The East Asian Social Policy (EASP) Research Network is a regional association for academics, researchers, students and practitioners of social policy in East Asia and beyond.

The EASP was established in January 2005 to facilitate research exchange and cooperation among social policy analysts and to provide a forum and network of communication for the development of social policy as a discipline in East Asia. The Network welcomes comparative and multi-disciplinary approaches to the analysis of social policy in East Asia.

The specific objectives include:

  • Hosting annual conferences on selected themes
  • Promoting activities related to social policy in East Asia
  • Enhancing the quality of research of social policy in East Asia
  • Developing theories and knowledge of social policy from an East Asian perspective
  • Promoting comparative social policy within East Asia and between East Asia and other regions in the world
  • Supporting the development of knowledge, skills and experiences of doctoral students and early career researchers in the region
  • Promoting social policy in teaching and learning; and
  • Advancing the role of research in policy making, practice and wider public debates

The EASP is an outward-facing association and seeks to develop links with other relevant national and regional associations on related disciplines in East Asia and beyond.