The 7th ASEAN Council for Physical Education and Sport (ACPES) Conference - 9 to 11 June 2021

The 7th ASEAN Council for Physical Education and Sport (ACPES) Conference which had successfully concluded was jointly organised by the Physical Education and Sports Science (PESS) Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NIE NTU, Singapore), the Institute of Technical Education (ITE College East) and the Singapore Physical Education Association (SPEA). The virtual conference took place from 9 to 11 June 2021.

The conference brought together members of academia, professionals and practitioners from the health, exercise, physical education, sport science, and sport management domains to discuss related disciplines.  The objectives of the conference were:

• To encourage the cross-fertilisation of ideas, research, and best practices among institutes of higher learning, health, and sport organisations, to foster friendships among delegates. 
• To enhance the quality of physical education and sport by providing a platform where participants can link theory to practice through virtual workshop demonstrations.

This year's conference theme - Building Connections, Establishing the Future of Physical Education, Sports and Technology – featured a keynote speaker, 8 institutional speakers, 8 thematic workshops, and a total of 78 oral presentations, all conducted virtually. The conference enhanced the quality of physical education and sports by providing a platform where participants can link theory to practice through virtual workshops.

The first day of the conference kicked off with presentations from 8 institutional speakers from 8 universities across 5 ASEAN nations - Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand. Corporate videos from the NIE NTU, Singapore and ITE were screened from time to time to showcase the institute, the university, and Singapore landscapes.

The Opening Ceremony kicked off with a video of PESS students showing their ball skills to an upbeat rhythm. It was then followed by a welcome address by Head/PESS Associate Professor Koh Koon Teck, Chairperson of the 7th ACPES Conference, ACPES President. Associate Professor Chang Chew Hung, Director's Office, NIE NTU, Singapore, gave a welcome address as well. The ceremony was then graced with a welcome address from Guest-of-Honour, Ms Yeo Wan Ling, Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris - Punggol GRC, Singapore. The opening ceremony was then concluded with a symbolic handover of the 8th ACPES Conference to the next the Host Institution, Sekolah Tinggi Olahraga dan Kesehatan Bina Guna, Indonesia. The opening ceremony saw around 200 virtual attendees.

The main highlight of the event saw keynote speaker, Professor Ann MacPhail, Assistant Dean of Research, Education, and Health Sciences, Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, from the University of Limerick, Ireland, sharing an insightful take on Building Connections: Developing Commitments and Capacity to Learn with, and from, Each Other.

The first half of the second day of the conference presented 4 thematic workshops. Presenters from the NIE NTU Singapore, ITE (College East), Sport Singapore, and METTA School touched on innovative teaching strategies, and health and wellness. Each workshop had an average of 90 to 110 participants mostly from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand.

There were also 2 concurrent oral presentation sessions in the second half of the day where 39 presenters shared on their research areas related to disability sport and physical activity, health and fitness, motor learning, neuromuscular physiology, physical education and pedagogy, psychology, rehabilitation and sports physiotherapy, and sports management and marketing.

The participants were then treated to 2 engaging presentations by invited speakers, Prof Dr Tandiyo Rahayu M. Pd, Dean of Faculty of Sports Science from Universitas Negeri Semarang, Indonesia, and Dr Christine Nash, Head of Institute of Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

The third and final day of the conference opened with 4 more virtual thematic workshops from 5 presenters from NIE NTU Singapore, SPEA, Physical Education and Sport Teachers Academy (PESTA), Tanglin Trust School, and Sport Singapore. Other than innovative teaching strategies, the workshops also covered creative games. Each workshop had an average of 90 to 110 participants mainly from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand.

Two more invited speakers from Australia shared their insights with the participants – Dr Amelia Carr, Lecturer, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, from Deakin University, and Associate Professor Ross Clark, School of Health and Sport Sciences, from the University of Sunshine Coast.

The conference wrapped up with two concurrent sessions from 39 oral presenters. The topics covered include biomechanics, coaching, health and fitness, physical education and pedagogy, motor learning, nutrition, rehabilitation and sports physiotherapy, sports management and marketing, sociology, sports statistics and analysis, and sports technology, and training and testing.

Despite planning the conference under uncertain circumstances with the ever-evolving Safe Management Measures (SMM) imposed by the Singapore government to keep the residents safe amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers were able to pull through a successful event. The conference took on a fresh take on virtual physical education by sharing innovative ideas across the participating ASEAN countries on how physical education is conducted in line with the new normal when physical activity is being compromised.

For screenshots from the virtual conference, please visit The PESS Official Facebook Page.