Members

Membership

The following are the different types of Memberships and the eligibility conditions

 1. Regular Member
Eligibility: Persons having undergone training in Japan organized by AOTS or any other agency acceptable to the Governing Council and been an Associate Member for a minimum period of one year. Additional Regular Membership fee as fixed by the Governing Council is to be paid.

2. Associate Member
Eligibility: Persons having undergone training in Japan organized by AOTS or any other agency acceptable to the Governing Council. Person(s) introduced by a Regular Member and accepted by the Governing Council. Associate Membership Fee as fixed by the Governing Council to be paid

3. Business Circle Member
Eligibility: This membership is open to businessmen belonging to Kerala and introduced by a Regular Member and accepted by the Governing Council. Business Circle Membership Fee as fixed by the Governing Council to be paid.

4. Honorary Member
 Persons holding respectable positions in the society, government, large corporates and AOTS officials may be invited by the Governing Council to this membership. There is no Membership Fee for Honorary members.

Managing Committees

1. Managing committee
Administration and the affairs of ASA Kerala is managed by the Managing Committee under the supervision and control of the Governing Council. Managing Committee Members are elected to their respective positions by the Regular Members of ASA Kerala at its Annual General Meeting for a period of two years at a time. The following are the members of the Managing Committee.

Gopakumar S

President

Satheesh N

        Vice President       

T J Thomas

Secretary

T J Subhash

Treasurer

Mini U

Joint Secretary

2. Governing Council
Governing Council is constituted by the members of Managing Committee and the other GC members (elected as well as nominated as per the provisions of the Rules and Regulations of ASA Kerala) The Other members of the Governing Council are the following

Subramanian K K

Balan M Nair

Joseph philip

Beby Mathew

Joseph C

Madan Mohan

Koshy Goerge

Poulose KV

Babu Nedungelil

Jimmy Joseph

Benny Thomas

 

Noble Jacob

Jacob Kovoor

              E V John

Varkey Peter

3. Sub committees

NKC Management Committee

Jimmy Joseph – Chairman

Joseph Philip

Sathish Narayanan

Joy Perumalil

Rathish V R

    Jimmy Joseph

 

Entertainment and Cultural Committee (TANOSHII Club)

Koshy George – Chairman

Paulose K V

Suraj M

Johnson V George

Jayagopal M V

Koshy George

ASA Kerala Business Circle

Jose Thomas – Chairman

Sebastian M S

Beby Mathew

Jeevan Sudhakaran

Rathish V R

Jose Thomas 

 

Training Programs Committee

Sebastian M S – Chairman

Babu Nedungelil

Jose Thomas

Madan Mohan

Mini U

M S Sebastian 

Rules and Regulations Committee

Subramanian K K – Chairman

Edgar Morris

Subhash T J

Paulose K V

C Joseph

Baby Varghese

Subramanian K K

Disciplinary Committee

Edgar Morris – Chairman

Varghese C Varghese

Balan M Nair

Edgar  Morris

Internal Audit Committee

E V John – Chairman

BabuNedungelil

Thomas K J

E V John

Edgar Morris

Patron

Hudson  Peter

Honorary Chairman

Past Presidents

 

1966-68  

Joseph T V

 

Founder President of the Alumni Association. ABKD Kerala Centre approved by ABK Japan. Bye-laws for the association drafted and got approved.

 

1968-70 

Abraham Jacob

First President after the bye-laws were approved.

.

 

1970-72 

Hariharan J

 

1072-74 

Sreedharan T P

 

1078-80  

Varghese C Varghese

Conducted decennial Celebrations of ABKD with the Japanese Counsel as Chief Guest.

 

1980-82 

Edgar Morris

 

Purchase of land at Aluva for building own training centre. Nippon Kerala Centre Aluva constructed. NiKITOA Computer Training Centre Started which was later recognized as one of the best socially relevant project executed by an Alumni Association. Silver Jubilee Celebrations of ABKD was conducted. ASA Kerala was registered as a separate Society.

 

1998-02 

Mammen K C

 

Kochi Japan – Kochi Kerala Students Exchange Program conducted. Koto Concert team from japan visited and performed at Cochin.

 

2002-04 

Santhosh Paul

Conducted International Friendship Convention of (IFCAA) with participation of delegates from 10 countries

 

2004-06  

Beby Mathew

Conducted international SME 2 SME meet

 

2006-08  

Paulose K V

 

Kerala Government allotted one acre land in Kinfra Hi-Tech Park Kalsmassery to ASA Kerala to construct a state-of-the-art training centre. Foundation stone laid for 

 

2008-10 

 Joseph Philip

Fund collection for Nippon Kerala Centre Kalamassery and construction in progress

 

2010-12 

  Balan M Nair

NKC fund collection in progress. Proposed the “Scheme for raising funds for NKC project” and approved by AGM. Started collecting loan from the members. First phase of NKC completed. ASA Kerala office moved to NKC Kalamassery.

 

2012-14  

Jimmy Joseph

NKC second phase construction in progress. Elected as SAFAAS President.

 

2014-16  

Subhash T J

 

SAFAAS Convention 2015 was hosted by ASA Kerala. Delegates from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and AASs in India participated.

 

2016-18  

Jacob Kovoor

 

ABKD was dissolved. NKC Aluva was sold and the proceeds were transferred to ASA Kerala for the construction of NKC Kalamassery. Golden Jubilee of ASA Kerala celebrated. Golden Jubilee Auditorium opened for functions. Past Presidents were honoured at a grand function

 

2018-22  

John E V

Revenue sources broadened. Second phase of NKC completed. JEC and JFS programs started. Customized AOTS training program for Cochin Shipyard employees organized for the first time. 

Members

(click on below image for pdf directory)

click on below image  for pdf directory

click on below image  for pdf directory

ASA Kerala through five decades

1966 On 29th October, twelve engineers of TELK (Transformers & Electricals Kerala Ltd. ) who were ex-trainees of Asia Bunka Kaikan (ABK), Tokyo (later name changed to AOTS) meet to discuss about forming an Alumni Association. They invited the ABK ex-   trainees of Toshiba Anand Lamps to join the movement. Mr T V Joseph of TELK was elected as the first President, Mr. T.P. Sreedharan as Secretary and Mr. V. Somaraj as Treasurer. The Association was named as ABK Dosokai (ABKD) Kerala Centre. Bye-laws for ABKD Kerala Center got approved by ABKD Japan.

1968 Bye-laws for ABKD approved by the General Body. ABK ex-trainees from TCC (Travancore Cochin Chemicals Ltd.) also joined the movement. Mr. Abraham Jacob of TCC was elected as President.

1978 Decennial celebrations were conducted. Japanese counsel was the chief guest on the occasion.

1979Nippon Kerala Centre, Aluva building project conceived. 

1980Work for Nippon Kerala Centre at Aluva begins. A piece of lava picked up from the tip of Mount Fuji (Japan) by Mr. Goichi Hozumi, the founding father of ABKD, in his younger days and cherished as a precious possession until his death, was brought  all the way from Japan, and was symbolically laid as the foundation for Nippon Kerala Centre by Mr. Ogiso Yu, the Secretary General of ABKD, TokyoFree Technical Consultancy Service for SSIs launched.

1981 The Association was registered as a Society under Travacore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955 with the name “Asia Bunka Kaikan Dosokai, Kerala Regional Centre” (ABKD in short)

1985A Study Mission of AOTS visited Kerala to evaluate the post-training experience of its alumni. The Mission members visited Thoshiba Anand Lamps, KAMCO and V-Guard. They commented that what they saw at V-Guard was comparable with similar units in Japan.

1993The Silver Jubilee of “Dosokai” activities in Kerala was celebrated. AOTS President Mr Nagaaki Yamamoto was the Chief Guest of the function.

ASA Kerala Award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship presented to Mr. Kochouseph Chittilappilly. Excellence in Productivity Award was presented to Mr. E K Sreekumaran. Excellence in Innovation Award was presented to Mr K K M Kutty. Excellence in Quality Award was presented to Mr. M S Sebastian.

1995 ASA Kerala registered as a Society.

1996Nippon Kerala Centre, Aluva became a reality.

 Nippon Kerala Institute for training in Office Automation (NiKITOA) was set up with huge financial assistance from the Government of Japan. During the next four years, over 300 girls, most of them with extremely poor financial background  got free training from this Institute and most of them could secure decent jobs after the training. This was one of the 4 success stories selected for presenting at the AOTS World Convention at Tokyo from the stories of social activities during the 50 years of service of its worldwide alumni community.

Mayor of Kochi in Japan visited ASA Kerala.

The first International Friendship Convention of AOTS Alumni held (IFCAA)

1997 Miss Teenu Terrence, “Little Ambassador of Kochi, Kerala to Kochi, Japan” visit the Mayor of Kochi, Japan. The visit was sponsored by ASA Kerala and The Amalgam Group.

1999 This year’s Hiroshima day commemoration (6th August) at ASA Kerala was very special due to the presence of an important guest. Mr. Tanimura of Hiroshima, who at the age of 12 had survived the atomic holocaust, was the guest who visited ASA Kerala at our invitation.

2000Koto Concert by world renowned Matsumura Koto Group from Kochi, Japan performed in Kochi, Kerala

2002The second International Friendship Convention of AOTS alumni (IFCAA) held in Cochin. Delegates from Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Macedonia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Poland, Singapore and Slovakia participated.

Second Koto Concert at Cochin.

2004 Study Tour of Kerala for the alumni associates from Ghana etc.

2005 First SME 2 SME meet organized. Study Tour of Kerala for the participants of the SME 2 SME meet. The delegates from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania etc. participated in this program.

2006A high profile team from ASA Kerala on a reciprocal visit to Iizuka City, Japan. The team included Mr. T Balakrishnan IAS, Principal Secretary, Govt. of Kerala and Mr. Suresh Babu, MD Kinfra.

WNF Program kicks off with a program on Automobile Management at Highway Garage.

Government of Kerala recognizes the importance of the services rendered by ASA Kerala and allots one-acre land at the Academic Zone of Kinfra Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery to construct a state-of-the-art training complex for ASA Kerala.

2007The new Nippon Kerala Centre project takes off with Ground-breaking done by the Ambassador of Japan to India, Mr. Yasukuni Enoki and symbolic foundation stone laying by the Industries Minister of Kerala, Mr. Elamaram Kareem.

2008ASA Kerala members went on a WNF sponsored study tour to Macedonia.

 ASA Kerala members hosted the homestay for the members of Japan’s Hippo Club during their visit to Kochi.

2012The first phase of the Nippon Kerala Centre at Kalamassery completed and ASA Kerala office shifted to this premises.

2013ASA Kerala promotes Indo Japan Chamber of Commerce Kerala (INJACK) to take care of the business-related matters with Japan.

2014INJACK was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Japan to India, Mr. Takeshi Yagi.

 A high-profile delegation from the Sanin Region of Japan visits ASA Kerala. The 40-member team included dignitaries like City Mayors of the region. Agreement for cooperation between Sanin Region and ASA Kerala signed. Matsue IT Internship Program was an outcome of this visit.

Mr. Jimmy Joseph, ASA Kerala President elected as SAFAAS President at the SAFAAS Convention held in Bangladesh.

WNF Programs emerged as a major activity of ASA Kerala

2015 ASA Kerala hosts SAFAAS Convention. Delegates from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the 9 AOTS Alumni Associations in India participated.

2016 Matsue IT Internship Program begins. The first batch of IT Interns completes their internship at various IT companies in the Matsue region of Japan.

The high-profile delegation from Sanin Region of Japan visits ASA Kerala for the second time.

2017ABKD wound up. Nippon Kerala Centre at Aluva was sold off.

 Mr Jacob Kovoor, President of ASA Kerala was honored with the title “Monodzukuri Ambassador”. The title was awarded at a function held at Ahemedabad.

 Golden Jubilee of ASA Kerala was celebrated. The yearlong celebrations were inaugurated by the Ambassador of Japan to India, Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu.

2018Closing Ceremony of the Golden Jubilee year. The function was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Japan to India Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu.

The first JEC program (Japanese Endowed Course) inaugurated by the Japanese Ambassador

2019 ASA Kerala Patron, Mr Edgar Morris was honored by the Japanese Government with one of  the highest civilian award granted to a foreign national – “The Order of the Rising Sun Gold and Silver Rays with the Emperor’s Medal of Honour”. The  award was presented at a ceremony organized at Nippon Kerala Centre by the Consulate General of Japan in Chennai, Mr Kojiro Uchiyama.

A 30-member delegation from ASA Kerala visits Matsue in Japan. ASA Kerala Senior Officials hold meeting with the Mayor of Matsue City to explore possibilities of further collaboration in training and employment opportunities.

Japanese Finishing School launched.

First Japanese Endowed Course completed.

2020 Nippon Kerala Centre graduates into a full-fledged residential training complex with the completion of its second phase.