The 1^st East Asian Conference for Young Sociologists was held by the Department of Sociology, Yonsei University and co-hosted with National Taiwan University (Taiwan), Academia Sinica (Taiwan), Tohoku University (Japan), Kobe University (Japan), Hokkaido University (Japan), and The University of Tokyo (Japan). As a part of the Educational Project 4 "Producing Multicultural Communities: Methods, Design, and Praxes" in the IHS program, three IHS students, including myself, attended this international conference and made presentations on our own research from a sociological perspective. This conference was designed to provide a platform for the students to present novel research findings on a wide range of sociological topics collectively, to exchange cutting-edge research information, and receive suggestions and critical comments from international students and renowned scholars active in the field. Few academic meetings have been held so far in East Asia that provide currently enrolled graduate students in East Asia an opportunity to gather, meet, present the work of the graduate students themselves. This conference attracted a large number of participants who engaged in lively and intensive discussions with each other following each presentation.

Several panels were divided according to the research focus of each student and were held in different conference rooms in Yonhui Hall. Students could choose the topic that they would like to listen to and attend freely. The student participants were given time to comment and ask questions to the presenter, and then the professors followed up with some other suggestions. This form of organization gave the young sociologists a much freer atmosphere to learn how to raise good and critical questions.

Some inspiring topics were given such "Socialization of Child-Rearing: Childcare Support Policy and the Responsibilities of Parents in Japan" by Haruka KUDO from Hokkaido University which led to the following discussion of the gender issue in Japan, whether this socialization of child-rearing is changing the gender discussion in Japan? "The life under student loan: working experience, gender difference, and empowerment of the indebted students" by Yaching HUANG from National Taiwan University talking about how the indebted Taiwanese students transform their disadvantaged status by taking up part-time jobs and how these jobs leads to the empowerment of the students. "Pugs in Trouble: Exploitive Symbiosis, Murky Dealings, and Struggle for Honor in Korean Professional Boxing World" by Sungmin KANG from Yonsei University digging into the interesting world of the sociology of sports and seeing boxing matches as a struggle for socializing and social capital. "Aging and Well-being of Elderly in Hong Kong: From the Perspective of Religion" discusses the issue that in East Asia where the welfare is not so well-formed, religion is using itself to promote the welfare in Hong Kong and he then questions the role of religion in multi-religion society. Each presenter gives his/her own ideas and ways of understanding the current Asian societies.

It has been a great opportunity to talk with other foreign students and professors and exchanging ideas about the current trends in East Asia area, thus making this conference a rather pleasant way to develop and to strengthen research networks with other scholars and institutions. Through this experience, I gained a more comprehensive and objective understanding of the current sociology in Asian societies, realized the interesting and worthwhile function of the exchange of ideas, and felt more confident to spread and share my own opinions.

This conference has been well received by the participants and was proposed to have a new host university in the next year. In the last section, University of Tokyo was announced as the 2^nd conference organizer. Professor Shigeto Sonoda from University of Tokyo mentioned that there already exists a great deal of western social thought and social theory, and that it is the time for the Asian sociologists to raise, solve our own questions in Asia area, and to add an increasingly important Asian perspective to the sociological scholarship. There will be limitless possibilities for expanding this area for contributing to the development of a 21^st century Asian sociology. Hopefully, this will help to develop research collaboration with other Asian countries in the near future and next year in Japan we may welcome more scholars and students who are enthusiasts in pursuing this worth endeavor.