Book co-edited by Professor Keiichi Ogawa receives the Japan Society for International Development “Special Award of the Prize Selection Committee”

A book co-edited by Professor Keiichi Ogawa from Kobe University, “Towards Ensuring Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education for All: Analyzing School Enrolment Patterns”, received the “Special Award of the Prize Selection Committee” at the 36th Annual Conference of the Japan Society for International Development (JASID), held at Hiroshima University on November 29–30, 2025.

The volume brings together the results of a joint research project conducted by Professor Takeshi Sekiya (Kwansei Gakuin University), Professor Keiichi Ogawa (Kobe University), Professor Yuto Kitamura (University of Tokyo), and Associate Professor Akemi Ashida (Nagoya University). Covering 12 countries across three regions including Asia, Latin America, and Africa, the book offers a series of case studies that systematically examine children’s educational trajectories, from initial school enrollment through grade repetition and dropout to graduation. These trajectories are conceptualized as “school enrolment patterns.”

Using longitudinal data collected through the true cohort method, the study captures  diverse transitions in schooling that are difficult to identify through cross-sectional data alone. In addition, a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative analysis with semi-structured interviews is employed to examine schooling processes from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. These analyses contribute to a systematic understanding of schooling trajectories related to Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4): “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

The book has also received endorsements from Professor Gita Steiner-Khamsi from Columbia University, a leading authority in comparative education and education policy, and Professor Kazuo Kuroda from Waseda University, President of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES). Messages from both scholars are included in the preface.

In addition to the editors, the book includes contributions from Associate Professor Akemi Ashida from Nagoya University, a graduate of Professor Ogawa’s seminar and co-editor of the volume; Dr. Chea Phal, Senior Research Fellow at the Cambodia Development Resource Institute (CDRI) and also a graduate of Ogawa’s seminar; Professor James Wokadala, Deputy Principal of the College of Business and Management Studies at Makerere University and a graduate of Ogawa’s seminar in Uganda; and Mr. Sheikh Rashid Bin Islam, a doctoral student in Ogawa’s seminar.

Authored by Yudai Ishii (Doctoral Student)