Dear ANQ members:

The Japanese Society for Quality Control (JSQC) has become the ANQ chair organization from January 2023 to December 2024, and JSQC has decided to appoint me as ANQ chairperson and Dr. Shun Matsuura of Keio University as secretary general. I feel honored to assume the chairperson position of the prestigious ANQ organization and hope to contribute to the development of the Asia through quality by making various efforts during my term of office.

ANQ is a network of non-profit academic associations established in 2001 to pursue the theory and practice of quality management. Members of the ANQ are non-profit academic associations representing 20 countries and regions. The ANQ was officially launched in July 2002 as a network of non-profit academic organizations from seven countries and regions, following a preparatory meeting held in September 2001. The ANQ was established under the leadership of its first Chairperson, Dr. Noriaki Kano, and its first Secretary General, Dr. Yoshinori Iizuka. The term of the chairperson is two years, and 10 chairpersons, including Dr. Kano, have been elected by 2022.

The ANQ's most significant event is the annual conference, held in the fall, which is organized by the host organization, which in principle rotates. 2023 ANQ Annual Meeting was held in Ho Chi Minh City, hosted by VQAH, in a face-to-face format for the first time since the fall of 2019.

More than 20 years have passed since ANQ was established, and we are looking to return to our roots and take a leap forward into the future. ANQ has been making various efforts to achieve this goal. It is time for us to go back to the basics, recognize our strengths, and think about how we can make a leap forward in the future. With this in mind, the main theme of the ANQ Annual Conference to be hosted by JSQC in September 2024 is Prosperity through Quality - Returning to Origins, Leaping into the Future.

Through the ANQ Annual Meeting and ANQ activities, ANQ aims to gather the latest and best knowledge on quality management from many countries and regions, spread it throughout Asia through active discussions, and thereby contribute to the improvement of quality throughout Asia. ANQ's mission is to contribute to the prosperity of Asia by sharing quality management culture and technology among Asian countries. Let's walk together.