As part of IRCI’s project ‘Asia-Pacific Research Forum for ICH Safeguarding (FY2022–2026)’, the Publication Programme for Early Career Researchers has been running since October 2024. Seven selected programme participants had already attended two online workshops, along with an additional online lecture dedicated to preparing for oral presentations at the conference.

This time, in conjunction with the international conference ‘New Frontiers of Research for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage’, the participants travelled to Japan to take part in a face-to-face workshop. The workshop featured oral presentations in a special session of the conference, and two meetings were held before and after the presentations. It was designed to provide participants with the opportunity to receive questions and feedback from many researchers actively working in the field of ICH. It also fostered direct interaction, helping participants develop a stronger sense of identity as researchers while motivating them to refine their research papers for final submission.

The first face-to-face workshop meeting, held on 12 February, was the first time that the participants and their mentors had all met in person. Over a traditional Japanese meal, they introduced themselves, shared their expectations for the upcoming conference, and reflected on the previous online workshops, deepening their connections. On the second day of the conference (14 February), the participants made oral presentations in the special session. Thanks to the prior online lecture, they presented their papers with clarity and showed confidence even when responding to in-depth questions. Following the conference, the second face-to-face workshop meeting was held in a conference room in Osaka City, bringing together participants, mentors, and the Forum committee members to reflect on their presentations. The committee members praised the participants’ significant progress since the second online workshop. The shorter time limit at the special session seemed to have helped the participants identify the core aspects of their research paper and refine the contents of their oral presentation.

The programme, including these in-person meetings, received high praise from the mentors and the Forum committee members for its well-structured approach and promising future outcomes. After the international conference and workshop meetings, the participants returned home highly motivated to complete their research papers to move on to the next phase of the publication programme.