The Western Australian Chapter of the Fulbright Alumni Association held their annual dinner on Thursday 12^th October.  With a healthy turn-out of fifty-four people, including alumni and partners, registrants enjoyed the beautiful outlook over the Swan River, as well as a sumptuous three-course meal courtesy of Acqua Viva in Nedlands (also known as JoJos Restaurant).  Keynote speaker Prof. Ray Wills from the University of Western Australia spoke on “Preparing for the Clean Tech Tsunammi” in a lecture that reflected on the rapid pace of economic and technological change in the modern era. The US Consul General for Western Australia, Rachel Cooke, gave a welcome address, in which she urged the alumni to continue their recruiting efforts for the Fulbright scholarship program.  Dr Jonathan Paget, President of the WA Chapter, gave a brief overview of the WA chapter’s 2017 activities, including statements from recently returned WA alumni Craig McCormack and Shraddha Kashyap. Also in attendance was Dr Pablo Jimenez, Alumni Relations Manager at the Fulbright Commission (Canberra).

On behalf of the organizing committee, I want to thank all those who attended the inaugural AFAA Conference - Leadership in a new era - this past Friday and Saturday. Reflecting on the day, it reminded me what I consider to be so special about Fulbrighters - the willingness to share ideas and personal experiences in a such an extraordinary way. For me, the day was filled with awe at those doing amazing things and enjoyment from getting to know my fellow alumni a bit better. Visit the conference page for a few photos that captured the excitement of the day.

Thank you to all who presented and all who came to share in the day. AFAA hopes to host similar events in the future. To make sure that we tailor these events to the interests of our members, we ask that you complete this post-conference survey. It should only take 5-10 minutes of your time.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AFAAConference

If you want to co-host an event in the future please feel free to contact us with your ideas!

On behalf of the AFAA Committee,

Vanessa Adams

We are pleased to launch our new logo which has been thoughtfully designed by our secretary Rebecca Smith. 

2017 has marked a year of growth and change for AFAA and is culminating in a flurry of activity at a national level, with our inaugural conference just days a way, and a local level with many Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations being hosted by local contacts. 

What better way to mark this growth than with a renewed logo that reflects our path forward guided by our vision and mission?

About the logo: The logo includes some classic imagery associated with the ideals laid out in the AFAA vision - books for knowledge, a light bulb for ideas, and a wreath to symbolise peace and communication. The eucalypt wreath also adds that sense of Australiana, being both iconic and immediately recognisable.

We will formally launch the logo at the national conference and put to our members for a final vote at our AGM in early 2018.

AFAA took over your airwaves on Friday when current Fulbright Scholar Caroline Park joined Jon Faine, co-Host Tim Ferguson and guests to talk about her conference presentation:
A recipe for disaster: the link between extreme weather and nutrition.

Missed out? Re-stream it here!
Love what you hear? Come to our inaugural conference on November 18. Registration is FREE https://www.fulbrightalumni.org.au/2017-Conference

We are excited to announce that AFAA now has a Facebook page and Instagram account. Please start following our posts and connect with us on our new social media platforms.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Australian-Fulbright-Alumni-Association-185660041992782/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/australianfulbrightalumni/

And there are easy links on our home page to these as well! Join us and keep the conversation going.

The Inaugural conference program and public Salon are shaping up. Early bird registration has been extended to October 6 so that you can take advantage of our reduced registration rates.

Register now as spaces are limited!

With a vision to stimulate national dialogue around critical issues, and provide an opportunity for people to develop a strategy for collective action, the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association (AFAA) will host its inaugural conference Fulbright Alumni: Leadership in a new era on Saturday 18 November at the University of Melbourne. The conference will be launched with a free public Salon on the evening of Friday 17 November, Challenges for Liveability in Australia's cities: Have we reached a tipping point? with Keynote Speaker Professor Billie Giles-Corti.

The AFAA chose the conference theme and Salon topic in their conviction that we have entered a challenging new era, in which old ways of seeing and acting no longer apply; and that leadership is needed, more than ever, in critical areas of our society. The question posed by both events is: how can we help strengthen economic, cultural, environmental, and social sustainability for this new global age by providing leadership to form a new agenda?

The program features talks from 20 Fulbright alumni from a diverse range of backgrounds. The keynote and panellist sessions are designed to inspire attendees to take on leadership roles in this new era across all aspects of building a sustainable society.  Prof Bob Carr’s keynote, “Leading change in a new era: Challenges and Opportunities” and the panel session “What are the greatest gaps in leadership today and how do we fill them” promise to inspire action!  Details of the panellists are available here.

We are honoured to host Professor the Hon Bob Carr as the keynote for our inaugural conference, November 18th.  Remember to submit your abstract if you want to present and register to attend.

Professor the Hon Bob Carr

Former Foreign Minister Bob Carr is the longest continuously serving Premier in New South Wales history. He served as Minister for Planning and Environment 1984 to 1988 and as Leader of the Opposition from 1988 until his election as Premier in March 1995. He was re-elected in 1999 and 2003 securing an historic third four-year term. He retired from state politics in 2005.

During his 10 years the State Government set new records for spending on infrastructure, became the first government in the State’s history to retire debt, hosted the world’s best Olympics in 2000 and achieved the nation’s best school literacy levels. Forbes magazine called Bob Carr a “dragon slayer” for his landmark tort law reforms.

As Premier he received the World Conservation Union International Parks Merit Award for creating 350 new national parks. He introduced the world’s first carbon trading scheme and curbed the clearing of native vegetation, both anti-greenhouse measures. He was a member of the International Task Force on Climate Change convened by Tony Blair, and was made a life member of the Wilderness Society in 2003.

Bob Carr has received the Fulbright Distinguished Fellow Award Scholarship. He has served as Honorary Scholar of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. He is the author of Thoughtlines (2002), What Australia Means to Me (2003), My Reading Life (2008) and Diary of a Foreign Minister (2014).

In March 2012 he was designated by Prime Minister Julia Gillard as Australia’s Foreign Minister, elected to the Australian Senate to fill a casual Senate vacancy and sworn in to the Senate and Cabinet on March 13, 2012.

As Foreign Minister, Bob Carr fostered stronger relations between Australia and Southeast Asia, lifted sanctions on Myanmar, campaigned for the passage of a global Arms Trade Treaty and led the final stages of Australia’s successful bid for Australia’s seat on the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member. His plan for a Syrian medical pact was backed at the G20. He assisted Prime Minister Gillard in achieving a strategic partnership with China.

Following his resignation from the Senate on October 24, 2013, the University of Technology, Sydney appointed him to lead the Australia-China Relations Institute – a think tank dedicated to Australia-China relations.

Bob Carr serves on the Board of Melbourne University Press; is a Director of The Lysicrates Foundation and a Committee Member of the UNSW Matraville Education Program Advisory Council.

The holiday season is fast approaching and many of us are making plans to host Fulbright alumni gatherings such as annual dinners, welcomes and farewells to Scholars who have joined us for the year, Thanksgiving feasts, and end of year celebrations.  As you plan these events, remember the Commission has a great program to support these types of alumni gatherings: Fulbright Alumni Engagement Program (FAEP, https://www.fulbright.com.au/apply-for-an-alumni-grant/). Apply now as applications will close in September. 

Need help with the application? Looking for fellow alumni to join your application? AFAA can support your efforts. Contact us at admin@fulbrightalumni.org.au.

We are excited to announce that our inaugural Conference will be opened Friday November 17th at 6pm with a Salon event hosted by the Victorian Chapter of AFAA and supported by University of Melbourne. This year's Salon theme is Challenges for Liveability in Australia's cities: Have we reached a tipping point?.

The Salon will feature two leading experts in designing liveable and sustainable communities: Prof Billie Giles-Corti and Dr Iain Butterworth.

For the full details of our Salon please visit the conference page and make sure to register for both the Salon and full Conference!

Prof Billie Giles-Corti is the Distinguished Professor and Director of RMIT University’s Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform. She is passionate about building healthy, liveable and sustainable communities. For two decades, Giles-Corti and her multi-disciplinary research team have been studying the impact of the built environment on our health and wellbeing. It’s critical work. For Giles-Corti, the future of our urban spaces is being decided today.  “We need to create affordable higher-density housing in green leafy communities, with local shops and services and employment using high-quality public transport and walking and cycling infrastructure.”

Dr Iain Butterworth is trained in community psychology with a strong interest in the interrelationship between urban design, planning, governance and well-being. Iain is currently National President of the Australian Fulbright Alumni Association, and an honorary Associate Professor at the School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne. Since 2010, Iain has worked with the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and is currently the Manager of Population Health and Planning for East Division Health. Here, Iain is helping to implement the Victorian Labor Government's policy commitment to fostering “Liveable, Inclusive and Sustainable Communities”.

AFAA is excited to be hosting our inaugural conference November 17-18th at the Woodward Conference Centre in Melbourne. The event is shaping up to be an exciting one. 

The theme of our inaugural conference is Fulbright Alumni: Leadership in a new era.  We have entered a challenging new era, in which old ways of seeing and acting no longer seem to apply.  Leadership is needed, more than ever, on a number of fronts. The question is: how can we help strengthen economic prosperity, cultural vibrancy, environmental responsibility, and social justice for this new global age by providing leadership to form a new agenda?

We are seeking exciting contributions to the program.  Please submit your abstract today!