2002 Annual Report Of The Royal Society of New Zealand

Incorporating the 2002 Academy Council Yearbook

International activities

New Zealand is a country with a relatively small but sophisticated scientific community, far from the main centres of scientific and technological endeavour and deriving much benefit from international scientific and technological contacts. The Society furthers its international science objectives at several levels.

Memorandums of Understanding

The Royal Society has entered into two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) during the past 12 months.

The first MoU was signed with the Korean Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) on 23 November 2001. The MoU allows cooperation between the Society and KOSEF to take place, including bilateral seminars, joint research projects, and the exchange of information.

The second MoU was signed with the Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST) on 13 August 2002. This MoU allows the strengthening of bonds between the Society and BAST through exchange of information, involvement in bilateral workshops, and provision of invitations for students to attend each other's annual science and technology fairs.

Heads of Missions reception

On 26 September 2002, a reception was held at the Society for twenty-seven Wellington-based Heads of Missions. The reception was held to brief the Heads of Missions on the New Zealand science system, the place of the Society in that system, and opportunities for cooperation between the respective countries.

Membership of international scientific unions

The Royal Society is the New Zealand adhering body to the International Council for Science (ICSU) and its associated 15 international unions, 12 scientific associates, and committees. Through these international memberships, the Royal Society assisted the scientific community in its efforts to hold international scientific conferences in New Zealand by sponsoring a proportion of such conferences.

Apart from the ICSU, the scientific unions cover the following areas of science: astronomy, biochemistry and molecular biology, biological sciences, biophysics, chemistry, crystallography, geodesy and geophysics, geological sciences, mathematics, microbiology, nutrition, physiology, physics, radio and space science, theoretical and applied mechanics, antarctic science, quaternary research, environment, oceanic research, optics, solar and terrestrial physics, geochemistry and cosmochemistry, palaeontology, mineralogy, and global change. The Royal Society is also affiliated to the Federation of Asian Societies and Academies and the Asian Crystallographic Association.

New Zealand representation at international meetings

New Zealand was represented at the following international meetings by those listed below. In all cases, partial funding was provided by the Society.

Dr Jill Stanley, HortResearch, International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) General Assembly, Cairo, Egypt

Dr Julie Hall, NIWA, Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) General Meeting, Washington, USA

Dr John Clare, Industrial Research Ltd, World Congress of Physical Societies, Berlin, Germany

Professor Kip Powell FRSNZ, University of Canterbury, International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Meeting, Brisbane, Australia

Dr Jeremy Astley FRSNZ, University of Canterbury, International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) General Assembly, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Professor Rob Goldblatt FRSNZ, Victoria University of Wellington, International Mathematical Union (IMU) General Assembly, Shanghai, China

Dr Tim Moore, CRL Energy Ltd, International Annual Meeting of the Society for Organic Petrology, Houston, Texas, USA

Dr Fred Davey FRSNZ, GNS, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) General Assembly, Shanghai, China

Professor Gerald Tannock, University of Otago, International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS) General Assembly, Paris, France

Professor George Clark, University of Auckland, International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) General Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland

Dr Jill Stanley, HortResearch, International Society of Horticultural Science (ISHS) Congress, Toronto, Canada

Dr Neil Thomson, University of Otago, International Union of Radio Science (URSI) General Assembly, Maastricht, the Netherlands

Professor John Harvey FRSNZ, University of Auckland, International Union for Pure & Applied Physics (IUPAP) General Assembly, Berlin, Germany

Associate Professor Lex Chalmers, University of Waikato, International Geographic Union (IGU) Extraordinary General Congress, Durban, South Africa

Mr Aslan Wright-Stow, NIWA, Chesapeake Bay Watershed Restoration Conference, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Reports have been received from the above. The reports have been assessed and recommendations considered and acted upon, as appropriate. Copies of the reports are forwarded to the relevant scientific societies and the delegates have provided articles for appropriate scientific society newsletters. The weekly Royal Society electronic newsletter Alert also featured excerpts from these reports.

Positions of responsibility within ICSU

At the General Assembly of the International Council for Science (ICSU) held in Rio de Janeiro, Professor David Parry FRSNZ, Massey University, Palmerston North, was elected Vice President.

Other New Zealand researchers who hold positions of responsibility within scientific unions are:

Professor Tony MacKnight FRSNZ, Council Member, International Union of Physiological Science (IUPS)

Dr Clive Howard-Williams, Vice President, Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR)

Professor Ted Baker FRSNZ, Immediate Past President, International Union of Crystallography (IUCr) Executive Committee

Professor Jim Simpson, Vice President, Asian Crystallographic Association (AsCA)

Dr Julie Hall, Secretary, Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) Executive Committee

Associate Professor Peter Cottrell, Member of the International Astronomy Union's (IAU) Commission Variable Stars Organising Committee

Professor John Hearnshaw FRSNZ, Member of the Board of the International Astronomy Union's (IAU) Optical and Infrared Techniques Commission and also the Committee on Advance Program Group Commission.

Having New Zealand researchers serving in these positions allows New Zealand to have a strong voice in the decision and policy making of these non-governmental organisations. Their success also raises the profile of New Zealand science and technology and enhances New Zealand's opportunities to be further involved in overseas research and collaborative projects.

New Zealand conferences sponsored by the Royal Society

Conferences bring large numbers of scientists to New Zealand and contribute significantly to the transfer of science and technology to New Zealand. The Society's Executive Officer for International Science participates in the planning and management of conferences the Royal Society sponsors. The Society has accumulated much practical experience in organising conferences and is pleased to become involved in these meetings. The conferences sponsored included:

10th International Symposium of Acoustic Remote Sensing, Auckland

2nd International Workshop on Edible Mycorrhizal Mushrooms, Dunedin

Ten Years of Paleoseismology in the ILP Meeting, Kaikoura

International Ribosome Synthesis Meeting, Queenstown

UV Radiation and Its Effects Workshop, Christchurch

International Union of Geological Sciences Executive Board Meeting, Wellington

NZ Energy Conference, Wellington

10th International Symposium on Deep Seismic Profiling of the Continents and Their Margins, Taupo

7th International Conference on Southern Hemisphere Meteorology and Oceanography, Wellington

28th International Radiocarbon Conference, Wellington

International Visitors hosted by the Royal Society

The Society continues to liaise with overseas visitors. Visitors hosted by the Society in 2002 included:

Dr Tom Pringle, Science Communicator from the United Kingdom

Mrs Aldyth Holmes, Director of the National Research Council, Canada Research Press, Canada

Yasmin Ahmed, Country Manager, Thomson Press (India) Limited, India

Suzanne Clarke, Manager of Science, Melbourne Girls' College, Victoria, Australia

Professor Arie Rip, Professor and Head of Department, Science & Technology Studies, University of Twente, the Netherlands

Andrew Stammer, Journals Publisher at CSIRO ­ Melbourne, Australia

Dr Chung Duk Kim, Chairman and CEO, KOSEF, Mr Byung Whan Ho, Head of International Programs, KOSEF, Mr Pil Koo Kang, Chief Specialist, KOSEF

Zhang Xiaohu, Beijing Association for Science & Technology, Peoples' Republic of China

Karen O'Connell, Manager, Human Resources, Royal Society (London)

Her Excellency Mrs Ruth Kahanoff, Ambassador, Embassy of Israel

Gwen Pilling, University of York, United Kingdom

Sarah Flannery, Young Scientist of the Year, Ireland

Dr Jilly Evans, Merck, Sharpe and Dohme Researcher, USA

Dr John Ellis, Dr Diether Blechschmidt, Dr David Krofcheck, Dr Alick Macpherson of CERN, and the NZPIXELS project

Dr Mahmood Amani Tehrani and Dr Hossein Daneshfar, Ministry of Education, Iran

Mrs Maureen Manchouck, Trinidad's Research Agency, Trinidad

Tim Radford, Science Editor, Guardian, UK

Robert Lord May FRS, President, Royal Society (London), UK

Professor Alan MacDiarmid ONZ Hon FRSNZ, Blanchard Professor of Chemistry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA

Sir William Pickering Hon KBE Hon FRSNZ, President, Lignetics Incorporated, California, USA

Professor Michael Kelly FRS FREng Hon FRSNZ, School of Electronic Engineering, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

Fred Spilhaus, Executive Director, American Geophysical Union, USA

Photograph by Paul Morris