He kōrero | Message from Society President Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding

Tēnā koutou katoa,

It is an honour and a privilege to write as the new President of Royal Society Te Apārangi. May I begin by thanking Brent Clothier on behalf of us all for his leadership and commitment to the Society over the past three years, and wishing him well for the future. We hope that there will be more space in his life for surfing, friends, family and other things that are sustaining to the spirit as he is released from the numerous obligations of the President.

I, on the other hand, am just beginning to discover some of those obligations and the joys and challenges that go with them. It was a pleasure to see some of you at Queenstown Research Week recently, where I had the opportunity to talk a little about the Society. I asked the audience if they were members, and if not, why not? With so many categories of membership, including professional, general, early career and student membership (see Our Members), there are options for everyone who wants to get involved. Please consider inviting your colleagues to join. Imagine what could be achieved if all researchers in New Zealand were to work together towards our mission of “An Aotearoa New Zealand guided and inspired by science and research”.

Another category of membership is Companion. Companions are elected based on their outstanding leadership or eminent contributions to promoting and advancing knowledge in New Zealand. At its most recent meeting in June, the Council approved the election of three new Companions. Professor Jacky Bowring, Professor Paora Tapsell, and Hoturoa Barclay-Kerr have expertise in landscape architecture, Indigenous research, and traditional navigation, respectively. They will be celebrated at the forthcoming Companion’s Forum on 17 October. 

At its June meeting, the Council also approved a new three-year business plan. This plan, which is aligned with the four strategic priorities in the 20-year strategic plan, sets out both business-as-usual and new initiatives that will be the focus of the Society’s work over the next three years. It includes, amongst other things, the development of a roadmap for greater engagement with Māori, and with all membership groups, with the Fellowship at the core of the Society.  The key elements of the business plan will be shared in the coming months.

As a first step of this renewed commitment to engagement with the Fellowship, you will see in this newsletter a call for expressions of interest from Fellows to join the Council subcommittee responsible for oversight of our expert advice activities. I look forward to hearing from those of you with an interest in this area, and also to future opportunities to invite more Fellows to get involved in the work of the Society.

Finally, as I sat down to write this, my first introduction to the Fellow’s newsletter, I wondered what, of all the myriad of activities of the Society, you would really like to hear about. Please feel free to be in touch with suggestions, questions, and any other thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you and working with you over the next three years.

Ngā mihi, nā

Jane Harding FRSNZ
President, Royal Society Te Apārangi