Asia is the world’s largest and most populous continent with a population of about 4.5 billion people as of 05 Jul 2020. Together with Africa’s 1.3 billion people, both continents altogether are hosting about 74% of the world population. Coupled with a high growth rate, it is imperative that both Asia and Africa establishes an international research organisation that specifically focus on the well-being of the Asian / African communities.

Hence, the establishment of ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians), officially formalised on 20th October 2014, represented by seven member countries – Egypt, Iran, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Turkey.  ABRA was renamed the Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians/Africans/Arabians on 26 Jun 2020, with the inclusion of three new member countries – Morocco, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. AMER (ABRAmalaysia) with its headquarters in Shah Alam, Malaysia is the permanent secretariat for ABRAworldwide.  

To mark the establishment of ABRAworldwide, the maiden international conference AQoL2014 (ABRA International Conference on Quality of Life) was held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 26-28 December 2014. The 1st ABRAworldwide Board Meeting was also held in conjunction with the conference.  To enhance the QoL conferences further, the AQoL to be held in non-ASEAN countries (except Malaysia) shall be the sister conference to the more established annual AicQoL (AMER International Conference on Quality of Life), held in the ASEAN countries. Both back-to-back AQoL conferences form the  ASLI (Annual Serial Landmark International) Conferences on QoL).

Sadly, ABRA was deregistered in Mar 2023, due to the inability to conduct  proper AGMs from 2015-2019.  It should be noted during that period, online meetings were not yet popular. Attending the AGM physically was beyond the means of the members due to the lack of travelling fund.

Commencing 2023, the AQoL will be renamed as “Asia-Pacific International Conference on Quality of Life”.