From your National President
Esteemed Members, Colleagues:
I am honoured to be elected National President of AUSIT (see below), returning to where my professional journey began, fourteen years after graduating from RMIT University.
For those who haven’t met me yet, I am a Chinese translator and Mandarin interpreter based in Brisbane; I also teach T&I part time at the University of Queensland.
Carl Gene Fordham
AUSIT National President
AUSIT National Conference 2024
We (AUSIT’s National Council and the Victorian Branch’s 2024 Conference Organising Committee) are thrilled to report that the 37th AUSIT National Conference in Melbourne was a standout success.
The conference and associated events, hosted by RMIT University, drew a record-breaking 505 registrations and featured 94 presentations across 6 streams, including:
- three keynote addresses
- the Jill Blewett Memorial Lecture
- the National Annual General Meeting.
Highlights included the AUSIT Translation Competition and Paul Sinclair Award announcements. The Welcome Drinks and Conference Dinner were well attended, with 213 and 216 registrations respectively.
A full conference recap will be published in the mid-December issue of In Touch magazine.
The organisers wish to extend their appreciation to presenters, participants, OzParty Events, and AUSIT volunteers who contributed to the conference’s success.
Special thanks to the Organising Committee, made up of Erika González, Karine Bachelier, Jess Shepherd, Fatih Karakas, Elvira Bianchi and Ken Nagato.
We are also very grateful to Miranda Lai and Elvira Bianchi for their valuable input in coordinating the abstract review process, and also to their team of reviewers: Rita Wilson, Jim Hlavac, Shani Tobias, Epperly Zhang, Olga Garcia-Caro, Caroline Norma, Elvira Quintana and Hailan Paulsen.
Thank you to the chairs of the conference sessions:
Karine Bachelier, Elvira Bianchi, Yuka Chow, Luisa Conte, Uthayan Chawannuch, Maho Fukuno, Olga Garcia-Caro, Erika Gonzalez, Isabelle Guinebault, Asmat Halimi, Jemma Ives, Ya Ping Kuo, Miranda Lai, Henry Lam, Roksan Lashin, Cintia Lee, Ken Nagato, Kalra Nishant, Sirmo Papaioannou, Rebeca Paredes Nieto, Dillane Pierrot-Zagot, Tania Pineda-Stuart, Olena Radievska, Patricia Rosemberg, Jess Shepherd, Jacqueline Skewes, Sarah Strong and Rita Wilson.
Thank you also to volunteers who worked as ushers during the conference:
Anmar Al-Aaraj, Marcia Almeida, Karine Bachelier, Uthayan Chawannuch, Ian Do Carmo, Emilio Díaz, Olga García-Caro, Raj Grewal, Helen Kyriacou, Berenice Bajo Leyva, Donna Lewis, Bum Lee, Miriam Li, Hayat Mebrat, Fangfang Miao, Nura Jawaher Muktar, Tien Nguyen, Daniela Panetta, Sirmo Papaioannou, Dillane Pierrot-Zago, Olena Radievska, Loreto Rodríquez, Ximena Arriaga Rubio, Nancy Seth, Jess Shepherd, Inke Sieloff, Nicky Skouris, Bing Lee Teh, Stella Tulloch, Stavroula Tzellas and Sompit Watkins.
Thank you also to volunteers who assisted with reception/check-in, the delegate information desk, registration, directional assistance and other tasks, including:
Shahinoor Akter, Simone Aliano, Marcia Almeida, Ximena Arriaga-Rubio, Karine Bachelier, Ian Do Carmo, Anais Charrasse, Nishant Kaira, Fatih Karakas, Helen Kyriacou, Marie Lebert, Diana De Luca, Mojdeh Mahdavi, Martina Melis, Nura Jawaher Muktar, Monica Quijano, Inke Sieloff, Nicky Skouris, Stella Tulloch, Stavroula Tzellas, Vicky Parker, and anyone else who helped out during the event.
Photos: AUSIT volunteer Dillane Pierrot-Zago welcomes a conference registrant at the check-in desk (top) and Dr Holly Ann Silvestri’s International Keynote speech was well attended (bottom)
Thank you also to our major sponsors:
Ruby Sponsor: Language Loop
Emerald Sponsor: NAATI
Platinum Sponsor: Oncall Language Services
Platinum Sponsor: TIS National – Department of Home Affairs
Venue Sponsor: RMIT University
And a thank you also to our fourth silver sponsor, Televic, with local partners in Melbourne: PAVT
National Annual General Meeting
During the National Annual General Meeting at the AUSIT National Conference 2024, Erika González stepped down as Acting National President. We extend heartfelt thanks to Erika for her tireless dedication to our profession – serving as National President from 2019 to 2022, then stepping up again this year when J. Angelo Berbotto had to step down for health reasons.
Most National Council members were confirmed for another term, with Issa He joining us to take on the Vice President (Events & Professional Development) role.
We appreciate the ongoing members’ commitment, and warmly welcome Issa to the National Council.
A New Vision for AUSIT
After just one year as Vice President (Events & PD), my colleagues have entrusted me with the leadership role. I’m grateful for their support, but also realistic about the challenges ahead. The reality is that no National President can solve every issue in our complex, diverse organisation of 2,000+ members across all the states and territories of Australia.
When we try to take on too much, we spread ourselves too thin – and may even burn out. AUSIT is made up of volunteers, and our time and energy are limited. We must be strategic and pick our battles carefully. I urge members not to get sidetracked by matters that are irrelevant to the sustained growth of our association.
My vision for AUSIT centres on three strategic priorities:
1. Finance – We need to cut costs and raise revenue to ensure AUSIT’s long-term sustainability.
2. Visibility – We need to clarify our value proposition to both current and potential members.
3. Influence – We need to establish and strengthen relationships with stakeholders.
This last part of AUSIT’s new vision – Influence – is the most critical. In an increasingly complex and challenging working environment, we need to ensure that AUSIT is at the table when decisions affecting our profession are being made.
If you share my vision for AUSIT, I urge you to reach out to your local branch and ask how you can get involved:
Beyond our traditional volunteer roles, we’ll be introducing more informal and flexible ways for members to contribute their time and skills. We are looking forward to hearing from you.
Look out for more details of my strategic vision for AUSIT, which will be published in the December issue of In Touch magazine, due out in a couple of weeks.
With warmth and gratitude,
Carl Gene Fordham
AUSIT National President
AUSIT National Office Holiday Period Closure
Please note that the National Office will be closed from midday Friday 20 December 2024, and will reopen at 8:30 am on Monday 6 January 2025.
During this period, the 1800 office number will divert to voicemail, and messages and emails to admin@ausit.org will be answered upon our return – Michele Jalland, Amanda Pope and Donna Bennett, National Office.
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