Message from Academy Chair
Professor Charlotte Macdonald shares her foreword as Chair of the Academy Executive Committee.
Tēnā koutou katoa – spring greetings to all Fellows of the Academy
I write as sleet and single digit temperatures bring an outward chill to the arrival of spring. While that will pass, I do want to extend thoughts to those in the Academy who have been affected by recent extreme weather events in the Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast and Tai Tokerau regions. Research programmes as well as homes and roads have been casualties.
On happier news, I am delighted to announce recent additions to the Academy Executive Committee. Distinguished Professor Geoff Chase (University of Canterbury) has been elected Deputy Chair. Geoff succeeds Dr Tony Conner whose experience and sound advice was a great asset to the AEC. The new convenor of the Technology and Applied Sciences domain is Professor Cather Simpson (University of Auckland). Professor Robyn Longhurst has been elected as convenor of the Social and Behavioural Sciences domain. Professor Denise Wilson (Auckland University of Technology) joins the AEC to represent Ngā Ahurei a Te Apārangi, plus Māori Knowledge and Development.
Over the past two months Royal Society Te Apārangi has been reaching out to its sister academies.
In late July Marc Rands, our hardworking Academy Executive Officer, visited Canberra, meeting with staff in a number of the Australian academies: the Australian Academy of Science, the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, the Australian Academy of Humanities and the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Unlike the all-encompassing nature of our multi-subject Academy, the Australian research communities maintain separate organisations with an overarching body, the Australian Council of Learned Academies, providing some co-ordination. A number of the Australian academies are also organised around state bodies. It is interesting to reflect on the attributes of our relatively streamlined structure.
Among the observations Marc noted in his discussions were activities at either end of the Fellow age/career cohort. Amongst initiatives being taken to encourage early career researchers is the Australian Academy of Science’s working group for Early to Mid Career Researchers. It has around 6,000 members and a co-ordinating committee of 12 representatives. In determining ‘emeritus’ or long service categories of membership, the Academy of Social Sciences offer Emeritus category to all Fellows at the age of 80 automatically, while the Australian Academy of Humanities offers a category of ‘Silver Fellowship’ (fees free) to all who attain 25 years’ membership. The basis on which academies structure their work varies. While the Academy of Humanities has 11 disciplinary groupings for election of Fellowship, the Academy of Health and Medical Science organises its groups around geographical place rather than by discipline.
Also in July, Chief Executive Paul Atkins, visited sister organisations in London, Edinburgh, Dublin and the International Science Council in Paris. Issues of concern to Fellows were part of his discussions with colleagues in these places. Paul has provided some comments on these meetings in the latest Link Membership newsletter.
Spring also brings with it the happy anticipation of the Medals and Awards ceremonies to be held in Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington, Kirkiriroa Hamilton and Ōtepoti Dunedin in early November. We look forward to this highlight of celebration, with some more certainty this year than we have had in the recent past. I look forward to seeing some of you at these events.
Charlotte Macdonald
Chair, Academy Executive Committee