In 1984 during the 10th IFORS meeting in Washington, Prof. Masao Iri, then International Federation of Operational Research Societies (IFORS) Vice President, called a meeting of Asian Pacific OR society representatives to discuss on possible launching of a society group in Asian Pacific region. Through effective communication among these societies, a formal discussion was later called in March 1985 during ORSJ national meeting in Japan’s Tsukuba on preparing the Association of Asian Pacific Operational Research Societies (APORS), attended by IFORS national society representatives of Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, India, Singapore, and Hong Kong. This meeting announced the APORS with mission of encouraging OR society exchanges in the region. A council composing representatives was established. Prof. Woong Bae Rha (Korea) was elected as the first APORS president, Prof. Guang-Hui Hsu (China) as vice president, Prof. K. Wakayama (Japan) as secretary, and Prof. R. Johnston (Australia) as treasurer. It was also decided that the Asia Pacific Journal of Operational Research (APJOR) edited by Singapore OR Society be published as APORS official journal and the first APORS meeting would be convened in Seoul in 1988. This first council meeting was hosted by the OR society of Japan. Its then president J. Kondo, representative H. Takamori, and Prof. M. Fushimi and Prof. K. Yanai from ORSJ also attended the launch meeting.

In August 1988 in Seoul, the Korea OR Society hosted the first APORS conference. Before the conference opened, an APORS council meeting was called. Prof. Guang-Hui Hsu (China) was elected as the second term president, Teresa Ling (Hong Kong) as vice president, and Prof. Wakayama continued his service as secretary. It was proposed that the second APORS meeting be convened in Beijing. During this term, Malaysia and Philippines OR societies joined the APORS.

In August 1991, OR society of China hosted the second triennial APORS conference in Beijing. Regular triennial APORS meetings have been hosted by Japan, Australia, Singapore, India, Philippine OR societies. In 2009 India became again the host society of APORS conference in Jaipur Rajasthan. In 2010, Malaysia hosted a between-triennial meeting in the city of Penang. China hosted the 9th APORS meeting in Xi’an and the 2015 conference was held again in Malaysia. The 11th triennial conference happened in August 2018 in Kathmandu Nepal. The 12th and 13th triennial APORS conferences were held in Quezon, Philippines in 2022 and in Hangzhou, China in 2024.

Iran and Nepal OR societies joined to APORS in 2008 and 2011.  With a new member of Indonesia OR Association joined in 2024, APORS now has 13 member societies.