The A and O: Members in Asia and Oceania

Comment on this articleThe Institution is always keen to highlight the work of its members across the globe. Here, Ken Tushingham, the Chairman of the Asia and Oceania Forum gives an update about activities by members from the region, including a lively Speak Out for Engineering Final.

“The Asia and Oceania Forum has made good progress this year, recruiting 1300 members in the year to date. This represents half of the total number of new members who were recruited worldwide.”

“Our main focus was the second Asia and Oceania Forum Meeting, held early in April in Singapore. The programme of events was orchestrated by the committee of the Singapore Branch and included the Regional Final of the 2009 Speak Out For Engineering (SOFE) competition. The whole event was a great success and our hosts are to be congratulated for the job they did.”

“Branches in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and Singapore were represented at the meeting, as were China and Sri Lanka through their Corresponding Members. Maria Taylor, the Institution’s Senior Executive for International Operations, attended the Forum Meeting.”

“The meeting was held over two days and the main item of debate concerned a Trustee Board decision in February to adopt the recommendation of the International Structure Review Working Group. Recognising the rapid growth of international member numbers, and the need for a system of governance that could accommodate future changes, it was decided that the existing four international fora would be renamed ‘regions’ with a similar standing to UK Regions, and that the Asia and Oceania Forum would be split and restructured.”

“Many aspects were considered by the delegates taking into account the range, diversity, and particularly the potential, of the countries involved. The preferred, unanimously agreed, final outcome was that for geographic, cultural, and general practical reasons the A and O Forum should be divided into four. The new regions being:


Southern Asia: India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

North East Asia: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea N&S, Macau, Taiwan

South East Asia: Borneo, Brunei, Burma/Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia/Sarawak, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Oceania: Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands

The transition to the new structure will take place over the next nine months launching in May 2011.”

“Other issues discussed concerned the Institution’s International Strategy, IT and website improvements, Affiliate and Associate member recruiting and transfer action, reinstatement of prize monies, and a prestige lecture tour for the region.”