FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Through its very nature of disparate places that are brought together by a belief in the value of architecture for the betterment of society, the International Chapter of the Institute has continually faced challenges created by distance with a passion for the profession that knows no bounds.

I wish to thank sincerely Wei Yap Ooi, International Chapter Chair, for his passionate leadership of the Chapter this year. He has produced an enormous body of work, and I would like to particularly thank him for his analysis of the membership of the Chapter and his recommendations around membership fees and strengthening the Chapter into the future, for consideration by National Council. I would also like to acknowledge the members of International Chapter Council, who give days of their time – often at  odd hours – to move forward our endeavours, as well as the broader architectural community who create and support the delivery of this work. I thank every one of you for your integral part in this.

I would sincerely like to thank Fiona McMullen, Loren Bates, Jessie-Anne Pankiw, Alastair Scott, Nina Hamilton, and Katie Katos for their commitment to both the Chapter and to the Institute. I have seen our team turn uncertainly into opportunity, to pare back, reconfigure and create systems to streamline delivery. They are truly impressive.  

I would also like to acknowledge the support that Cameron Bruhn, Institute CEO, has provided to the International Chapter this year, truly believing in their role of advancing architecture on the international stage. I would like to thank him for joining the Chapter at their recent face-to-face meeting in Mumbai, along with at the International Chapter Architecture Awards presentation event in Osaka, where he was joined by David Wagner, National President Elect.

The International Chapter has engaged in many ways with the architecture and design community globally, which is only possible through the support of the Chapter Councillors and the connections they have forged. Recently in India, the Institute participated in Design Mumbai, met with the Indian Institute of Architects and their National Association of Students of Architecture, and were hosted by the Australian Consulate-General in Mumbai, which was attended by over 50 people, including Indian government representative, Mr. Nawin Sona, Principal Secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

The International Chapter Architecture Awards were hosted at the Australia Pavilion at the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, Kansai, Japan, with members from different reaches of the world in attendance, along with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Australian Embassy in Japan, the Japan Institute of Architects (JIA) and the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ). The Japan visit also provided the opportunity to meet more formally with the Japanese Institute of Architects.

Throughout the year, the International Chapter has sought to collaborate with architecture organisations across the globe, and held a successful Boarding Pass event with the Singapore Institute of Architects, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, and the Hong Kong Chapter of the Royal Institute of British Architects in July, along with collaborating on other events, including the American Institute of Architect’s Hong Kong Building and Regional Practices Symposium.