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IFIS Annual Report 2017

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Illawarra Friends of International Students (IFIS)

Annual Report 2017

Friendships Without Borders.

Mission Statement:

Illawarra Friends of International Students is a non-political, non-sectarian organisation which values equality. It exists to offer support services to international students and their families while they are studying at The University of Wollongong Australia.


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Introduction:

The Illawarra Committee for Overseas Students was established in 1979 by a group of local citizens anxious to support Overseas Students, as they were then known, seeking opportunities to gain tertiary education. It is now in its 39th year of continuous operation and has experienced two name changes to better reflect its role. The first name change was to Illawarra Committee for International Students [ICIS] and during the year under review after considerable discussion it was changed to Illawarra Friends of International Students {IFIS}.

The original objective of supporting international students and their families while they are in Wollongong by making them feel welcome and offering support in a variety of ways remains current. One of the organisation’s strengths has been its ability to adapt to change and constantly identify what support services are needed along with arrangements to introduce them where possible.

The term family members includes the student or researcher’s spouse/partner, children and quite often parents as there are many cases where they are also here for extended periods. We also note that family members have made significant contributions to IFIS and its programs.

Perhaps an example of introduction of new programs was the Kids’ Christmas Party seven years ago, despite suggestions from some quarters that it was not politically correct, and introduction of Friendship BBQs when the Friendship Program collapsed. The Kids Christmas Party has grown and is perhaps now our most important family event. Friendship BBQs have also continued to grow with one event hosting over 200 internationals. You will read more about these programs in the body of the report.

The Conversation Groups have also enjoyed significant growth and popularity with some local students now attending and assisting.

The committee genuinely believes it was another good year which saw many wonderful events successfully managed with growth in all areas of operation.

Perhaps our Annual Reports are not quite as formal as some but it is the intention of the committee to record achievements in a way which provides some historical record for the future as well as reporting on programs undertaken.

A summary of IFISs achievements and principal activities for 2017 is included on pages 46 - 47.

Cover Picture: Jan Kemper, Vice President [Community] with Tran Thi Cam Trang Vice President [International - Retired] and her daughter Jennifer who was celebrating her first Australian Christmas, Santa - Mark Morris with Mrs Claus - Chi Lum Chea [Sharona] from Malaysia on her first visit to the IFIS Kids Christmas Party, Tony Romeo’s Bush Dancers and Chutsupong Amatayokul [Eva] from Thailand teaching Tetsuya Takita from Japan the art of knitting for Wraps with Love.

Photos, Graphics and Layout: Photos used in this report were taken at IFIS events during the 2017 year by Sin Min Tan, Ayako Egawa and Kel Magrath. Tammy Nguyen was responsible for finalising the layout and display of graphics


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Table of Contents:

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2

Committee Members……………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………4

Committee Assistants……………………………………………………………….………………………………………………..……4

Life Members……………………………………………………………….………………………………….………………………………5

Conversation Group Leaders……………………………………………………………….……………………………………………5

Presidents Report…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...6

Vice President {Community] Report…………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Vice President [International] Report……………………………………………………………….………………………………9

Treasurers Report………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..….10

Coordinators Report……………………………………..………………………….……………………………………………………...13

Conversation Groups………………………………...………………………………………….………………………………………….14

Friendship BBQs…………………………………………….…………………………………….………………………………………….19

Welcome Evenings………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………….....21

Community Engagement……………………………………..………………………….………………………………………..……...23

End of Year Function………………………………………………………………….………………………………………….………...27

Sight Seeing Trips………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………...29

Sponsored Trips and Support Activities………………………………………………………………….………………………...29

Bush Walking………………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………….…...31

UOW Goes Global………………………………………….……………………….………………………………………………………...31

Kid’s Christmas Party………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………...34

Graduation……………………………………………….………………….………………………………………………………..………...38

Support for Worthy Causes……………………………………………….……………………………………………………………..39

Bush Dancing……………………………………………………………….……………………………………..…………………………...42

Chancellors Award Money……………………………………………………………….…………………….………………………...43

Friends of IFIS Facebook……………………………………………………………….……………………..…………………………..43

Committee Notes……………………………………………………………….……………………………..……………………...……...43

Some Statistical Information…………………………………………………………………...…………………………..…………...44

Our Sister Group……………………………………………………………….………………...…………………………………………...46

Award of Life Membership…………………………………………………………………..………………………………...………...47

IFISs Activities and Achievements………………………………………………………..………….………………………..……...47

Appreciation……………………………………………………………….…………………..………………………………………….…...49

The Year Ahead. ……………………………………………………………….………………...…………………………………………...51


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Committee Members: International. Community. Hua Hung Vice President [International] Peter Beattie. President Sin Min Tan Jan Kemper. Vice President [Community] Thi Dao Hop* Cliff Barker Ngoc Mai Nguyen Kel Magrath. Secretary Sandeep Satapapthy Martin Veres Nhi Nguyen* Mark Morris Vincent Kostiono Katherine Choi * Andrew Pratama* Mengdan Chen. Treasurer Thi Phan Trang Dan Manzini Tam Nguyen Committee Assistants: Jin [Echo] Shang Lakminie Jayaweera* Illiana Peters * Monica Sharma* Xishun Wang [Sheldon] Anh Minh Le Iksheta Verma Ayako Egawa Bob Colvin Chi Lum Cheah [Sharona] Han Zixiao [Tony] *Indicates Graduated or Retired.


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Life Members: The Life Members shown in this section are those known to us. There may be others that we are not aware of and we would of course love to be made aware of them with a picture if possible so they can be included in future reports.

Bob Colvin Nguyen Thuy Viet Phuong

Pat Farrar Keith Ellem Conversation Group Leaders: Ian Gryglewski Kel Magrath Mark Morris Jan Kemper Cliff Barker Aviva Sheb’a Peter Beattie Anna Whetton Ann Dyer Pat Farrar Grace Jones Isabell West Bob Colvin. Martin Veres Koko Woolley Dan Manzini Ben Taylor Liz Lewins


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President’s Page – Peter Beattie

My third and final year as President has again been a satisfactory and successful one with many achievements attained by the Group in its 38th year of operation;

The name change for the group from ICIS to IFIS [Illawarra Friends of International Students] was done with considerable input from the committee, both community and volunteers, the students and Andrea, ISP/IFIS

Coordinator. Sadly the name which stood for 38 years was deemed as politically incorrect. A new constitution was adopted and a lot of appreciation should go to Andrea and her former

subordinate, Thomas Quinn, for the guidance and extraordinary effort they put in to see it accomplished.

The English Conversation Group [ECG] continues to thrive and feedback from the students is extremely positive.

The continuation of Bush Dancing has proven a very popular pastime and the students have embraced it avidly.

Community engagement between International Students, local students and the community generally has strengthened by increased volunteering for ECG, attendances at the Dutch Club dances and the group’s collaboration with the Corrimal Rotary Club.

The strong relationship with Fran Walder, Senior Manager – Student Life Programs and Andrea Kornhoff our ISP/IFIS co-ordinator has continued and we have learnt from each other. Fran has supported the Group 100% on all occasions when necessary while Andrea continues to provide excellent service to the group especially regarding advertising, Welcome Evenings, trip planning and volunteer engagement.

I thank all members of my committee and the volunteers for their continued dedication to the range of planned activities that they are involved in such as ECG, Welcome Evenings, barbeques, bush walks, bus trips and community service functions.

Wraps with Love continued again as the knitted squares of wool were again assembled into blankets. Participation in raising funds and awareness for female hygiene in third world countries, called Days for Girls, continued. More will be reported later in the Annual Report.

Our Friendship BBQs at Stuart Park have been well patronised again and the groups two BBQs again proving successful. The numbers attending Welcome Evenings continues to grow so much that it was necessary to hold the last three events in the University Hall. It was pleasing to again see many students again wearing their national costumes which added to the occasion. We again supported UOW Goes Global with students giving presentations about their home countries and providing international food on campus.

The Annual Children’s Xmas Party was an outstanding event with a wonderful atmosphere and the families of many different faiths were responsible for this. They all participated in the occasion and the volunteers did a remarkable job with entertaining the children while Mark Morris performed the Santa role for the first time with aplomb and was supported by Sharona Chea who played the role of Mrs Claus.

Our funds are in a healthy position with thanks to our Treasurer Mengdan Chen. At times it can be an onerous position, especially as a first timer, but she coped in her own no nonsense way and I always had her full cooperation.

The group’s association with Corrimal Rotary continues to flourish with positive outcomes on both sides. Throughout the year students from IFIS attended various Rotary Meetings and functions as well


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as performing volunteer work. In addition there were many visits by students to the Illawarra Dutch Club where Ballroom Dancing is enjoyed and basics learned. The Dutch Club is a culture within a culture and the feedback from the students and the club is very positive. A list of attendees at those functions and volunteering events is given later on in the Annual Report.

Another imitative which continued this year was the sponsoring of a student to partake in a Farm Aid project organised by the Rotary Club of Corrimal. High praise was given by the organisers to Patt for her work ethic and attitude to volunteering.

Jan Kemper, our Vice President [Community], was responsible for coordinating the Wraps with Love knitting program and even encouraged male students to participate. Her support to me and the group has been invaluable. Thanks so much Jan.

Phil Huang, our Vice President [International] contributed to the group in a positive role so congratulations to you Phil.

Kel continues to be the backbone of the group with his knowledge, work ethic and unselfishness all unrelenting. He leads by example through his friendship and engagement with the students. The Group is in debt to his endeavours.

During the year Oliver Batten became an assistant to Andrea and we welcomed him to ECG.

Appreciation is given to the administration staff for the Smart Building 6 for their support to the group where we usually hold ECG meetings in Room 105.

I would like to congratulate all students/family members for their enthusiasm, friendliness and volunteering. You made it a pleasure to be of service to you.

Finally, I believe our model for the ECG is a worthy one and the family theme that is promoted has resulted in friendships being strengthened and maintained both between the students and the volunteers and the students themselves.

With the group in a sound position, I am confident in passing the role of President onto my successor who will have my complete support in 2018.

Peter Beattie.

President - Illawarra Friends of International Students


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A Note From the Vice President [Community] – Jan Kemper

It has been another enjoyable and memorable year for me. Spending time with students and getting to know new students, along with some family members, has been a pleasure and a delight. Observing them chatting more freely with others and making friends shows that our volunteering is worthwhile.

The students also have opportunity to volunteer for functions and activities which broadens their cultural knowledge and they have the chance to interact with more people. We are supported by the University, especially Fran Walder, Senior Manager Student Life Programs and Andrea Kornhoff, Coordinator, International Student Programs/Student Support and Educational Analytics and Oliver Batten, Programs Officer {International Student Programs}. With their support we were able to achieve two major things this year – updating our Constitution and changing our name from ICIS [Illawarra Committee for International Students] to IFIS [Illawarra Friends of International Students]. Without this financial and administrative support we would not be unable to function so well or to offer the programs and opportunities that we do. We do appreciate and value their continued support.

I want to thank our Executive Committee and all the active Committee members {international and community} who have worked so hard to make our year happy and successful. Thank you especially to Phil Huang who has done a great job as Vice President {International}.

This year I was again able to co-ordinate the Wraps with Love project within our group. During the winter months we completed 5 rugs {140 knitted squares joined together}. We have made 26 rugs in the four years we have participated in the project. Knitting provides the students with an opportunity to learn another skill, meet more students and help others in need. The participation this year was amazing. It was a real team effort. Some took their knitting home, some took their knitting to lectures, some knitted while they walked on campus and others knitted at Conversation sessions. New knitters have encouraged others to try and we had some of our Aussie boys learn and teach other boys from many cultural backgrounds. It has been a real multi-cultural experience. Completing a square, which for some has taken weeks, was a major achievement for them. While learning and knitting they have interacted and got to know each other better. The project has been an amazing tool which has complemented our purpose – to give international students and opportunity to practice their English and to make new friends.

Peter Beattie , both IFIS President and member of the Rotary Club of Corrimal as well as a great supporter of the Dutch Australia community, has continued to encourage students to attend Rotary and Dutch Club functions/festivals which give the students social and community engagement opportunities. We appreciate Peter’s commitment to the group.

Kel Magrath, our amazing Secretary, keeps our programs flowing smoothly. He is a great innovator and keeps us all on our toes. Your support is priceless Kel and we appreciate all you do.

I look forward to the coming year as we continue to welcome international students to Wollongong and work together to improve our programs, to help others and fulfil our goals.

Jan Kemper.

Vice President {Community}


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A Note from the Vice President [International] – Hua Huang [Phil]

About a year ago, I started to be involved with Illawarra Friends of International Student committee as I was surprisingly elected as Vice President [International]. I was really happy that day as I finally was able to contribute to this beautiful group which has been an irreplaceable part of my life since I arrived in Australia, helping me in so many aspects of my life.

As the core activity, English Conversation Group has continuously been fantastic and attracting more students. Some of them were new students who heard about ECG at events such as O-Festival and Club Day, and some of them somehow missed the information when they firstly enrolled but later on were introduced by their friends. But regardless in what way they heard about ECG many of them decided to join and stayed since. ECG has been growing rapidly in 2017. New attendance record has been broken several times, several volunteers from community joined ECG as group leaders and more local students were involved as conversation group leaders and they played important roles. English Conversation Group is a place of many things rather than a place where international students learn English, it’s a place where students have the opportunity to meet others and make new friends, a place where international students learn Australian culture and culture from other countries, a place where everyone shares stories and information and a place where international students find confidence and a sense of home. In 2017, festival celebrations and cultural presentations continue to be one of the most popular activities in ECG where students from various countries share their culture and food.

Besides ECG, IFIS have successfully organised and initiated other events and activities in 2017. Two Welcome Evenings took place in 2017 and they were huge successes, with help of ISP from the university. I would say that each Welcome Evening is better than the previous one as more interesting and fun activities and elements have been added. Wraps with Love was embraced tremendously by many students and not just by females, but by a surprisingly large number of male students and the outcome of this charity activity was outstanding. In 2017, IFIS initiated monthly Bush Dancing workshops where both international and domestic students gather in Building 27 and learn traditional Australian Bush Dance. Mr Tony Romeo kindly took the position of coach voluntarily and his effort is much appreciated. I have personally been to a few Bush Dancing sessions and the word I would use to describe the atmosphere in each Bush Dancing session is “Magical” because laughter does not stop throughout each session and happiness and excitement is on everyone’s face.

IFIS’s collaboration with the Dutch Club and Corrimal Rotary Club continued in 2017. A great number of students have been invited to several occasions by Dutch Club and Corrimal Rotary Club including the Dutch Club Christmas and New Year Eve parties and the Corrimal Rotary Christmas Party from which many international students, especially new ones, have opportunities to experience local style of celebrating occasions.

Another important part that should not be missed is the constant effort of all the volunteers in making IFIS a home for international students in UOW. It was their patient and endless dedication which make everything with IFIS becoming better and better each year.

It is a real honour to be able to serve the IFIS family for a year. I have learned tremendously, although I don’t feel like I have contributed much. In the coming year, I will keep making effort to make IFIS greater and trying to help more international students like IFIS has always been doing.

Hua Huang

Vice President [International]


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Treasurers Report – Mengdan Chen

I am pleased to present the financial results for Illawarra Friends of International Students for the year 2017. All of our activities were not only extremely successful and exemplify the core mission of IFIS – Friendships Without Borders, but they were also cost effective. Our achievements are significant and not only rely on sponsorship from UOW but the willingness of international students to participate.

The information contained in the 2017 Receipts and Payments Statement will confirm that the committee has again manages the groups finances with care. For IFIS 2017 was a year of financial stabilization. We managed to preserve and strengthen its financial condition and emerge with assurance that’s its financial resources can survive for the next 3 years based on current activities and rates of financial activity. To continue our work at the current level we will need to hold discussion with UOW administrators regarding a modest increase in their subsidy.

This past year the total UOW funds allocated to IFIS totalled $8,150.00 which included reimbursement for IFISs expenditure on UOW Goes Global activities. This equates to 38% of our expenditure. Net receipts from Trips were fairly constant and supported 40% of our operational expenditure. Virtually all expenses which totalled $37,400.00 are considered to be operating activity.

Huge efforts were contributed by the Finance Sub Committee, especially for Budgets. With careful management of catering for BBQs and other events we have been able to control and fulfil our budget allocation. However there is still room for improvement in the overall expenditure which will be included on the agendas of future committee meetings.

As you will notice later in this report UOWs expected allocation for 2018 will remain the same. But our new upcoming event, Cooking for Dummies, will be sponsored by BUPA. This program is to attract international students from all cooking levels, aiming to help them have a better and healthier diet during their time at UOW.

In summary, IFIS hopes that the readers of these financial statements find the presentations and explanations helpful in interpreting the financial state of IFIS. IFIS is committed to utilizing its financial resources in a thoughtful, prudent and consistent manner in support of its current activities, while at the same time preserving their value for future events.

Included in this section is the Annual Financial Statement which summarises all financial activities for the year. A Budget for 2018 which incorporates the 2017 results is also included.

Mengdan Chen

Treasurer


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Illawarra Friends of International Students – Statement of Receipts and Payments for the Year Ended 31st December, 2017. Funds Available 1st January 2017 $15,875.32 Add Receipts: BBQ Gold Coin Donations $ 839.00 Interest Received 64.62 Trips 24,488.56 Unpresented Cheque Written Back 178.30 Reimbursement UOW Goes Global Expenditure 1,273.53 UOW Allocation 7,000 00 Worthy Causes Fundraising 166.00 34,010.01 $49,885.33 Less Payments: Bush Dances $ 982.10 Trips 15,754.47 Committee Expenses 784.45 UOW Goes Global 1,230.20 Community Engagement 2,572.90 End Of Year Dinner 2,249.80 English Conversation Group 3,296.83 Gifts – ECG Certificate Presentations 915.84 Friendship BBQs 4,469.96 Hospitality and Appreciation 162.10 Kids Christmas Party 1,054.03 Parking 460.60 Printing and Stationery 816.70 Sundry 614.60 Welcome Evening 457.20 Donations -Worthy Causes 1,354.00 Wraps with Love 205.46 $37,381.24 Funds Available 31st December, 2017 $12,504.09 Represented by: Transaction Account $ 786.79 Savings Account 11,717.16 Deposit in Trybooking .14 Funds available 31st December, 2017 $12,504.09 Note. The UOW reimbursement for expenditure for UOW Goes Global included an amount for goods drawn from IFIS Stock.


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Illawarra Friends of International Students – Budget 2018 & Actual Results to Budget for 2017

Receipts Budget 2018 Actual 2017 Budget 2017

$ $ $

UOW Allocation 7,000.00 7,000.00 7,000.00

BUPA Allocation 2,550.00 - -

Gold Coin Donations 1,000.00 840.00 1,000.00

Interest 50.00 65.00 100.00

Trips [Net] 9,000.00 8,670.00 9,000.00

UOW Goes Global - 1,275.00 -

Compassionate Fund 1,300.00 165.00 300.00

Totals 20,900.00 18,080.00 17,400.00

Less Payments

Bush Dancing 250.00 980.00 -

Committee Expenses 1,000.00 785.00 1,000.00

End of Year Dinner 2,500.00 2,250.00 2,500.00

English Conversation 3,500.00 3,295.00 3,500.00

Conversation Gifts 900.00 915.00 800.00

Friendship BBQs 4,800.00 4,470.00 4,800.00

Hospitality & Appreciation 200.00 160.00 200.00

Kids Xmas Party 1,500.00 1,055.00 1,500.00

Parking & Sundry 1,000.00 1,075.00 1,000.00

Printing & Stationery 1,000.00 815.00 600.00

Welcome Evening 400.00 455.00 400.00

Compassionate Fund 500.00 1,355.00 500.00

Wraps With Love 200.00 205.00 -

Community Engagement 3,500.00 2,570.00 2,600.00

Cooking for Dummies 2,550.00 - -

UOW Goes Global - 1,230.00 -__

Totals 23,800.00 21,615.00 19,400.00

Profit/Loss -2,900.00 - 3,525.00 -2,000.00

Notes

1. A variance between the Receipts and Payments Statement and the Budget results will be noticed due to rounding to the nearest $5.00 and showing Trip Receipts as [Net].

2. The BUPA Allocation is for the operational expenditure for Cooking for Dummies and can be utilised for that program only. There is discussion as to the amount shown and suggestion that it is greater than that allocated. IFIS holds document quoting $2,550.00 and will make adjustment on receipt of further confirmation.

3. Compassionate Fund Payments includes a payment of $854.00 from funds raised in 2016 for Days for Girls.

4. The $7,000.00 UOW allocation is the amount expected after discussions with the Senior Manager – Student Life and Wellbeing Programs in early February, 2018. Confirmation has yet to be received and a modest increase has been requested.


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A Note from the Coordinator – Andrea Kornhoff

It has been a pleasure to support the Illawarra Friends of International students as the Coordinator for the third year in a row.

As in previous years I have again witnessed this busy group of volunteers support out international students through a diverse mix of programs, building confidence

in the students and helping them to make new friends from all over the world.

Each year I see more and more students attend and get involved. At the Annual General Meeting we ran out of chairs due to an unexpected large attendance and some positions were highly contested. I think that reflects how much our students value IFIS and wish to contribute.

2017 is a significant year for the group. After 38 years of operating as the Illawarra Committee for International Students {ICIS} the group changed its name to the Illawarra Friends for International Students {IFIS}. The constitution that the committee worked hard on updating was adopted and the committee introduced a number of subcommittee roles to better manage the growing workload.

Trips continue to be a popular weekend activity and provide IFIS with additional funds to host programs and activities. In 2017 our students went on day trips to Jervis Bay, Canberra, the Southern Highlands, Perisher and the Blue Mountains.

Some of my personal favourites with IFIS this year were tasting the delicious food selection at the IFIS Food Stall during UOW Goes Global, listening to the introductions of over 63 English Conversation Group Certificate recipients, watching the students undertaking a rugby lesson at the IFIS Friendship BBQ, getting blown away by the ‘Blizzard of Oz’ at this year’s trip to Perisher and seeing the Xmas Party grow in attendance yet again.

There are a few people I would like to especially thank this year.

Oliver Batten, who joined the ISP unit as a Programs Officer in April and has been a huge support. Members of the Dutch Club and Corrimal Rotary, who continue to welcome international

students to their club events and make the students feel at home. Tony Romeo, who has been teaching our interested students the art of Bush Dancing and will

continue to do so in 2018. The Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, who ensure IFIS gets regular access to their

multipurpose room for English Conversation Group sessions. The IFIS Committee, who keep me on my toes and is overall very committed and passionate. All the volunteers, students and community members who made it possible to run all the

programs this year.

I am looking forward to seeing the programs continue to thrive in 2018. For the next 12 months I will be taking on a different role within the University. I have, however, no doubt that I will hear many great stories from the students and committee members about the group in 2018.

Andrea Kornhoff Coordinator


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Conversation Group:

The conversation groups continue to be our major program. The atmosphere of friendship and family continues to feature highly among the groups strengths. During the year under review we had participants from thirty three countries attending which ensures a diverse range of topics for discussion and learning about other cultures.

A highlight during the year was the increase in local students becoming involved with the group and the friendships they establish with the internationals. In addition to local students becoming involved we have welcomed community members to the group which we believe will ensure the groups longevity.

During the year arrangements were made for the conversation group to host three visiting groups from Hong Kong and Taiwan as part of their visits to UOW. These visits included group leaders preparing some traditional Aussie treats and a presentation about the history of these items. This was the second year that we were able to support this program.

Recorded international attendances for the year, including the visiting groups, totalled 3,800 an increase 35.7% or 1,000 individual attendances over the previous year. Group leader attendances remained static at 560.

The cost of running the Conversation Groups which includes refreshments, cakes and cards for special occasions and gifts at Certificate Presentations etc. totalled $4,200.00 or an average of 96 cents per person attending during the year.

The Tuesday group which was scheduled to run from 4 – 5.30 p.m. often continues to operate well past 7 p.m. Due to work and study commitments some of the attendees arrive after 6 p.m. which suggests the social interaction is valued, a belief which seems to be confirmed when reference is made to the addresses from Atsushi and Ayako at Certificate Presentations. Running overtime does not create any difficulties as informality is one of the group’s strengths. Some leaders remain until the end while others leave to meet other commitments when required.

Family members and Visiting Fellows continue to be made welcome as are people with refugee backgrounds. They all make significant contributions to the group in many ways. Children are also welcomed as part of the family.

The practice of supporting the Library with the Wraps With Love Project was again supported this year. Our Vice President [Community] Jan Kemper was the coordinator of the project which completed five rugs making the total completed since the group commenced supporting this program 26. It is an amazing program which encourages people who have no previous experience to join in. Support


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between members in the group, determination, excitement when a square is completed, conversation etc. must be seen to be believed. A number of the male members joined the group this year and after some initial instruction clearly demonstrated that they were a force to be reckoned with.

The presentation day was exciting with Margie Jantti – Director Library Services accepting the finished articles. She was supported by the coordinator of the project and Sue Clark the President of Corrimal Rotary

Perhaps the value of the project can be better understood when reference is made to mail received from Sue Clark who is the President of Corrimal Rotary which is an international organisation committed to helping. It also confirms that the work of IFIS and the people it interacts with is being promoted in the community.

… Thank you for inviting me to the handover of the Wraps made by your students. It is a wonderful project and each square was testament to the determination & dedication of the knitter.

I talked about the wraps at our meeting on Wednesday and showed the PowerPoint presentation you had sent me. Like me, the Corrimal members were very impressed with the students’ efforts and results.

Best regards.

Sue


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Presentation of certificates for outstanding attendance at conversation continues. The certificates are not recognised as a qualification but rather a statement of attainment. The certificates are presented at two formal ceremonies and on occasions when the recipient is returning to their homeland at a time which does not allow attendance at a formal ceremony. Feedback confirms that the certificates are valued.

During the year over 85 certificates were presented by Paul O’Halloran – Manager International Business Development and Associate Professor Rodney Vickers – Associate Dean [Education] EIS on behalf of IFIS and Deputy Vice Chancellor [Academic] Joe Chicharo.


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The presentation ceremonies are happy occasions with refreshments and socializing following the ceremony.

An important part of the ceremony is the opportunity for a member of the group to respond on behalf of the internationals. We are pleased to be able to reproduce the speeches made by Atsushi and Ayako which they made at the 2017 presentations.

Atsushi’s Address:

First of all, thank you for giving me such a great opportunity to stand here and speak on this special occasion. I am Atsushi Yamagata from Japan. I had been studying in the Master of International Studies for one and a half years and, fortunately, I finished my course this month.

I think, today, there are some students who are relatively new to the University of Wollongong, so I would like to share my story.

Before I came to Australia, I had been working for a private company in Tokyo since graduating from a University in Japan. Although my life was financially stable, when I was working for the company, every day was stressful and boring. As I was living in a suburb of Tokyo, I had to take extremely crowded commuting trains every morning. And, sometimes, I had to work until midnight. I was completely exhausted both mentally and physically. So, in the end, I decided to pursue my dream once I gave up; that was studying abroad

It was very difficult and scary to decide to quit my job and come to Australia to study. My job was very boring, but as long as I worked there a stable life was guaranteed. In addition, in my country Japan, it is not so common to quit a job and go abroad to study again. It was very scary to choose a different path from other people. However, I couldn’t give up my passion for studying abroad and I really wanted to change my life, so I finally chose the path which seems more difficult and scaring. And now, I can say “that was the best decision in my life”.

Since I came to Wollongong, I’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences. I think that the past one and a half years was the best period in my life. And, I wouldn’t be able to have those wonderful experiences without the English conversation groups. I was very lucky. I could come to the English conversation groups on my third day in Australia. I met Andrea in the orientation for international students in the Uni on my second day in Australia and she took me to the IFIS Stall. I met Kel and heard about the English Conversation Groups there. And, the next day I came to the conversation groups for the first time.


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Since then, I have been supported by people in this conversation groups. Although I had a lot of difficulties in my student life because of cultural difficulties and language differences, I was able to overcome them thanks to support from friends and volunteers here. Even when I was feeling stressed by a lot of assignments, I could refresh my mind by chatting with people here. IFIS also offered me various opportunities to have new experiences such as Friendship BBQ, Bush Dancing and Karaoke night. Through those activities, I met a lot of amazing friends and shared a lot of memories with them on and off the campus. I can’t imagine my student life without IFIS. I would like to show my gratitude again here. Thank you so much for supporting me so far.

I think one of the greatest things of IFIS is “Friendships Without Borders’’. We are from different parts of the world and have various backgrounds, but we can be friends very easily here. We sometimes take it for granted, but, looking at the current world, we realise that there are a lot of issues caused by differences of nationality, ethnicity, religions and so forth. However, in IFIS there is the culture which accepts diversity. Members of IFIS accept all people who come here regardless of their backgrounds. I think this culture makes it easier for us to develop “Friendships Without Borders”.

I have just finished my course, so I have to go back to Japan soon. One of my wise friends here said that life is like a train ride. The journey will be full of hellos and goodbyes. I have heard a lot of hellos, but I have to say goodbye soon to you all. However, I believe my experiences here will be helpful wherever I go and whatever I do in the future and friendships I made here will continue for good. In closing, I hope more students will develop “Friendships Without Borders” and have wonderful experiences here. Thank you so much.

Ayako’s Address:

First of all, I would like to say thank you for giving me this opportunity to talk today and also thank you to everyone here for your time to celebrate our achievements.

Congratulations for everyone who received the certificate today. Your participation is now proved and I’m very happy that many people have joined the conversation group this semester.

I started to come to this conversation class mid last year when I came to Australia. When I first came to Australia, of course, I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t have any friends, I had no idea how my life here was going to be. I still remember when I took my first class in this Uni. I kind of expected how hard it might be, but it was worse than I thought. I had no idea what lecturers were saying, and there were not many international students in my class so I really felt overwhelmed. I’m a little bit introverted, so it was difficult for me to get along with my class mates and housemates, and everything is English so it was even more difficult.

I was coming to the conversation class at that time but not regularly, of course, because I was busy with study but also I hesitated to join. I was not good at meeting new people so I felt nervous every time I came here. To be honest, I didn’t feel comfortable to join this conversation class during my first semester. But I never stopped coming here. Although it was little by little, I made friends and tried to involve with this IFIS group. I never could enjoy conversation in English before, but now I can laugh from the bottom of my heart with my friends from all over the world. I got many precious friends from here and I really enjoy hanging out with them not only in this group but also outside this group. We always care about our study and life and we support each other. I can’t imagine my Uni life without this conversation group. It is not just English practice, sharing culture and socialising. But also this conversation group gives me something like a place where I’m belonging. Kel told me before, this is like “an extended family”. We have different backgrounds, we are from different countries, we speak different languages, we have different cultures and lifestyles but it doesn’t matter at all in this group. I have said good bye to many people I met here and some of them don’t live in Australia anymore, but we are still connected and we are still family.


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I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to our wonderful volunteers here who always care about us, support us and make our lives more enjoyable. I’m sure that I never gave up coming here because you always welcomed me with your warm hearts. And also I thank the people who organise a lot of events for international students such as Friendship BBQs and Bush Dance. IFIS Group means a lot to me. So now as a part of this family I want to express my gratitude, so I am trying to join IFIS as a volunteer.

I have been in Australia around one and half year but still I have a hard time sometimes. But at least I’ve got this family to share my difficulty and ask for help. So don’t hesitate to join us. It might take time to feel like part of this family for some people like me but there are many amazing volunteers and friends here who are excited to have you.

Lastly, thank you for accepting me as IFIS family and I’m excited to have more family members!

Friendship BBQs:

Friendship BBQs continue to thrive. During the year we had 740 people register their attendance and on most occasions we believe the attendances exceeded the registrations. This represented an increase of 130 people over the previous year or when expressed in percentage terms 18%. The July BBQ saw all previous attendance records broken with 220 people registered to attend, and yes, we are sure they were all there. It was huge!

A significant part of the success of these functions results from the efforts of our volunteers who organise

the catering, cooking

and serving of the food and when the time comes, packing up. A special vote of thanks must go to these people as it is all done with

enthusiasm and smiles and when everyone else is provided for, they have their lunch. Perhaps it is even more impressive when it is noted that the catering costs for these events which includes sausages, VegiBurgers, a range of salads, fruit, juice and bread rolls along with plates and cutlery etc averages $6.00 per person.


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The practice of asking for a Gold Coin donation from attendees at the Friendship BBQs has continued. This practice resulted in $840.00 being receipted this year. The June Friendship BBQ was held in the St George Hub on Campus this year and included a Karaoke session. The event was considered successful with 120 people registered and many outstanding artists performing.


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The Friendship BBQs are an important part of the IFIS fabric and actively contributes to our motto of “Friendship Without Borders”. They provide an opportunity for families to be involved along with significant socialisation and opportunities to make new friendships. As well as friendly chatter there are often a variety of ball games on offer, some of which seem to develop as the game progresses and rules are decided on.

Welcome Evenings:

Welcome to Wollongong Evenings which were an IFIS initiative and later transferred to ISP because of their continuing growth and success have continued to progress. IFIS contributes to the organising of the events by nominating representatives to the organising committees and selecting the international student speaker as well as having our name included in the events title.


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The parade of costumes continues to grow and is seen as a highlight of the evening.

These events really do rely heavily on the ISP/IFIS volunteers whose support is amazing and ensures the success of the evening.

Hua Huang [Phil] and Ngoc Mai Nguyen [Mai] who are both IFIS committee members were the International Student Speakers at the 2017 Welcome Evenings. We are delighted to be able to include their speeches here

Hua Huang’s Speech – Autumn Semester 2017

First of all I would like to express my gratitude for being offered the opportunity of saying a few words and sharing my personal experience with you tonight. My name is Hua Huang. I am from China and I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering.


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University of Wollongong is a multicultural university. In this university, we have students from 140 countries from all around the world. We also have 120 clubs and societies. No matter whether you are interested in certain recreational activity, or would like to know more about politics, or have the passion on helping the less fortunate, or even just enthusiastic about good food, I am sure you can find people who share the same passion and interest on campus and if you can not, in University of Wollongong it is not hard to start a new club.

As a new international student, it is easy to have the feeling of loneliness, frustration, even be a bit lost. I would like to tell you that these feelings are completely normal and common, and all you need to do is mix in and explore, because the University of Wollongong has a variety of activities, events and services to help you going through that phase. Therefore I encourage you to get involved and keep exploring, and I am sure University of Wollongong will keep amazing you in ways you wouldn’t expect.

Of course being university students, study is our top priority, but it’s not the only one. There are many other things for you to learn and share which can make your Uni life more colourful and exciting. For example, English conversation group which is operated by Illawarra Friends of International Students is a great place for you to improve English, make friends, experience cultural diversity and learn something new from other cultures as well as share great things about your own culture.

I think I could say that I have benefited tremendously from the multicultural university. If it’s not for the University of Wollongong, I wouldn’t know that in Japan, most people didn’t celebrate Lunar New Year which for many years I thought they did. I wouldn’t know that Vietnam is a country full of wonderful food and it requires a particular set of skills to cross the street successfully, I also didn’t know that Paris is actually a city of many sides and being romantic is just one of them.

From my own experience and what I have seen in other students who have come and gone I believe in the University of Wollongong friendship can be cultivated, new perspectives can be formed, horizons can be broadened, stereotypes can be broken and prejudice can be eliminated.

In the end, on behalf of other international students and the Illawarra Friends of International Students I would like to say. Welcome to Wollongong – it is a good place with many opportunities – Please enjoy them.

Ngoc Mai Nguyen’s Speech – Spring Semester 2017.

Hi everyone. My name is Mai and I’m from Vietnam, definitely not a native English speaking country but I will try my best today so that you can understand me.

I was sitting down there three years ago and like all of you guys knowing nothing and not confident enough to casually chat with people because of my non English background. At that time, I felt lost and extremely stressed because of my scholarship. However, I was too afraid to talk about it with my family,

I have been holding in all those worries until one day I discovered Illawarra Friends of International Students. Initially I came to IFIS with the hope to only find someone to share my stories. But unexpectedly, I found another

family. I still cannot forget what Peter – the President of IFIS told me on that very first day, “We are glad to have you as part of the family” – and up until now, I’ve never felt more blessed to be part of it.


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Everything just started from there since I knew where I belong to in Wollongong. I got my first job at University as PASS Leader and learnt how to facilitate students in group sessions. I volunteered in International Student Program to help other students and make more friends. I become a UOWx Ambassador and meet some of the most extraordinary people who studied and graduated from our university. I became a Global Communicator Program facilitator and learned about other cultures and how to communicate effectively. I believe in our university, as long as you have determination to learn or do something the Uni have what it takes to get you there.

This is my third year in Wollongong and almost at the end of my journey but for you guys this is just the beginning. I feel so lucky to be here and have learnt so much out of it. To conclude, everything I want to tell you my little story, in my first job interview here in Wollongong my boss asked me at the end of the interview why I thought I would be the best PASS Leader, and my answer at that time was “Because I want to help other people”. I believe that would be the answer for everyone here in the Illawarra Friends of International Students Committee. We are here to support you through the transition. Please don’t be afraid. Talk with us if you have any problems because we want you to become the best you can and believe me or not, we want to make this your best time in Australia.

Thank You and Welcome to Wollongong.

Community Engagement:

Community Engagement has continued during the year with the affiliations established at Corrimal Rotary and the Dutch Club. The opportunity to interact with these clubs is priceless. They both offer very different opportunities for our people. At the Dutch Club they can socialise and learn dancing while Corrimal Rotary provides opportunities to volunteer at some of their functions and on occasions network by attending Dinner Meetings where there are inspirational Guest Speakers. A special Dinner was attended at Wollongong TAFEs School of Hospitality. The dinner was to assist in increasing awareness of mental health so wearing of hats was part of the dress theme for the event. As the Principal of the Hospitality Unit is a neighbour of Cliffs he was able to arrange for our people to visit the kitchen while the meal was being prepared. This was a highly valued experience with many of the people who assisted at the International Food Stall attending. All that and opportunities for some to experience Farm Aid and simply interact with other caring locals.


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The friendship which exists between Corrimal Rotary and IFIS was clearly demonstrated when we were invited to be joint partners in a Fund Raising opportunity. It again provided an opportunity for our people to share a new experience and interact in a very positive way with the Rotarians.


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Our association with Corrimal Rotary has now resulted in four Rotarians becoming Conversation Group Leaders and three becoming committee members which has made a significant contribution to the groups progress.

Members of Rotary have attended our Annual Dinner, Certificate Presentations and the presentation of Wraps with Love which is valued as it allows us to clearly demonstrate more of the contribution international students make to the local community.

Farm Aid perhaps deserves some explanation. Each year Corrimal Rotarians travel to a rural area and work on farms undertaking a variety of tasks to assist those doing it a bit tough. We are now able to contribute with some internationals joining the group. The range of tasks undertaken is diverse and may include fencing, working with stock, general labouring etc. Feedback from the Rotarians has been positive. They are at times a bit surprised with the enthusiasm the students demonstrate as they undertake the allocated work which is often quite strenuous and quite different to a life of study. We also see it as a great opportunity for rural and regional people to meet some internationals which may not otherwise be a possibility so our motto


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“Friendships Without Borders” is again practised.

The Dutch Club welcomes our people to their Social nights where opportunities to practice Old Time Dancing in a welcoming environment prevails. Opportunities to exchange culture are also practised. An outstanding opportunity occurred this year with our members attending the Dutch Club Christmas Party where Saint Nicholas and Black Peter attended and presented everyone with gifts. It was a wonderful occasion and another opportunity to share culture.

During the year we were able to present Certificates of Appreciation to Corrimal Rotary and the Dutch Club. The certificate for the Dutch Club was presented to their President at the Christmas Party. It was a memorable occasion as the President of the Dutch Club reaffirmed how our people will continue to be welcomed at their events along with positive comments about the friendships which have emerged between IFIS and his group.


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IFIS people happily wearing the IFIS/ISP T Shirts and carrying the IFIS Banner joined Corrimal Rotarians in the Spring into Corrimal Street Parade which is a significant community event in the northern suburbs.

It is the belief of the committee that opportunities for our international friends to interact with the broader community enhances their Wollongong experience so we intend looking for opportunities to expand this program in 2018 if suitable funding and opportunities are identified.

End of Year Function - Bush Dance:

The End of Year Function was held on 23rd November, 2017 and again included a Bush Dance with the Dusty Opals providing the music. An extract of mail received from our Treasurer shortly after the event wound up confirms that it was successful “……Tonight’s event was a great success. Everyone was happy with the food and the Bush Dancing. The place was a bit small for Bush Dancing because many students wanted to be involved…… the Fruit Salad was so popular……”


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During the evening Certificates were presented to a number of our volunteers and Tony Romeo from the Dusty Opals as he has been presenting Bush Dancing Classes in a volunteer capacity throughout the year

The event attracted 150 people which was an increase of 40 over the previous one. The cost per person in attendance which included catering and the cost of the band was $11.75. The per-head cost saw an increase of $2.50 per person and reflects the cost of catering as last year sausages and VegiBurgers were provided with salads. This year it was decided to provide pre-cooked meats and salads with fruit salad rather than fresh fruit. The cost of the band remained static.

The event was held in the St George Hub which was made available by UniCenter whose ongoing support we value.


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Sightseeing Trips: Sightseeing trips were again well patronised with 390 people participating in the 6 trips on offer. The most challenging trip was to Perisher Valley which included 54 participants. We have chosen the word challenging as the outing commences at 11 p.m. on a Friday night and returns at about the same time on the Saturday night. For many of the participants it is their first opportunity to experience snow so it is an important part of our calendar. Other destinations were Jervis Bay for a Dolphin Watch Cruise, two trips to Canberra one of which included Floriade, the Blue Mountains and Southern Highlands.

The trips are made possible by our coordinator and volunteers who act as trip leaders.

Sponsored Trips & Support Activities:

Members of the committee have provided support in a variety of way to internationals by linking them to appropriate suppliers for specialised purchases, helped to identify places of interest when family members are visiting, arranged outings to places of interest for family members who were visiting, a guided visit to Sydney titled History and Culture and some casual visits to Sydney exploring some of its famous highlights.

Members of the committee have hosted a number of our international friends at Christmas Functions in their homes and on some other special occasions. We do feel confident that these activities are significant and having a positive impact on the Wollongong experience.

Other support activities included linking students to community members for research interviews which included one amazing effort where networking with members of Corrimal Rotary Club identified a person who was reliant on a Guide Dog for a major Journalism assignment. It was all achieved in just


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over 24 hours. The student had endeavoured to get support from appropriate organisations without success and was becoming quite stressed. Some of the information about the assistance organised was directed to her as the program gained momentum and the following is an extract of her response ……I’ve just returned home from my work and was so surprised with the emails you’ve sent. Oh I was so inspired…………..Yes I’ve read all the emails and feel so strong now. It’s hard but I’ll overcome…..The actions associated with this activity does, we believe, clearly demonstrate that the community will assist our internationals if they are aware of a need and given an opportunity.

Knowledge about international student’s interests’ and skills developed by conversation group leaders has been utilised in making recommendations to the ISP Coordinator when she was looking for suitable people to undertake special programs such as Transition to Australia and the Bombaderry High School project where international people visit the school and interact with students there. Feedback regarding those nominated by IFIS has been very positive and perhaps best demonstrated with the following email from the ISP Coordinator……Thank you again for recommending Michelle and Phil to speak at the “Transitions to Australia Session” last week. Both did an exceptionally good job talking about their own experiences and encouraging students to get involved with the programs on offer. 60 Students were in attendance.

Community members of the committee have also been able to assist some of our students with transport to the Airport, along with a variety of other family support activities including Driver Training.

The IFIS Committee has continued the practice of assisting at Information Stalls where they assist in the promotion of IFIS and ISP events and activities.

A variety of other assistance activities are practised including assistance to a Visiting Fellow’s son with his homework by Bob who is a retired Teacher and University Lecturer.


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An unexpected opportunity arose when some members of the executive were invited to attend the induction of Thi Dao Hop a Past Vice President [International] as an International Ambassador in the International Student Leadership and Ambassador program managed by the Sydney City Council at the Sydney Town Hall by Professor Karen Phelps, Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney. Nhi Nguyen who is a recently retired IFIS Committee member was also in attendance and later undertook leadership training with the group. Those attending were impressed that Hop was one of the nominated student speakers at this ceremony.

Bush Walking:

Joce Booth has retained her interest in IFIS and took a group bushwalking on the Escarpment Circuit. Family commitments reduced the time Joce had available during 2017 but we think she may be in a position to be involved more in 2018. Joce is a valued friend of IFIS having been a committee person, conversation group leader and enthusiastic leader of Bush Walks as well as an active participant in other events.

UOW Goes Global:

The practice of IFIS supporting UOW Goes Global continued with Presentations at the Conversation Groups under the heading of Cultural Perspectives, an international Food Stall and a Bush Dance.

Among the presentations to the Conversation Group were presentations about Russia by Lillia, Denis and Liutciia from Russia where the focus was on Art and Culture, St Petersburg and the geography of Russia. Joxin [Jessie] Wang from China made a presentation about Future Retailing while wearing a Minority Groups Traditional Costume and Cha Cha from Cambodia made a presentation about her homeland. Mid Autumn Festival was also celebrated during this period with wonderful presentations and appropriate food. All of the presentations were amazing and really did focus on the Global Culture of UOW.


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The International Food Stall was another amazing event with food from Japan, China, Vietnam, Iran along with some retro Australian treats on offer. The number of samples served is difficult to accurately

determine because of the popularity of the stall which is reflected in the pictures and the length of the queues waiting to be served. We do believe over 300 samples were served when reference to the disposables is considered, the length of the queues and that the food lasted for a little over two hours.

Considerable interest in the offerings was shown by the Campus Community as they happily shared information and interrogated the presenters.


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The success of the stall resulted from the willingness of our internationals to share their food culture by preparing an amazing range of samples which included, Sushi, Hot Pot, Persian Delicacies, an array of Vietnamese dishes along with Cocky’s Joy and Devon and Potato Rolls for retro Australian. The contributors were delighted to receive a visit from the Deputy Vice Chancellor [Academic] Joe Chicharo to the stall as he happily posed for pictures with them.


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The logistics for this program continue to be challenging. It is necessary to identify people who are able to commit to preparing food, establishing budgets, arranging cooking equipment, ensuring disposables are available and suitable for the offerings that are on hand, coordinating transport of the food and contributors to the site, and, having it all ready for commencement time.

It has been reported that the coordinator of the event announced at 10.45 a.m. on the day that this would be the last time he would have anything to do with the stall. About three hours later he was heard to say he couldn’t wait for next year.

Reference to Some Statistics will show that the cost of the event amounted to $495.00 which was $5.00 under the allocated budget. Twelve people were actively involved with the preparation of the food.

The Bush Dance with the Dusty Opals and Tony Romeo as Caller was another amazing event which was supported by the Vietnamese Students Society who assisted with catering which further enhanced the Global theme of the program. The pictures will confirm the popularity of the event.

Kids Christmas Party:

The seventh Kids Christmas Party was another amazing success. Perhaps the best way to open this section is by reproducing part of emails received from Simin, a recent international Graduand who has been an IFIS supporter since she and her husband Soroush arrived at UOW. …I had an amazing


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Christmas Party with you on Sunday. A lot of beautiful memories have been recorded in my mind because of you kind people in IFIS.

Today I’ve seen the pictures on Facebook and they reminded me how fortunate I am to be part of this family. I remember that I took a lovely picture with you and Soroush which I couldn’t find in the photos. As I’m making an album of my life in IFIS, I’ll appreciate if you send me the precious picture…

Following receipt of the picture Simin wrote….That was awesome to meet the Santa finally. You know what? That was the first time meeting the Santa and take a photo with him. Now I can

proudly say that I felt a real Australian Christmas.

And I totally agree the singing along part was a beat. The energy of the kids made me feel motherhood. Now I’m seriously thinking of having a baby ASAP, but definitely after buying the BMW. Then, I can tell my kid “before you come, at least one of my dreams came true”…….

At one point during the party, I was becoming stressed as the food delivery had been delayed when Mark, a fellow committee person and elected Santa quietly said, “….. Don’t know why you’re worrying! The kids aren’t, go and look at them, they’re having a great time”. And yes, they were!


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This year when arranging Santa’s attendance, his Executive Assistant made reference to his increasing workload and asked if Mrs Claus could accompany and assist him. The committee happily agreed to the request and it is now our intention to invite Santa and Mrs Claus to future Kids Christmas Parties.

The face painters were again active and a number of bigger kids also took advantage of this opportunity. Our Vice President [International] brought his parents who were visiting for his graduation to the party where his dad happily queued for some time to have his face painted as Rudolph.

Each year this event seems to get better and this year was no exception. Unexpectedly a small group of Vietnamese students led the kids in the singing of Christmas songs. It was an amazing part of the celebrations. You will recall Simin’s description of this component as ”a Beat”, which has left the writer, whose knowledge of modern descriptive words is limited, with no option other than to adopt this


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description of the singing for our official record. So, singing of Christmas Songs at the 2017 Kids Christmas Party was, “a Beat!”

We must thank Trang, Linh, Chi and Mai for this amazing step forward. Seven years ago after some discouragement for such an event because it may not be seen as ‘Politically Correct’ considerable effort went into selecting music which did not make reference to the origins of Christmas. This practice had continued but we now believe that all those attending the Kids Christmas Party accept it as another opportunity to share culture. The impromptu actions of these young people was a Beat and has left a lot of people with very happy memories and one which again supports our motto of Friendships without Borders.

In the lead up to Christmas at conversation one of the internationals was overheard to say “I have never experienced a Christmas”. As a result of this revelation, which was later shared with the committee, it was decided that we should open the event to other international students rather than just families and those volunteering on the day. The result was positive with everyone joining the activities in some way. Perhaps we could also say it was “a Beat!”

The arrival of Santa and Mrs Claus was an exciting moment as the kids eagerly welcomed them and rushed to the tree in the hope they would receive a present. As they had all been good children there was a present for each of them and an opportunity for a quick chat with Santa and Mrs Claus. This was followed with some picture opportunities before it was time to go home.


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Graduations:

Sharing the joy of graduations with the Graduands and in many cases their families continued. It is another example of the extended family culture which has emerged within the group and we are delighted to share some of the pictures with you. In addition to the older IFIS people attending it was wonderful to see local students who are also conversation group leaders joining in.

Some of the Graduands who returned for their Graduations attended conversation groups and some also joined in at the Kids Christmas party.


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Support for Worthy Causes:

Our program of raising some money to share with Worthy Causes continued.

A representative group were able to attend a High Tea organised by Corrimal Rotary as a fund raiser for Days for Girls and present our cheque for $854.00, the proceeds from last year’s fundraising for this cause. While the amount may sound small it will fund the manufacture of 100 sustainable sanitary kits for women in Nepal. The kits have a life expectancy of 3 years so the effort equates to 300 years of support.

This year we were given an unexpected opportunity to join Corrimal Rotary with a Fund Raising venture at Kiama by assisting at their BBQ Stall and undertaking Gate Keeping duties. This resulted in IFIS receiving $800.00 as a share of the proceeds. In addition to this we did operate a sausage sizzle on campus which raised almost $200.00.


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Distribution of the 2017 funds has commenced with $500.00 being directed to a charity in Vietnam which provides meals for poor people in hospitals. Without this support many may not receive adequate nutrition during their period of illness. Trang, who is a Nurse Educator from Vietnam studying for her Master’s degree has presented our donation and the attached picture suggests it was significant when converted to Vietnamese dollars. More importantly the donation will provide about 4,500 meals. The support provided is perhaps best explained in the response sent from the Chairman of the Executive Board which read;

To the Illawarra Friends of International Students,

We would like to write to you that your wonderful gift to poor patients came on 23/12/17. With this 500 AUD, on behalf of you, we have converted it into Vietnamese currency is 8,600,000 VND. It corresponds to about 4,500 plates of rice. This means 4,500 poor patients and their relatives in TB hospital and mental hospital in Buon Ma Thuot city received the beloved plates of rice from you.

We really appreciate this gesture of the Illawarra Friends of International Students.

On behalf of the poor patients, we would like to send this letter with deeply thank to you – members of Illawarra Friends of International Students.

Believe that we will continue to receive your strong support for this charity program.

A very happy new year is coming with you and your beloved ones!

Cordially yours,

Hoa Anh Pham

Chairman of Executive Board

Beloved Plate of Rice on the Wall


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Discussions regarding a recipient for the remaining funds are expected to take place early in 2018.

It should be noted that we are not intending to become a fundraising organisation but one which wants to offer some support to those in need through supporting the library’s Wraps with Love program along with some financial support to Worthy Causes as it gives our people a sense of pride and an opportunity to contribute.

Bush Dancing:

After the success of the 2016 Annual Dinner and Bush Dance Tony Romeo from the Dusty Opals offered to conduct some classes using taped music for us. The offer was eagerly accepted and it has been a great success.

Since commencing the program, which attracts a regular group, Tony has commenced training some of the attendees as callers and is hoping that in 2018 they will be able to manage the group.


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This is a very low cost program with IFIS providing some light refreshments such as juice, fruit and biscuits which are eagerly consumed during breaks and at the conclusion as people socialise

Members of the group performed at the Spring Welcome Evening on stage and presented a demonstration dance at the End of Year Event.

Cooking for Dummies:

Early in the second half of 2017 Quynh [Allie] Nguyen, who is an active IFIS person approached the committee with a proposal to introduce a Cooking for Dummies program. The committee was able to see benefits in the proposal and agreed to support it.

The concept has attracted considerable interest from internationals as many have limited cooking skills.

Launching of the program has been delayed by what seems to be changing access policies by the group responsible for the kitchen where the program would operate.

Our Coordinator is continuing discussions in an endeavour to find a satisfactory solution.

The Chancellor’s Award Money:

In 2011 ICIS as it was then known won the Chancellors Award for Volunteering which included $2,000.00. At the time the committee resolved not to use the money for operational purposes. It has funded the purchase of a Lap Top computer, Gas Barbeques for Friendship BBQs, a synthetic rope for Tug O Wars at Friendship BBQs and some sponsorship for celebrations when ICIS as it was then known won the N.S.W. inaugural Award for an organisation supporting International Students. Happily there is an amount of $350.00 remaining from this Award.

IFIS Facebook:

Illawarra Friends of International Students Facebook continues to be an important part of the IFIS communication system. It features updates about events, pictorial coverage of events and a valuable way of keeping in touch with those who have relocated for various reasons. At the time of writing there were well over 1,700 people following the page which equates to an increase of over 300 0n the previous year.

You are encouraged to view the Friends of IFIS Facebook Page as it contains a very comprehensive Pictorial Record of our activities which is frequently updated.

Committee Notes:

Training for committee members was provided early in the year. The training focused on the need for committee people to contribute to decision making, ask questions, take responsibility for reviewing financial statements and other activities associated with committee meetings and the terminology used at meetings. The term moving motions drew some questions and frivolous comments from members associated with the nursing profession which again emphasised the complexity of the English language.

During the year the commencing time of meetings was changed to 6 P.M. based on preferences identified by Phil in a survey of members. This led to introduction of light refreshments as part of the meeting program. The refreshments are usually provided by a committee member to minimise costs.

International committee members are able to claim time spent at committee meetings for their UOWx credits.


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Action to retire inactive committee members and committee assistants resulted in seven casual appointments being filled during the year. This action resulted from people’s academic and professional workloads changing and in some cases graduations.

One social evening for committee members and conversation group leaders was held during the year.

Some Statistical Information:

Readers may find some of the following statistical information of interest.

This year we have tried to demonstrate the value of some of the time our committee and members of the ISP/IFIS volunteer pool contributed to our success. It is perhaps unusual for a volunteer group to include such estimates but it seems important to do so as there are occasions when discussions about funding and its source along with constraints, although important, are confronting when we consider the value of our time, not to mention the value of personal assets used to achieve the outcomes. Having said that we do value the support from UOW and believe they will be pleased with the return on investment. It must also be noted that these are only sample statistics and the total time utilised is much more than that reported on. Future reports may contain a more accurate estimate of volunteer time and value.

Conversation Groups:

3,800 international people attended the conversation groups. They were in turn supported with 560 Group Leader attendances.

The total cost of operating the conversation groups was $4,200.00 or 96 cents per person attending. Included in the costs are refreshments, catering and gifts for Conversation Group Awards, cakes for special occasions and special celebrations for international events such as Lunar New Year, Mid Autumn Festival, Persian New Year etc.

The value of the group leaders time plus the administrative and organising time utilised with preparations for certificate presentations, attendance record keeping, purchasing and other sundry support activities is conservatively estimated at 750 hours and when costed at $20.00 per hour the time is valued at $15,000.00.

Friendship BBQs:

5 Friendship BBQs one of which included Karaoke in the St George Hub were staged. The average attendance at these functions was 145. The cost of staging these events which includes all food and disposables was $4,470.00 which

equates to $6.00 per person whose attendance was registered. Volunteer hours to stage these events were not recorded. However, a conservative estimate

based on the purchasing and organising time, setting up and packing up along with cooking and serving plus associated administrative duties, photography and editing is 175 hours or 35 hours per event. The value of volunteer time for Friendship BBQs based on the above estimate and $20.00 per hour is $3,500.00 or $700.00 per event.

Annual Dinner/Bush Dance:

The total cost of the Annual Dinner/Bush Dance was $2250.00. 150 people were in attendance. Volunteer hours provided for organising the band, arranging food supply and disposables,

serving of meals, decorating venue, setting up and packing up along with reception duties is estimated at 35 which equates to $700.00 in value using the $20.00 per hour formula.


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Kids Christmas Party:

The estimated number of people at the Kids Christmas Party was 130. The number of volunteers is unknown as everyone pitched in. Cost of the event was $1,400.00 which includes an outstanding payment to UOW. The per person

cost equates to $10.75. Volunteer hours and their value have not been brought to account as this event is considered

special and one which enhances intercultural friendships and understanding and should not include financial considerations.

Bush Dances:

During the Year 9 Bush dance classes/workshops were held. 270 People attended these events. The cost of refreshments provided by IFIS was $182.00 or 67 cents per person attending. Preparation set up and pack up time for the caller is estimated at 30 hours and the conservative

value of this time is $600.00. Time for arranging supply of refreshments etc. has not been brought to account.

UOW Goes Global – International Food Stall:

12 people were actively involved in presenting this event. It is estimated that 300 samples were served Reimbursement of food purchase costs and disposables amounted to $495.00 which was $5.00

under the allocated budget. The per sample served cost was $1.65. A conservative estimate of the time spent by volunteers shopping, preparing food, setting up the

stall, transport of food to the location, serving and discussing the product with the campus community plus sundry organising activities is 75 hours which is valued at $1,500.00 based on $20.00 per hour for volunteer time.

UOW Goes Global – Bush Dance: The total attendance at this event including volunteers and Band Members was estimated at 110. The cost of the band which was $800.00 was met by IFIS with UOW funding the food which amounted to $780.00 or $7.10 per person. 15 Vietnamese students assisted with the preparation and serving of food. A conservative estimate of time to prepare and serve food, set up and pack up, various organising activities and meetings is 75 hours which equates to $1,500.00. Sight Seeing Trips:

6 Sightseeing trips were undertaken. 12 Volunteer Trip Leaders were involved. Net Profit from Trips amounted to $9,130.00 or $23.40 per participant. All profits are redirected to IFIS operational activities. A value for the Trip Leaders time is estimated at 125 hours and includes time spent on pre and

post trip briefings. Again the time and value is probably conservative. The estimated value of the trip leaders time is $2,500.00.

The statistical information provided above is not in any way conclusive of the work undertaken by IFIS. It is a sample only and an attempt to clearly demonstrate the value and the support offered to international students and their families while they are associated with the University of Wollongong Australia. Perhaps in the future we will have more detailed records of the time committed by the volunteers. However, at this time this is the best we cab do and it clearly demonstrates that we are returning a reasonable amount on investment when it is noted that the conservative value of volunteer


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time recorded above is $26,500.00 and there are a lot of activities such as administrative efforts, attendance at meetings, assisting at information stalls etc. which are not yet included and costed.

Feedback: Although there is feedback incorporated in specific sections of the Annual Report it is our belief that sharing some extracts of emails recently received by members of the committee from Mr. Dai [Joel] who spent two and a half years at UOW as a Visiting Fellow should be shared. Joel was an active IFIS person who also made presentations to the conversation group while he was here. His son continues to be a student of UOW in the Engineering and Information Services Faculty.

….Your email really makes me feel that I am still a member of IFIS and all my personal experiences with IFIS feel like yesterday. Yes, I think that IFIS not only provides international students or visiting scholars like me a platform to improve conversation English but also a location to get to know people and make friends from all over the world. Yes I well know the two PhD students from China you mentioned, Sheldon and Zeng because they are regular ones at IFIS, and Zeng and I even discussed some academic problems when I was at Wollongong Uni. I think the IFIS group cannot last so long and become more and more prosperous without volunteers like you, Kel, Bob, Peter, Pat [the handsome guy always wearing a naughty cowboy hat].

From my point of view, for people whose mother tongue is not English, the most difficult part is learning English is spoken English………………..The main reason is that we almost have no chance to speak English in our own country. The only way to improve conversation English, however, is to speak. Sometimes our Chinese people take it for granted that they can definitely speak nice English if he or she stays in a English speaking country for a time. But when they are really placed in the country, they will realize they even cannot find a local person who is willing or has the patience to talk too much with an English learning beginner. However, the IFIS at UOW provide a pretty good platform for people from non English speaking countries and desiring to improve their spoken English. It is said that not every university in Australia, America or Canada provides such a good platform. That is why I extremely treasured each opportunity provided by your warm hearted volunteers and became a regular one to IFIS [including conversation time and all interesting activities] during my two and a half years at UOW. I think I really benefit a lot from IFIS, particularly in improving my oral English in addition to making good friends like you. Now I am proud to tell you that I have undertaken two courses that are entirely taught in English for the undergraduates of China Canada Classes [3+1 program] and up to now I am the only one to give lectures in entire English as a Chinese teacher in the School of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University. I have to say I must not have had that confidence in doing this without the experience in Australia, particularly the enormous progress made in IFIS under the help of volunteers like you and friends from all over the world. I am deeply grateful for that forever…………..

And in another mail to a IFIS Conversation Group person and committee member after he received the 2016 Annual Report Joel wrote ……I read this report carefully and felt that I am still a member of IFIS even though most of the international students are new faces to me except for a few of them. Certainly, I remember every local volunteer that appeared in your yearly report and some chatting topics we had. You are the first volunteer that I got to know in IFIS, and never forget the day you drove another student and me to the Aboriginal Community to learn the history of Aboriginal people and listen to their interesting stories, which is an indiscernible part of learning Australian history in great depth…………….

Our Sister Group:

In previous reports we have made mention of our sister group which was established in the Ho Chi Min University of Medicine and Pharmacy which was established by Phuong a former committee member, Life member of IFIS and PhD graduate. Happily this group continues to thrive. The president of IFIS and


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representatives of the UOW Alumni and other senior UOW staff have visited the group which was highly valued by Phuong and the group’s members.

We recently provided contact details for this group to an exchange student returning to Japan in the belief Phuong may be able to offer some assistance as she is going to try and establish an English Conversation Group at her university.

Award of Life Membership:

At the 2017 Annual General Meeting Life Membership was awarded to Pat Farrar for his long and valued support to IFIS.

Pat commenced his career in education as a teacher after graduating from Teachers College. After a period of teaching he accepted a position at the Wollongong Teachers College in 1971 where he was responsible for teaching student teachers. The Teachers College later became part of the University of Wollongong where Pat continued as a Lecturer in the Faculty of Education. His interest in supporting students continued and he became actively involved with IFIS where he has held the position of President, Vice President and committee member for 17 years. In 2015 Pat was awarded the title of Fellow of the University of Wollongong for his contribution to ICIS as it was then known. He retired from the IFIS committee in 2017 but continues to be an active Conversation Group leader. He also continues to assists some international students with their studies.

Summary of Activities and Achievements for 2017:

The following is a summary of IFISs activities and achievements for 2017. While the list may be seen as lengthy it may also be inconclusive as some activities may not have been reported on.

1. Friendship BBQs – we conducted 5 Friendship BBQs which had an average attendance of 145 people. One of the BBQs included a Karaoke session. Family members also attended.

2. Assistance to UOW Goes Global included an International Food Stall where over 300 samples were served over a period of two hours with positive interactions. A Bush Dance where the Dynamic Vietnamese Students assisted with catering along with Cultural Perceptions presentations at the Conversation Groups.

3. Conversation Groups operated for 47 weeks on Tuesdays and Fridays. There were 3,800 international student attendances. Two Certificate Presentation Ceremonies for Outstanding Attendance at Conversation were held with suitable catering and Senior UOW Staff acting as Presenters.

4. The IFIS committee again supported Welcome to Wollongong by identifying a suitable international student speaker, organising committee members and provision of flowers for the performers.

5. IFIS was able to support ISP to identify suitable people for the visiting program to Bombaderry High School and presenters for the Cultural Transition program.

6. Community Engagement continued through our association with Corrimal Rotary which provides a range of opportunities for internationals to attend Dinner Meetings, become involved in volunteering projects, Farm Aid and Fund Raising activities. Peter Beattie’s association with the Dutch Club has ensured our students continue to attend their Social Nights which include some special occasions which include Christmas and New Year celebrations. The relationship with Corrimal Rotary resulted in significant assistance to an international student identifying a person who relied on a Guide Dog for a major assignment.

7. We presented a cheque to Corrimal Rotary for their Days For Girls program designed to assist females in Nepal.

8. The Wraps With Love project where we support the UOW Library program continued with another 5 Wraps being presented.


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9. There was an increase of local students becoming involved with the conversation group and other social activities.

10. The Kids Christmas Party was a wonderful event with families from many cultures and faiths attending. Arrangements were made for Mrs Claus to accompany Santa which enhanced the event.

11. A sausage sizzle was held to raise funds for our Worthy Causes program. In addition to this Corrimal Rotary provided us with an opportunity to assist at one of their Fund Raising events which will result in $800.00 being directed to our program.

12. IFIS made a $500.00 donation from its Worthy Causes funds to Rice on the Walls which is a organisation operating in Vietnam which provides meals for poor people in Hospital. Our donation will fund about 4,500 meals. The organisation and their work was recommended by a committee member from Vietnam studying a Master of Nursing Degree.

13. The 2017 Trip Program was successful 14. Lunar New Year, Persian New Year and Mid Autumn Festival were celebrated with appropriate

presentations and food at the Conversation Groups. 15. Local committee members organised some small group outings. 16. A Cooking for Dummies program is advanced stages of development. 17. Photos and summaries of events were supplied for Friends of IFIS Facebook which now has

over 1,700 likes. 18. Established and supported a Bush Dance Group where Tony Romeo from the Dusty Opals is

leading and teaching some attendees to become Callers. 19. Provided assistance at the ISP Information Stalls. 20. Supported international students and on occasions their families at Graduations. 21. Suitably qualified members of the committee and Conversation Group Leaders have assisted

international students and their family members in a variety of ways including tutoring proof reading and some academic support.


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Appreciation: The successes achieved in 2017 were made possible through the efforts of a lot of people assisting in a variety of ways. The following is an attempt to recognise groups and individuals who made it all possible. There are many hours of valued assistance involved in our activities and to make an estimate of those hours is impossible. In addition to direct assistance we have established positive relationships with our supplier’s which is highly valued. The Volunteers: The efforts of committee members, conversation group leaders, members of the IFIS/ISP Volunteer Pool along with Trip Leaders and those who unexpectedly assist at the Friendship BBQs have contributed many hours to support international students, researchers, visiting fellows and their families. It is difficult for the committee to express its gratitude to these people who have supported others which has resulted in IFIS operating continuously for 38 years. Perhaps we can simply say the efforts of you have made over all those years has made a positive impact on the lives of many. Packaging Direct: We could not be considered as a major client at Packaging Direct but the welcome which is extended whenever we call by to purchase supplies for Friendship BBQs, Conversation Groups etc. is special. It includes enquiries about the functions we are offering along with genuine interest in our activities. When we have one of the internationals with us on these calls there is much pleasant chatter while the student is interrogated about their background and studies. They collectively make a positive impact on the Wollongong Experience for our people. And yes! The price is right. Abduls Halal Butchery: The relationship with Abdul since Nurul introduced us to him is always positive. He and his staff happily accept our orders over the phone without questions regarding payments or other matters. The only question which is asked is what time we would like to collect the order. Our orders are always ready on time and assistance in carrying it to the car is offered. Tony’s Chicken: Tony and his staff are held in high regard. The standard of service and assistance when requested is positive. Deliveries are reliable and the product is outstanding and favourably commented on by those attending the events. There have been occasions when Tony has included some unexpected additions to the order which are always welcomed by those in attendance. Corrimal Rotary: Our relationship with Corrimal Rotary continues to thrive. It provides many opportunities for our students to experience Australian culture along with opportunities to assist in a range of service/volunteering activities which are enjoyed by the internationals. It also provides opportunities to hear interesting guest speakers which are often inspiring. This relationship does have a positive impact on the Wollongong Experience. Perhaps an example of the friendships this arrangement has led to is a package of Christmas Cards being received from Phuong a PhD Graduate who has returned to her homeland being sent to the writer with instructions that they should be delivered to the nominated Rotarians on her behalf. The Dutch Club: A sound friendship has been established with the Dutch Club. This arrangement was introduced by Peter Beattie our retiring President. The welcome and interaction with people at the Social and Special Occasion nights is amazing. When a certificate of appreciation was presented to the club the President was emphatic that there would always be a welcome waiting for our international friends. It provides another opportunity to share culture and also makes a significant impact on the Wollongong Experience. Those attending these functions are observed to be quite at home and not really anxious to leave at the events conclusion. The Dusty Opals: The Dusty Opals came to us at the end 2016 so we could have a Bush Dance as part of our End of Year Function. The outcome was not expected. The internationals were wrapped in the opportunity to learn this type of dancing. One said, “I didn’t know Australia had such culture” as she regained her breath and composure. We were able to conduct two major dances in 2017 and Tony


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Romeo has been conducting workshops once a month for interested people. The Vice President [International] has described the Bush Dancing as “Magical”. Your commitment and patience is valued. The ISP Team: Support to the group by Fran Walder, Andrea Kornhoff and Oliver Barton was valued and made a significant contribution to the successful year being reported on. There were several meetings between Fran and members of the executive where discussions result in positive outcomes. Andrea’s commitment to the group was always friendly and professional as was Oliver’s. Smart Infrastructure Staff: The administrative staff of Smart Infrastructure are a pleasure to associate with. They are at all times obliging. The interest they show in the group in a variety of ways is valued and makes a significant contribution to the Conversation Group’s success. Tammy Nguyen: For finalising the layout and posting pictures to the report. This is a time consuming and challenging task and Tammy’s commitment is highly valued and has ensured we present a quality document which not only reports on our activities but acts as a historic record. Deputy Vice Chancellor [Academic} Joe Chicharo: Although extremely busy Joe has continued to show interest in the group and makes personal contact whenever possible which is highly valued and inspirational. The People we Interact With: Without you and your willingness to interact with us the organisation would not exist. Your willingness to share culture and participate at the events we present is, we believe unique. Unofficial feedback suggests that other Universities do not have anything like IFIS. Perhaps it is fair to say that the vision of our founders and your willingness to share and make lasting cross cultural friendships is having a positive impact on making the world a better place. You are all an essential and valued part of our fabric and we treasure you all.

Thank you one and all! Without you and your contribution nothing would have happened.


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Well, 2018 has started on a positive note.

There has been a positive meeting with the Senior Manager Student Life Programs and our coordinator although we were a bit shaken when Andrea announced she was undertaking a different role for the next 12 months. We were relieved when this announcement was followed with advice that Oliver Batten, who is known to us, would act as Coordinator during Andrea’s absence.

The first conversation group on 16th January, 2018 saw a number of new people in attendance. It was an exciting experience to see established conversation people eagerly greeting newcomers and ensuring that they felt welcomed. There were 35 internationals present and some including newcomers were still chatting at 7.30 p.m. This was followed by similar numbers and activities on the Friday.

Tony Romeo has confirmed that he will continue the Bush Dancing classes during 2018.

The value of the conversation group seems assured as established members continue to introduce friends to the group. It perhaps becomes even more exciting when it is realised that the friends are often of very different cultural backgrounds which is again a confirmation that UOW is indeed a Multicultural University.

The Finance Sub Committee is planning to prepare Draft Budgets for 2018 for presentation to the February committee meeting.

Community Engagement took a significant step forward with 14 international students and 2 of the Conversation Group Leaders volunteered at the Bulli Folk Festival following an invitation from Aviva who is a Conversation Group Leader. Feedback has been positive and Aviva believes there may be other opportunities at similar festivals. It’s not all work and no play as the volunteers get free entry on other days and some refreshments are made available. When making reference to our people Aviva said the organisers “love our international students.”

Internationals have assisted in identifying some Small Group Outings which will be progressed in coming weeks. One will incorporate a visit to the Hindu Temple at Helensburgh with Sudipta who is from India undertaking Post Graduate Studies and follower of the Hindu faith acting as guide.

Alice who is a UOW Graduate from Vietnam made contact towards the end of 2017 advising she would like to share her experiences since graduating with our internationals as she believes they have at times been challenging but successful and others may draw some courage from her experiences. We have agreed to progress the offer and a small group will meet with Alice soon to get the address organised. One senior UOW person has indicated she wants to be there to hear Alice.


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Elsewhere in the report we mentioned Cooking for Dummies. Well, the good news is that access to the kitchen has been organised and BUPA will provide over $2,500 in funding for the program. To say Allie, whose vision this was, is excited, would be an understatement.

You will recall in Atsushi’s speech at the Conversation Groups Certificate presentation the challenges he faced in terminating his employment to come to UOW to study and the positives he experienced here as a result of that decision along with some sadness that he would shortly return to Japan. Well, we have just heard that he has been offered a scholarship to undertake a PhD at the University of Wollongong Australia and he will return to Wollongong by the end of February. To have him back and interacting with IFIS will be a very positive event as his interpersonal and mentoring skills are outstanding.

The involvement of local students with the conversation group is progressing. Perhaps a better word would be snowballing as those who have become involved are introducing friends to the group.

Lunar New Year was celebrated with the President of Corrimal Rotary in attendance which has led to arrangements being made to organise a social event for Rotarians and IFIS people. This was an unexpected opportunity which is being embraced by our internationals.

A Friendship BBQ was organised to coincide with the O-Week festivities. It was successful with all previous attendance records broken. The volunteer team were amazing, interaction among those in attendance was marvellous, the weather was perfect, some families were present and we served over 250 meals. The unconfirmed cost per meal for this event was $4.50 and yes, the Treasurer did say “Not Bad!

A surprise email from Arnaud who is in Hong Kong finalising part of his PhD was received asking for contact details for Phuong in Vietnam who established an English conversation group at her University in Ho Chi Minh City when she returned after completing her research for a PhD. Arnaud had met another international person in Hong Kong who was anxious to make contact with Phuong as she had recently taken up residence in Vietnam and was anxious to be involved in her group.

And a final quote which resulted when Allie, one of our internationals was complimented for her assistance with a comment wishing the world could see how the international community at UOW can interact in such a positive way, and she responded, ...…….I am just doing anything I can to bring joy and happiness to the people I care about and to give back to the community. And trust me, we are definitely making an impact!


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Notes:

ifis annual report 2017 illawarra friends of international ...web/@stsv/@… · annual report 2017...

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