Dear colleagues,
Happy New Year! I trust that 2015 is a good year for you and your families. This message is addressed to former Alexander von Humboldt and Feodor Lynen Fellows in Australia, both those who are members of the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows and others who have not yet joined the Australian Association.
For the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows, a key event in 2014 was our joint symposium with the Royal Society of Victoria, entitled Celebration of German Contributions to Australian Science and Victorian Scientific Institutions – Past and Present, which was generously sponsored by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through a Humboldt Kolleg grant. Members of the Association’s executive have just finalised the symposium financial report and I am pleased to advise that all attendees who sought a reimbursement of their attendance costs will receive a full refund shortly.
The symposium was a highly successful event which realised its goal of celebrating the contributions of past and present Germans to Australian science. Its success was due in no small part to the generous contributions of the planning committee and, in particular, months of dedicated work on the part of the Association’s Honorary Secretary Associate Professor Trevor Finlayson. On behalf of the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows, I express our sincere gratitude to Trevor and all the planning committee.
A special issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria dedicated to the symposium is in preparation and a number of the symposium presenters are adapting their paper into a manuscript for publication. This includes my opening address at the symposium entitled Noted Colonial German Scientists and Their Contexts.
For the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows, 2015 is an important year as we will conduct our biennial conference on 20-22 November in Hobart. Those of you who are members of the Australian Association will have received advice about the conference via the mail-out of an initial notice prepared by Dr Peter Jarvis, conference committee chair. His committee is well-advanced with its planning and the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows is most appreciative of his team’s efforts to ensure another interesting and enjoyable biennial conference. Further information is available through the conference email address:
I strongly encourage those former Fellows who are not yet members of the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows to consider joining. Apart from the biennial conference, there are other activities in each State/Territory and across the country to which members are invited. More details about the Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows are available at https://www.humboldtaustralia.org.au/.
Joining the Association requires former Fellows to apply to our Honorary Treasurer Professor Gary Bryant – I have attached a copy of the membership application form to this email. Gary’s contact details are:
Professor Gary Bryant
Director, Centre for Molecular and Nanoscale Physics (NanoPHYS)
School of Applied Sciences
RMIT, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, 3001
Tel: 61-3-99252139, Fax: 61-3-99255290
email: gary.bryant@rmit.edu.au
The biennial membership fee is only $40 and Gary sends a reminder every two years.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Hobart in November this year at the biennial conference.
With best wishes,
Gabrielle McMullen
President, Australian Association of von Humboldt Fellows