Taiwan)
[Come visit Dr. Hung's Research Room]

Professor, National Taipei University of Education (NTUE), Taiwan, where I've been on faculty since 1993; former chairman of National Association of Early Childhood Education R.O.C. since 2011-2014; former director of Department of Educational Management at NTUE since 2018-2021. Specializes in history of early childhood education, educational policy analysis. I earned my Ph.D. degrees at National Taiwan Normal University in 2000, and have been the visiting scholar at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana in 2014-2015. Currently, my primary research and teaching interests involve the policy and working system of ECEC in Taiwan, and looking at factors that influence and ensure the well-being of early childhood professionals.

Ishiyama, Hajime (Japan, working in China)

General Manager, Shanghai Children's Epoch Benesse Culture Development Co., Ltd. Joined Fukutake Publishing Co., Ltd. (current Benesse Holdings, Inc. and Benesse Corporation) in 1987, was appointed Deputy Representative of Benesse Guangzhou Office in 1995, Deputy Representative of Benesse Shanghai Office in 2005, before assuming his current position in 2011. Developing Qiaohu's products with China Welfare Institute for Chinese children. Supporting corporate charity works,including visits to the kindergartens in Jiangxi, Anhui and Guizhou Province.

Jalal, Fasli (Indonesia)
[Come visit Dr. Jalal's Research Room]

Rector of Yarsi University, Jakarta.
Prof. Dr. Fasli Jalal, Ph.D, Sp.Gk., known as former Deputy Minister of National Education of the Republic of Indonesia, has held several important key positions in the government. He was Professor of clinical nutrition at the Andalas University from 2009-2015, and is now active as a faculty member of Postgraduate Program of Early Childhood Education at Jakarta State University as well as doctoral doctor and examiner at the Faculty of Public Health, University of Indonesia. He also works as consultant in various NGO such as World Bank, WHO, UNICEF and Asian Development Bank.

Khayankij, Sasilak (Thailand)
[Come visit Dr. Khayankij's Research Room]

Ph.D., Associate Professor in Early Childhood Education at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Faculty of Education, Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. All her degrees were awarded by Chulalongkorn University. She has a B.Sc. in Photography Science and Printing Technology from the Faculty of Science in 1996. Then she received her M.A. and Ph.D. in 2001 and 2006 in the field of Early Childhood Education from the Faculty of Education. After working as an educator for 6 years, she took a foundation course in Anthroposophy art therapy at Therapeutikum Thailand and was awarded the certificate in 2015. Her areas of interest include Parent Education, Special Education, aesthetic experiences, and assessment for young children.

Kitano, Sachiko (Japan)
[Come visit Dr. Kitano's Research Room]

Professor of Early Childhood Care and Education in the Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University. She is currently the Vice-president of Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association (PECERA), the chairperson of PECERA Japan, the member of the executive board of Japan Society of Research on ECCE, Japanese Society for the Education of Young Children, International Association of Early Childhood Education, etc. In 2001, she received her Ph.D in education from Hiroshima University. After teaching at Hiroshima International University and the University of Teacher Education Fukuoka, she is now a professor at Kobe University.

Mingoa, Thelma (Philippines)
[Come visit Dr. Mingoa's Research Room]

Assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership and Management, De La Salle University
She received her Bachelor degree in Science from the College of Arts and Sciences, Univ. of the Philippines in 1981, earned her Master of Arts in Education in Biology from the College of Education, Univ. of the Philippines in 1996, and her Ph.D. in Special Education from the College of Education, Univ. of the Philippines in 2006. Her research interest includes Special Education, Gifted Education, and Early Childhood Education.
She is currently a member of the Biology Teachers Association of the Philippines (BIOTA), Philippine Association for Advancement of Science (PhilAAS), Philippine Association for the Gifted (PAG), The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and the Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association.

Nozawa, Yuki (Japan)

General Manager of the Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute (BERD).
He earned his Ph.D. in Psychological and Quantitative Foundations from the College of Education, the University of Iowa. His area of research is educational measurement. After working as a research associate at ACT, Inc. and as a chief researcher at BERD, he assumed general manager of BERD in 2023. He has been involved in the practical application and quality control of assessment based on test theory. His current research topic is the research and development of next-generation assessments based on cognitive and learning theories.

Sato, Tomomi (Japan)
[Come visit Dr. Sato's Research Room]

Professor of the Faculty of Human Informatics at Aichi Shukutoku University, Japan.
After earning her Ph.D. at The University of Tokyo Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, she served as Assistant Professor at the Interfaculty Initiative in Information Studies and as a full-time lecturer at the Department of Child Development, Tokai Gakuin University before assuming her current post. She specializes in educational technology, early childhood education and care, communication within the family, and learning environment design.
She is also a board member of the Steering Committee of the Japanese Society of Child Science. She won the 5th Kids Design Award for developing an online story-telling app called "Oyako-de-monogatari [parent-child story telling]," the 8th Award for organizing the "Workshop of Making Video Letter for the Future Child," and the 11th Award for developing a "Family Portfolio that supports Family Interaction."

Tan, Poh Tin (Malaysia)
[Come visit Dr. Tan's Research Room]

Pediatrician and Public Health Specialist with a passion for helping people to learn.
She has been involved in the design and implementation of training courses at all levels including that of the non traditional, problem-based approach medical syllabus of the 4th Government Medical School, UNIMAS, in Sarawak in 1995.
She graduated from University of Malaya, and obtained her MSc Community Health for Developing Countries from the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, London and the Diploma of Public Health UK in 1981.

Tazume, Akinori (Japan)

Director of Kids & Family Business Company Strategy Division, Benesse Corporation.

Visudtibhan, Anannit (Thailand)
[Come visit Dr. Visudtibhan's Research Room]

President, Child Neurology Association (Thailand).
Studied Pediatrics at Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand, Neurology at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University College London, England and Pediatric Neurology at The State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn, New York, USA. He is currently a pediatric neurologist and the Chairman of Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University in Thailand; President of the Child Neurology Association of Thailand; and President of Epilepsy Society of Thailand.

Zhou, Nianli (China)
[Come visit Dr. Zhou's Research Room]

Professor of East China Normal University.
Professor Zhou acquired her Bachelor of Psychology degree from Ochanomizu University in 1995, Master of Education from the University of Tokyo, and Doctor of Psychology from East China Normal University in 2003. She conducted a survey on emotional development of infants as a visiting research fellow at Arizona State University in the U.S. from June to December 2004. She is vice chairwoman of Japanese International Institute of Young Children Education, director of Health Committee of Chinese Committee of Early Childhood Education. Specializes in child development, parent-child relationship, evaluation of multiple intelligence and child-rearing planning for children aged 0-3 years. 

Liu, Aiping (China, working in Japan)
[Come visit Aiping Liu's Research Room]

CRN Senior Researcher, Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute (BERD) Senior Researcher, Japanese Society of Child Science permanent board member, and a toy consultant.
Her main research and publications up to now are as follows:
"Children in Societies with a Declining Birthrate: The View of Child Science" (2006), "International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education" (East China Normal University, 2007, p 262-277, translation), "Recipes for Play (DVD)" (2011), "The Child Science Exchange Program in East Asia" (2007-2014), "Research on ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care)" (2013-2015), and "Child Research Network Asia (CRNA)" (2016-).

Ogawa, Junko (Japan)
[Come visit Junko Ogawa's Research Room]

CRN Researcher, Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute (BERD) Researcher
Her main research up to now are as follows:
The International Symposium on Children’s Welfare and their Rights (2013), "The Child Science Exchange Program in East Asia" (2013-2014), "Research on ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care)" (2013-2015), and "Child Research Network Asia (CRNA)" (2016-).

Nozaki, Yuka (Japan)
[Come visit Yuka Nozaki's Research Room]

CRN Researcher, Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute (BERD) Researcher
She specializes in sociology of education and school clinical studies. Her main research up to now include: The Survey on Children's Everyday Life VI (2022), and The 4th Basic Survey on Early Childhood Education and Care in Japan (2023), among others.

Mochida, Seiko (Japan)
[Come visit Seiko Mochida's Research Room]

CRN Senior Researcher, Benesse Educational Research and Development Institute (BERD) Senior Researcher
She focuses on the transition of people's lives and awareness as they take on increasing roles through the changes in their stage of life in having families, particularly in the area of industrial and organizational psychology and developmental psychology. She is also a Certified Advanced Social Researcher of the Japanese Association for Social Research.
Major research projects: Basic Survey on Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Childraising (2006-2011), Research on Prenatal/Postnatal Life and Support for Mothers and Current Situation (2015), International Survey Research on Home Education in Early Childhood (2016-2017), and Survey of Media Use by Children and Parents from Early Childhood to Early Elementary School Age (2021), etc.