Message from the ISCPES President

Abstract

It gives me great pleasure to share highlights from the 23^rd Biennial Conference of the International Society for Comparative Physical Education and Sport (ISCPES), held in the beautiful city of Auckland, New Zealand, from December 1st to 4th, 2025. The programme opened with a meaningful and traditional Maori cultural welcome, setting the tone for rich exchange and collaboration. The conference theme, "Advancing Global Well-being through Physical Education and Sport," guided the conversation, scholarship, and cultural engagement throughout the event.

This is the first ISCPES congress ever organised in New Zealand —a milestone long overdue—and we are grateful to the organising committee for their dedication and hospitality. In these complex times for humanity, we especially appreciate everyone who took the effort to submit their research, attend, and participate. To all those who consistently follow ISCPES wherever we hold our events and who support and trust us, our ongoing gratitude goes to you.

The world has changed significantly in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of global sedentarism, and the ongoing socio-political uncertainties have reshaped our lives and work. Yet, they have also made us more adaptable. In response, ISCPES successfully held its first virtual Biennial Conference organised by LNCPE Trivandrum, India, in December 2021. This 2025, we were delighted to reconvene in person, complemented by selected virtual presentations.

Participants represented a wide global community, including colleagues from Japan, Spain, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, China, Portugal, Malaysia, India, the USA, Italy, Chile, Barbados, Venezuela, and, of course, New Zealand. We were privileged to learn from distinguished speakers and to engage with diverse research topics through oral and poster presentations. The congress fostered collaboration, cultural learning, and new friendships---an essential step in strengthening our global academic network.

During the conference, three key announcements were made:

1. The 24^th ISCPES Biennial Conference will be hosted by the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon) in Monterrey, Mexico, in 2027.
2. In 2026, we look forward to a regional conference in Havana, Cuba, entitled “University, Physical Activity and Sports” (UNAFID), organised by the Universidad de Ciencias de la Cultura Física y el Deporte “Manuel Fajardo,” scheduled for October 19- 23, 2026.
3. The ISCPE General Assembly endorsed the continuity of the ‘International Study of Quality Physical Education (ISQPE), 5-Year Plan from 2026 to 2030’ coordinated by Dr. Walter Ho.

I also take this opportunity to formally present the ISCPES Board for 2025 – 2027:

• Rosa López de D’Amico - Venezuela (President),
• Usha Nair - India (Vice-President)
• Jennie Yang Xie - China (Membership Coordinator)
• Maria Gutiérrez - Spain (Treasurer),
• Ling Qin - China (Research Coordinator)
• Oswaldo Ceballos - Mexico (Americas Representative)
• Sanjay Kumar Prajapati - India (Asia Representative)
• Antonio Campos - Spain (Europe Representative),
• Francisco Serrano - New Zealand   (Oceania Representative)
• Maria Luisa Guinto - Philippines (Journal Editor)
• Pedro Carvalho - Portugal (Past President)

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Dr Gopinathan Kishore and Dr Naoki Suzuki for their dedicated service to the 2023-2025 Board. To the new board, let’s continue working together! There is still much to be done as we continue advocating for the recognition of our field. Physical Education and sport have the power not only to unify people, but, moreover, to contribute meaningfully to the development of societies.

Let us move forward----together.