From the darkness comes the light,
and when the light comes into the world,
new knowledge will come into the world.
Family, we’ve gone through the darkness,
and we’re heading into the world of light,
at the end of these last days of lockdown.
Across Australia and New Zealand we are seeing the lifting of lockdowns as we move back into a new sense of normality.
These last few months have been some of the most unusual times any of us have lived through. We have all adapted extremely quickly to doing things differently, embracing technology, working and interacting with our teams and colleagues in different ways, and reaching out and caring for each other.
This time has also allowed us to trial and test new ways of working and to connect in safe ways, and this has been especially so for the AAIR Executive Committee. We have been using and testing a number of different platforms to connect as a group when we are scattered across states and countries. We continue to work with our sponsors and partners to look at how we can offer our members the same high-quality professional development and networking opportunities for which AAIR is famed. You can check out the online events we have been creating for you by going to the events page on our website. We have more events planned, so please stay tuned.
As an affiliate of the Association for Institutional Research, we can benefit and learn from their experiences of providing virtual events and offerings. This year the AIR Forum, originally scheduled to take place in New Orleans in May, has moved to a Virtual Forum that will run from 29 June to 1 July 2020. For many in this part of the world, attending an AIR Forum would usually be a financial challenge; however, this year, as the forum is online, it provides a great opportunity to listen to and engage in some outstanding presentations on topics so relevant to the work we do now and into the future.
If there are any other events or learning opportunities you would like to either share with members or would to participate in, please let us know. We would love to hear from you.
Throughout the COVID-19 lockdown here at Otago Polytechnic, Ron Bull our Tumuaki Whakaako (Principal Teacher) from the Kaitohutohu Office (Māori Development Team) offered us a daily karakia (a Māori chant or prayer). Below is a translation of Ron’s final karakia that I would like to share with you as we move out of lockdown restrictions.
From the darkness comes the light,
and when the light comes into the world,
new knowledge will come into the world.
Family, we’ve gone through the darkness,
and we’re heading into the world of light,
at the end of these last days of lockdown.
While we head back to our offices, the beaches, cafes, restaurants and gyms, life and work will be different. The economic carnage this pandemic has created will touch us all differently as we learn to work and live in what is rapidly becoming the new normal. Very soon we’ll be able to reflect on the challenges we have faced together.
Well done to our team of 25 million in Australia and 5 million in New Zealand.
Kia kaha (Be strong)
Stuart Terry
President, AAIR
Photo of sunrise by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
Photo of a girl biting a pencil by jeshoots.com on Unsplash
Photo inside a cafe by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
