WAAMA Document No. 4 /2024
Notice on Issuing the Documents Relating to the Sixth General Assembly of WAAMA & The Eighth Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
Members units of WAAMA:
The 6th General Assembly of WAAMA & The Eighth Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic was held on April 12, 2024 in Beijing, China. The conference summarized the work of the fifth council of the WAAMA, elected the sixth council, the standing council, and members of leadership, absorbed new members, and agreed to the withdrawal applications of some member units. Now we would like to send you some relevant documents to you for your reference.
Attachments:
I. Work Report of the 5th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
II. Financial Report of the 5th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
III. Minutes of the 6th General Assembly of WAAMA & The Eighth Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
IV. List for the 6th Council of WAAMA
V. List for the 6th Standing Council of WAAMA
VI. List for the 6th Council Leading Body of WAAMA
World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
April 30, 2024
Attachment I
Work Report of the 5th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
Liu Jianhua
(April 12, 2024)
Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Greetings!
On behalf of the 5th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic, I am now presenting to the general assembly a work report for consideration.
I. Review of the work of the 5th Council of WAAMA
With the joint efforts of council members and institutional members, the 5th Council of WAAMA has been united, cooperative, positive and enterprising, making remarkable achievements in academic research, exchanges and cooperation, scientific promotion, practical development and other aspects; and the exchanges and friendship among institutional members have been further enhanced and strengthened.
(I) Academic research
During the 5th Council of WAAMA, we have held several high-level and high-standard international academic seminars.
In March 2019, WAAMA joined CAMAA and other institutions to hold the “International Seminar on Chinese Abacus Culture’s Heritage and the Achievements of the Abacus Resource Library” in Shanxi Province, China, where Vice President Hwang Ho Joong, Vice President Sally Chou and Council member Cheng Yen Yang made academic exchanges and introduced the development of abacus and mental arithmetic education in South Korea, the United States, and Taiwan, China.
In October 2019, the 40th Anniversary of Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association & International Symposium on Abacus Science and Culture was held in Beijing, where representatives from the abacus community in China, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tonga and other countries and regions had discussions and exchanges on abacus science, education and cultural theory. Vice President Hwang Ho Joong and Vice President Chiu-Yung Hsiao addressed the meeting. Standing Council member Loani Tahitu’a made academic exchanges. After the meeting, CAMAA edited and published the symposium proceedings.
In October 2021, WAAMA held the 6th Seminar of WAAMA for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic in the form of video. The topic of this symposium is “Protection and Development of Intangible Abacus Heritage”, and Alexander Kartono Taslim (Vice President of WAAMA), Bin Tan Davidson (Founder of UK-SINO GUILD LTD) and Elena Shumeiko (Director of AMMA of Russia) made academic exchanges, introduced the innovative measures taken against the pandemic, and looked forward to the modern values of intangible abacus heritage.
In October 2022, the International Academic Seminar on Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Founding of WAAMA was held in the form of video. Vice Presidents Kudo Toshikazu, Hwang Ho Joong, Chiu-Yung Hsiao and Alexander Kartono Taslim made speeches for the 20th Anniversary of the Founding of WAAMA. Yasutai Okajo (Vice President of League for Soroban Education of Japan. Inc.) and Kwon Hyuksik (Vice President of Korea Institution of International Abacus and Mathematics Association, South Korea) had discussions and exchanges.
It can be seen that WAAMA has always taken academic research as the guidance, actively holding academic seminars and conferences, and focusing on promoting the exchanges and sharing of academic achievements among institutional members. During the meeting, WAAMA Secretariat also sorted out and published the academic research results on the websites and internal journals in a timely manner for popularization and publicity to institutional members, which achieved good results.
(II) Exchanges and cooperation
WAAMA, as a federation of international civil abacus and mental arithmetic education and research groups, regards the exchanges and cooperation among institutional members as the lifeline of the work, and spares no efforts to promote the continuous improvement of the level of exchanges and cooperation.
Guarantee the foundation of exchanges through standardized organization. In accordance with its Articles of Association and based on the needs of work, WAAMA holds various types of meetings regularly. Since the general election in 2018, WAAMA has held one general assembly, four council meetings and seven standing council meetings in the forms such as on-site meeting, video and communication. Focusing on the key work contents of WAAMA, such meetings not only exercise the functions such as deliberation, discussion and voting on issues, but also give full play to the guidance of experience exchanges and research suggestions. The level of joint discussion, construction and sharing of WAAMA has improved constantly, and the institutional members have good sense of participation and satisfaction feedback.
Expand the scope of communication through active recruitment. WAAMA actively deals with membership inquiries and develops new members, with a total of 9 members joining WAAMA in five years, i.e., Australia Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Inc., Mexican Abacus Association, Federation of Korea Abacus, Abacus Maths of Mental arithmetic-AMMA, Abacus Mental Math Program of Nigeria, Indonesia Shenmo Education International Co., Ltd., Malaysia Shenmo Yuneng Education Institute, Shenmo Education Centre Pte. Ltd. and IKEN Child Skills Development Training Centre LLC., Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Now WAAMA has a total of 55 members, with the joining of new members injecting positive vitality to the exchanges and cooperation of WAAMA.
Broaden communication channels through website construction. On August 8, 2022, the official website of WAAMA was revised and launched. The new version is fully bilingual in Chinese and English, widely publicizes the news and academic achievements of the institutional members, gets active contributions from institutional members, and also receives extensive attention from the global abacus community, becoming a resource treasure house and exchange platform for the “joint discussion, construction and sharing” among the majority of institutional members.
(III) Scientific promotion
Abacus and mental arithmetic education has the scientific value of developing children’s intellectual potential, which is the base, and also the goal, for the abacus people to engage in education. Strengthening scientific research and deepening scientific popularization have always been the work focus of the 5th Council of WAAMA.
The institutional members of WAAMA have carried out a wealth of scientific research activities based on the local reality and taking the theme of abacus and mental arithmetic. For example, Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association cooperated with three universities and research institutes, i.e., Zhejiang University, Beijing Normal University and National Institute of Education Sciences, spending four years to complete three research projects, i.e., the Research on the Influencing Factors of Universal Abacus and Mental Arithmetic’s Transfer Ability and Its Cognitive Behavior and Brain Mechanism, the Research on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Curriculum Design and Teaching Practices in Primary Schools and the Comparative Study on Training Effects of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic and Two Other Typical Methods and Their Respective Brain Mechanisms in 2022.
The research conclusions show that: Abacus and mental arithmetic can significantly develop children’s intelligence and has rich educational values. Long-term abacus and mental arithmetic training can improve children’s mathematical ability, executive ability and cognitive ability, and the clear representation and representation manipulation ability developed and cultivated by such training can also be transferred to multiple disciplines and fields of interest and expertise for application. Abacus training plays a close-transfer role in improving non-symbolic number sense, computation and number memory, compared with mathematical modeling, cognitive games and English learning. Students subject to abacus training have higher levels of perseverance, self-control, mathematical self-efficacy, and achievement motivation. The three research projects have basically revealed the neural mechanism of the transfer effect caused by abacus and mental arithmetic training, and constructed the preliminary theoretical framework for abacus and mental arithmetic to promote brain processing. It can be said that with the rapid development of artificial intelligence today, unlike the characteristics of artificial intelligence relying on the external development of machines, abacus and mental arithmetic can provide us with an important approach to focus on the human brain and tap the internal potential, and can also provide intellectual support for the human brain in the future man-machine coordination scenarios.
WAAMA Secretariat attaches great importance to scientific popularization, not only inviting Professor Chen Feiyan from Zhejiang University, one of the heads for the three research projects, to give an academic report and share cutting-edge scientific research achievements at the academic symposium on the 20th Anniversary of the Founding of WAAMA; but also making full use of the official website and internal journals of WAAMA to timely release the academic papers and scientific popularization reports of various experts, striving to make scientific research the guiding light to illuminate the development of the institutional members of WAAMA.
(IV) Practical development
Theory should be put into practice, and practice will develop to become theory. The long-term development of the global cause of abacus and mental arithmetic cannot be achieved without the practice of tens of thousands of institutions and individuals. In the past five years, the institutional members have held a variety of wonderful and diversified competitions, appraisals and trainings, adding a vivid footnote to the development of the global cause of abacus and mental arithmetic.
In terms of competitions, WAAMA held the 7th Competition of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic in Indonesia in 2018, attracting 35 teams from 19 institutional members in 8 countries and regions, with a total of 307 players, leaders and coaches. CAMAA held the 6th National Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition in August 2022, and held two abacus and mental arithmetic demonstration activities for ethnic minorities and four national abacus and mental arithmetic online answer activities in five years; In addition, it has also held the Cross-Strait Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Communication Competitions for five times together with Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, Taiwan, China. The League for Soroban Education of Japan. Inc. held the All-Japan Abacus Skills Championship; the Korea Institution of International Abacus and Mathmatics Association held the World Youth Mental Arithmetic Conference; the SEMPOA SIP Indonesia held the SEMPOA SIP National Championship and National Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition, and at the beginning of this year, the Guinness World Record was set for the largest online mental arithmetic championship; the Taoyuan Multi-Education Association, Taiwan, China held the Sixth Taoyuan Mayor Cup Abacus and Mental Arithmetic & Mathematics Open Invitational Competition; the Russian Growth Point Center held the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Olympic Competition; the Abacus Mental Math Program of Nigeria held the Shenmo Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition in Nigeria and the “Shenmo” Cup African United Competition; the Shenmo Education Centre Pte. Ltd. held the Singapore “Shenmo” Cup International Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition; the Zhusuan Association of Jiangsu Province of China held the Jiangsu Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition; and the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association of Jilin Province of China held the Exhibition of Excellent Achievements in the Field of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic in Jilin Province.
In terms of appraisals, WAAMA adopted the Trial Measures for Appraisal of WAAMA Abacus and Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Grades in November 2019, and launched the Special Scheme for Launching the Pilot of New-edition Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Appraisal Certificate of the WAAMA in March 2020. During the 5th Council, a number of institutional members of WAAMA, such as Australia Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Inc., Creative Abacus Association of Hong Kong SAR, ISTAR Education of Canada, UK-SINO GUILD LTD, Shenmo Education Centre Pte. Ltd., Malaysia Shenmo Yuneng Education Institute and IKEN Child Skills Development Training Centre LLC., Dubai, United Arab Emirates, joined the pilot, making positive contributions to the standardization construction of the appraisal work of WAAMA. Next, we will continue to open our arms and welcome more institutional members to join the pilot, strive to improve the level of abacus and mental arithmetic skills of global learners, and take the appraisal work as the starting point to promote the exchanges and cooperation in business activities of various institutional members.
In terms of training and curriculum construction, the CAMAA and its institutional members have organized a total of 8 elementary courses, 5 intermediate courses and 1 advanced training course, training a total of 1,965 teachers; the Korea Institution of International Abacus and Mathematics Association held a national training activity for abacus instructors; the UK-SINO GUILD LTD has designed the “Brain Abacus” course system based on the British mathematics curriculum and implemented the online course teaching accordingly; the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association of Shanghai held the “First National Academic Seminar on Curriculum Construction of the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic for the Aged”; the Changchun Municipal Abacus Association held the Training Class for Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Teaching Research and Popularization Faculty in Changchun; and the Zhusuan Association of Jiangsu Province of China held the Workshop for Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Seed Teacher Trainees in Jiangsu.
II. Experiences and suggestions
Reviewing the work of the 5th Council over the past five years and looking ahead to the new journey that the next council will embark on, we would like to share the following experiences and suggestions.
First, deepen subject research and strengthen international cooperation. In the past five years, we have taken subject research as the guidance and integrated it into the whole process of conference communication, promotion and publicity, and teaching practice, providing strong support for all institutional members to carry out teaching and research. However, currently such subject research of each institutional member is often limited to internal research, and there are no cross-institution scientific research plans. In the future, while further deepening the subject research, WAAMA will introduce international cooperation. By selecting and gathering institutional members with foundation, ability and willingness, it will carry out transnational and trans-regional subject research, and strive to produce scientific research results with global vision and benefiting all members, so as to build WAAMA into a cooperation platform for scientific researchers from all institutional members to gather wisdom and seek common development.
Second, strengthen theoretical research and implement academic sharing. Thoughts shine in the collision, and understanding sublimates in the exchanges. WAAMA has institutional members across the world, which have rich and diverse educational experiences based on different backgrounds of local teachers and students, cultures and educational traditions. In the future, WAAMA will further enhance the theoretical research, lift the academic level, hold the brand activity of “Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic” well around such topics as intangible cultural heritage, principles of computer & algorithm, enlightening principle and educational practices to stick to the academic principle of “authority guidance, cooperation and sharing”, and build a platform for top abacus and mental arithmetic experts to present research results of WAAMA’s academic exchanges, a stage for teachers to share teaching achievements and experience, and a cooperation platform for abacus and mental arithmetic practitioners to enhance exchanges and seek common development.
Third, improve competition and appraisal to add momentum to development. In the past five years, the institutional members have carried out a variety of competition and appraisal activities, laying a good foundation for the promotion and popularization of the abacus and mental arithmetic cause around the world. It can be said that competition and appraisal are “special skills” of the abacus people, and also the first source of the public’s intuitive impression of the abacus and mental arithmetic cause. If the competition and appraisal activities are well organized, our cause will be recognized and supported by teachers, students and the public. To this end, we should deeply understand the positive educational value and deep cultural heritage of abacus and mental arithmetic, constantly innovate the ways of working, and effectively help integrate abacus and mental arithmetic into the new era and the public with the help of new means, the introduction of new technologies, and the response to new expectations, and by taking the improvement of competition and appraisal work as the starting point.
Fourth, strengthen exchanges and cooperation to stimulate development vitality. WAAMA is a federation of international civil abacus and mental arithmetic education and research groups, so the communication and interconnection among its institutional members is the meaning of existence, the working method and the development goal of WAAMA. In the past five years, due to the pandemic, the exchanges and cooperation among institutional members have also been affected to a certain extent. In the general context of getting rid of the pandemic and the recovery of the education sector, WAAMA and all its institutional members should firmly seize the opportunities, strengthen exchanges and cooperation, make good use of WAAMA as a platform for international exchanges and cooperation, draw on each other’s strengths through experience sharing, pool ideas in the joint construction and activities, and learn from each other in the common business, so as to better stimulate the vitality of development.
Distinguished delegates, the 5th Council of WAAMA has made some achievements, which are inseparable from the united efforts and hard work of all institutional members. We are stationed all over the world, deeply immersed in different cultural backgrounds, and have different education levels. Sowing the seeds of abacus culture and abacus and mental arithmetic education in every hot land around the world can benefit tens of thousands of children, and add glory to the construction of the WAAMA family. Here, on behalf of the 5th Council of WAAMA, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks and highest respect to all the people from all walks of life who care about, support and work hard for the world cause of abacus and mental arithmetic.
At the same time, we also believe that the new council of WAAMA will live up to expectations, forge ahead, unite all institutional members to promote the innovative development, open development and shared development of WAAMA to a new level, and open a new chapter for the world cause of abacus and mental arithmetic on the new journey!
Attachment II
Financial Report of the 5th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
The 5th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic elected in July 2018 has now expired. According to requirements of WAAMA’s Articles of Association, the financial income and expenditure during the current term from July 1, 2018 to January 31, 2024 is reported as follows:
As of July 31, 2018, the accumulated net asset balance of this Council is RMB 128,500.
The income of the current term is RMB 3,073,700, including: Subsidy from superior departments of RMB 2,816,500, membership fee income of RMB 188,400, service income of RMB 55,700, and other income of RMB 13,100.
The expenditure of the current term is RMB 1,462,000, including: Administrative expenditure of RMB 1,406,700 and other expenditure of RMB 55,300.
As of January 31, 2024, the accumulated net asset of this Council is RMB 1,740,400. The above financial figures are taken from the audited financial report of Beijing Jinrui Yongda Accounting Firm (special general partnership) approved by the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
The 5th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
April 12, 2024
Attachment III
Minutes of the 6th General Assembly of WAAMA & The Eighth Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic
The 6th General Assembly of WAAMA & The Eighth Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic was held on April 12, 2024 in Beijing, China. More than 80 representatives of 41 member units from 15 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong SAR, China, Taiwan, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Tonga, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States, attended the meeting. The summary of the conference is as follows.
I. The 6th General Assembly of WAAMA
The waama currently has 55 member units, and 41 member units attended the 6th General Assembly (of which 2 member units sent letters of authorization). The number of attending member units meets the provisions of the WAAMA's articles of association, and the meeting is valid. The main agenda of this meeting is to review the work report and financial report of the 5th Council of the WAAMA; Deliberate the membership fee standards of the WAAMA; Election of members of the sixth council of the WAAMA.
i. Deliberate and approve the work report and financial report of the 5th Council of the WAAMA. President Liu Jianhua delivered a report on the work of the 5th Council of the WAAMA. Liu Jianhua reviewed and summarized the work of the 5th Council of the WAAMA from four aspects in her report: 1. Led by academic research, actively held academic seminars, and focused on promoting exchange and sharing of academic achievements among member units; 2. Ensure the foundation of communication through standardized meetings, expand the scope of communication through active recruitment, expand communication channels through website construction, and spare no effort to promote the continuous improvement of communication and cooperation levels; 3. Strengthen scientific research and carry out rich scientific research activities; Emphasize popular science promotion and share cutting-edge scientific research achievements; 4. Each member unit vigorously promotes the practice and development of abacus and mental arithmetic through rich and abundant competitions, appraisals, and training. In her report, President Liu also put forward four suggestions for the work of the new council of the WAAMA: Firstly, to deepen research on the topic and strengthen international cooperation; Secondly, to strengthen theoretical discussions and implement academic sharing; Thirdly, to do a good job in competition and appraisal to increase development momentum; Fourthly, to strengthen communication and cooperation to stimulate development vitality.
Secretary-General Cheng Beiping made the Financial Report of the Fifth Council of the WAAMA. The attending representatives fully affirmed the work of the 5th Council of the WAAMA and unanimously passed the work report and financial report of the 5th Council by a show of hands vote.
ii. The conference voted on the membership fee standards of the WAAMA through anonymous voting. With 34 votes in favor, 1 vote against, and 6 abstentions, the WAAMA membership fee standard was passed at $300 per member unit per year.
iii. By a show of hands vote, 38 members of the 6th Council of the WAAMA were elected with 40 votes in favor, 1 vote against, and 0 abstentions (list attached).
II. The First Enlarged Meeting of the Sixth Council of the WAAMA
The WAAMA currently has 38 council members, and 30 council members attended the 6th General Assembly (including 2 council members who sent letters of authorization). The number of council members attending the meeting meets the provisions of the WAAMA's articles of association, and the meeting is valid. The agenda of this meeting is: To review the application for membership and withdrawal; Elect the Executive Council and Leadership Body of the 6th Council of the WAAMA.
i. The application of "SHENMO RWANDA" to join the WAAMA and become a council member unit was approved by a show of hands vote, with 30 votes in favor, 0 votes against, and 0 abstentions.
ii. The application of " Hong Kong Mental Math Academy, Hong Kong SAR, China" to join the WAAMA and become a non-council member unit was approved by a show of hands vote, with 29 votes in favor, 1 votes against, and 0 abstentions.
iii. Deliberate and approve the withdrawal applications of "Center of Mental Education Growing Point , Russia" and " UCMAS India".
iv. By a show of hands vote, a total of 11 members of the Standing Council Members of the 6th Council of the WAAMA were elected with 28 votes in favor, 1 vote against, and 1 abstention (list attached).
v. The leadership of sixth council of the WAAMA was elected through anonymous voting (list attached). The votes obtained are as follows:
President Ou Wenhan: 29 votes in favor and 1 abstention;
Vice President Kudo Toshikazu: 22 votes in favor and 8 abstentions;
Vice President Kwon Hyuksik: 24 votes in favor and 6 abstentions;
Vice President Hsiao, Chiu-Yung: 25 votes in favor and 5 abstentions;
Vice President Sally Chou: 23 votes in favor and 7 abstentions;
Vice President Alexander Kartono Taslim: 26 votes in favor and 4 abstentions;
Secretary-General Cheng Beiping: 29 votes in favor and 1 abstention.
vi. Upon nomination by President Ou Wenhan of the 6th Council of the WAAMA, Zhao Xiangyi, Secretary-General of the Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association (CAMAA), and Yan Xiaoming, Deputy Secretary General of the CAMAA, were appointed as Assistant of Secretary-General of the 6th Council of the WAAMA.
vii. President Ou Wenhan delivered a speech on behalf of the new council. He pointed out that the fifth council of the WAAMA, led by President Liu Jianhua, has achieved significant results in promoting the world abacus and mental arithmetic industry in academic research, exchange and cooperation, scientific promotion, and practical development. The new council will be committed to the protection and inheritance of the intangible cultural heritage of abacus and mental arithmetic, the popularization and development of abacus and mental arithmetic education, international and regional exchanges and cooperation, adhere to international standards and contribute to the construction of the WAAMA itself, and work together with member units to promote the global development of abacus and mental arithmetic, writing a new chapter of abacus and mental arithmetic for the exchange and mutual learning of world civilization.
Vice Presidents of the WAAMA, Kwon Hyuksik, Hsiao, Chiu-Yung, Sally Chou, and Alexander Kartono Taslim, delivered speeches respectively.
viii. Ni Xiaojing from Secretariat of the WAAMA, introduced the methods of the 8th Competition of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic of WAAMA, including the drafting time, registration process, reward methods, test work, referee work, competition costs, and other contents. The various councils of the WAAMA have created an authoritative, public, and united competitive atmosphere for the WAAMA's competitions based on the principles of openness, fairness, and impartiality; Welcome all member units to fully support and actively participate, and witness the grand competition of world abacus and mental arithmetic together.
III. Convene the Eighth Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic of WAAMA
The Eighth Seminar for Academic Exchanges on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic of WAAMA was held on the same day. Mr. Guo Shirong, Vice President of the CAMAA and Professor at Inner Mongolia Normal University, elaborated on the six major characteristics of Chinese Zhusuan as intangible cultural heritage, including scientificity, uniqueness, sociality, continuity, internationalism, and symbolism, with the title "Cultural Characteristics of Chinese Zhusuan"; Ms. Hui-Wan Liao, Executive Member and Mathematics Group Convenor of the Mathematical Committee of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic of Taiwan Chamber of Commerce, Taiwan, China, introduced the multi cognition course to promote the cognitive function and intellectual activities of elderly friends with the title of " Diversified Brain Train Cognitive Learning Course"; Mr. Kwon Hyuksik, Vice President of the WAAMA and Vice President of the Korea Institution of International Abacus and Mathmatics Association, South Korea, proposed suggestions for the future development direction of abacus and mental arithmetic with the topic of " Instruction Method and Developing Direction of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic in the Future Era". Mr. Kohara Mitsuharu, the legal representative of the Japanese public welfare organization National Abacus Education Alliance, submitted a written seminar material titled "Abacus Education in Public Education", introducing the use of video teaching methods in abacus education in Japanese public education.