Tumu Whakahaere Chief Operating Officer's Update
Ngā mihi o te wā ki a koutou katoa.
The end of June, beginning of July, is a time of changes in the governance of the Society and the roll-over of our financial year.
Distinguished Professor Dame Jane Harding FRSNZ has commenced her 3-year term as President of Royal Society Te Apārangi. In her first week in the role, which commenced 1 July, Dame Jane spent time in the UK and Ireland visiting learned academies/societies with Chief Executive Paul Atkins.
At the end of June, we farewelled Dr Brent Clothier as President and recognised his contribution to the Society over the past three years, which has been significant. Although he will no longer be the President, his association with Te Apārangi will no doubt continue. See photos from his farewell event.
We have also said goodbye to, and acknowledged the contributions of, Professor Te Kani Kingi who has been on the Council for the past three years.
In terms of Membership, we also saw changes on 1 July. Our ECR Forum Committee has welcomed three new Co-chairs: Kristie Cameron (Unitec), Gergely Toldi (University of Auckland) and Mahonri Owen (University of Waikato). The outgoing Co-chairs Karly Burch (University of Auckland), Louise Hennessy (AgResearch) and Ritodhi Chakraborty (Lincoln University) will continue to contribute as Committee Members for a further year. Ngā mihi nunui kia koutou for their mahi as Co-chairs. The Early Career Researcher Forum has their second webinar for 2024 in just over a week’s time - ECR 102: Job Hopping for ECR's is scheduled for 12pm, Wednesday 7 August 2024.
Last week, Professor Cate Macinnis-Ng chaired a highly successful annual Constituent Organisations Forum in our Lecture Theatre (and online), and later this week, Jenny Pollock will chair the annual forum for Branches.
The Society has recently confirmed the election of three Ngā Takahoa a Te Apārangi, Companions (CRSNZ) for 2024. Look out for the public announcement coming soon! We have also tentatively booked Thursday 17 October 2024, as the day for the induction of our new Companions and the annual Companion’s Forum. A formal announcement of this event will be shared in the coming weeks.
The first day of July each year is also the time when we re-set our operational goals in line with the commencement of the financial year and with a newly approved budget. For this year, a new three-year rolling Business Plan has been developed that aligns to the Strategic Plan adopted in late 2023. The plan includes objectives to not only “…grow membership,” but to “…strengthen our relationships with all membership groups” and to “…mobilise our membership to mutual benefit and achievement of goals”. I look forward to the year ahead and realising progress towards these Membership objectives.
James Henry
Tumu Whakahaere | Chief Operating Officer