Illawarra Committee for International Students (ICIS ...web/@stsv/@isp/... · Illawarra Committee for International Students (ICIS) Annual Report 2016 Friendships without Borders

Illawarra Committee for International Students (ICIS)

Annual Report 2016

Friendships without Borders

Mission Statement:

The Illawarra Committee for International Students is a non political, non sectarian organization

which values equality. It exists to offer support services to international students and their families

while they are studying at the University of Wollongong.

.

ICIS Annual Report 2016

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Introduction:

The Illawarra Committee for Overseas Students was founded in 1979 to support, as

they were then known, “Overseas Students” attached to the University of

Wollongong. At that time it was funded by a Commonwealth Government

Department. Records relating to the group’s activities at that time are limited but we

do know that members of the group had considerable foresight and a wish to support

people from other countries seeking education.

Included in the support offered to incoming students was meeting them at the Airport

and bringing them to Wollongong along with assistance in finding accommodation.

Recently discovered documents seem to confirm that when the group was notified

that funding from the Commonwealth was to be curtailed discussions with the

University of Wollongong were commenced. After a protracted time agreement

regarding funding was reached and the group’s future was assured.

The name was later changed to Illawarra Committee for International Students

(ICIS) with the organisation later incorporated.

We recently became aware that Ross Milne, who was a School Principal, was one of

the original founders of the group. We now hope that we can gather some

information about the group’s early history. Ross and his wife Ruth, a Corrimal

Rotarian supported the group by holding a Breakfast at Ruth’s on Valentine’s Day in

2015 and Ross led a group on a walk from Spit Bridge to Manly in the same year. It

seems to confirm a quote coined by Jacqueline, a former coordinator which was,

“Once an ICIS always an ICIS”.

Ross recently said he was impressed with the group’s ability to adapt to change

which had assured its survival and relevance over the years it operated.

Our Annual Reports endeavour to provide information on the year’s activities in a

way which includes some useful information for those who may show an interest in

it’s future as well as those reviewing recent events and activities. This year we will

include a small Gallery of pictures taken at some recent events to support this.

When speaking with one of our international friends in the lead up to a recent

Conversation Group Certificate presentation it was suggested that the best people

seem to come to ICIS to which she replied, “Perhaps ICIS makes them the best!”

Perhaps this was part of the vision of the founding members.


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Table of Contents

Committee Members/Coordinator 4

Life member/ Conversation Group Leaders 5

President’s Report 6-7

Vice President (Community) 8-9

Vice President (International) 10-11

Coordinator 12-13

Conversation 14-19

Friendship BBQs 19-21

Welcome Evenings 21

Community Engagement 22-25

Annual Dinner/Bush Dance 26

Sightseeing Trips 26-27

Sponsored Trips/Support Activities 27-28

Bush Walking 28

Stalls operated 28-29

UOW Goes Global 29-30

Friends of ICIS Facebook 30

Kids Christmas Party 30-32

Graduation 32-33

The Chancellor’s Award Money 33

Support for Worthy Causes 33-34

Some Statistics 35

Feedbacks 36-38

Our Sister Group 38-39

Some Personal Achievements 39-43

Treasurer’s Report 44-45

Appreciation 46-47

The Year Ahead 48-49

Gallery 50-52


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Committee Member

International Community

Thi Dao Hop (Vice President) Peter Beattie (President)

Monica Sharma (Treasurer) Jan Kemper (Vice President)

Yun -Ting Lin Iliana Peters

Joel Coelho Rowan Gallagher*

Zeng Xiangtan Bob Colvin

PanteA Ghodsi* Kel Magrath (Secretary)

Andrew Pratama Pat Farrer

Sitinurul Hidayah * Katherine Choi

Ngoc Mai Nguyen

Committee Advisors:

Britany Jones

Myelin Nguyen *

Jin (Echo) Shang

Sara Zolfaghar *

Trang Tran

Vishnu Wang (Sheldon)

Thanh Ha Vie *

Lakminie Jayaweera (Kim)

NH Nguyen

Sin Min Tan

Vincent Kostiono

Nnuntachai Theerakumara (Art)

*Indicates Retired or Graduated.

Coordinator:

Andrea Kornhoff.


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Life Members:

Bob Colvin Keith Ellem

Nguyen Thuy Viet Phuong

Conversation Group Leaders

The following people are from a diverse range of backgrounds with different skills

and interests. They support international students and their families by acting as

conversation Group Leaders. They are all volunteers who have collectively

contributed a conservative estimate of over 1,300 hours to the program. They all

appreciate the opportunity to interact with the people from different cultures which

ensures the programs ongoing success.

Jan Kemper Pat Farrar

Bob Colvin Cliff Barker

Peter Beattie Mark Morris

Martin Veres Rowan Galagher *

Aviva Sheb’a Kel Magrath

Anne Dyer Ben Taylor

Sean Rodden

*Indicates Retired.


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President’s Page – Peter Beattie

My second year as president has again been a

satisfactory and successful one for me personally and

the Group as a whole. The 37th

year of ICIS has seen

student attendances at the English Conversation Group

grow significantly. The strong relationship with Fran

Walder, Senior Manager StudentLife and Wellbeing,

and Andrea Kornhoff, ISP/ICIS Coordinator and we

have learned a lot from each other. Fran has supported

the Group 100% on all occasions when necessary while

Andrea, our ISP/ICIS coordinator continues to provide

excellent service to the group especially regarding

advertising, Welcome Evenings, trip Planning, and

volunteer engagement.

For me two highlights of the year came during the two Certificate Presentation

Ceremonies for outstanding attendance at the English Conversation Group (ECG)

where Sari Yanagawa from Japan and Hua Huang (Phil) from China gave speeches

on behalf of the students.

In Sari’s case when I first met her at the beginning of the autumn semester she was

very shy, lacked social confidence and her spoken English was limited. Her speech

after the autumn semester was a transformation. In Phil’s case when I first met him

his spoken English was quite acceptable but his speech went to another level and his

vocabulary was exemplary. In both cases their presentations were performed with

minimal attention to notes. These two students typified what ECG achieves and what

the group stands for.

Another highlight was the Pilot Bush Dance (Colonial Dancing) that was arranged

late in the year and proved to be an outstanding success given the feedback from

students.

I thank all the members of my committee and the volunteers for the continued

dedication to the range of planned activities that they are involved in such as ECG,

Welcome Evenings, and Barbeques, Bush Walks, Bus Trips and community service

functions.

Wraps with Love continued as the knitted squares of wool were assembled into

blankets. Another imitative during the year was the participation and raising of funds

and awareness for female hygiene in third world countries called Days for Girls.

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

continued to grow so much that it was necessary to hols the last two events in the

University Hall. It was pleasing to 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.


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The Annual Children’s Christmas Party was an outstanding event with a wonderful

atmosphere and the families of many different faiths can be responsible for this.

They all participated in the occasion and the volunteers did a remarkable job with

entertaining the children while Xiangchen Zeng performed the Santa role for the first

time with aplomb.

Our funds are in a healthy position with thanks to the efforts of Monica Sharma. At

times it can be an onerous position, especially as a first timer, but she coped in her

own way and I always had her full cooperation.

The Groups association with Corrimal Rotary continues to flourish with positive

outcomes on both sides. Throughout the year students from ICIS attended various

Rotary Meetings and functions as well as performing volunteering work. In addition

there were many visits by students to the Illawarra Dutch Club where ballroom

dancing is enjoyed and basics learnt. The Dutch Club is a culture within a culture and

the feedback from students and the Club is positive. Numbers of attendees at

functions and as volunteers at events is given later in the Annual Report.

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 Thomas Quinn became an assistant to Andrea and we welcomed him

to ECG where he developed a computer registration system by scanning Student

UOW Cards. Unfortunately he resigned to take up a position in the Taxation

Department. We wish him all the best for the future and he will be missed. At the

moment the registration system is in limbo due to privacy concerns because

volunteers will need to access the spread sheet through the UOW network.

The administration staff at Smart Infrastructure – Building 6 are to be congratulated

for their support to the group as we usually hold ECG in Room 105. On occasions

when the room is not available they manage to find an alternative one.

Finally I would like to congratulate all the student/family members for their

enthusiasm, friendliness and volunteering. You make it a pleasure to be of service to

you.

I look forward to another successful year of learning, volunteering and friendship

particularly since we are planning for a revised constitution and a name change prior

to our next AGM in March, 2017.

Peter Beattie

President


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A Note from the Vice President (Community) – Jan

Kemper

It has been an honour and a delight to serve in this

capacity for the last year. I have been volunteering in

ICIS for about 3 ½ years but my involvement with the

University and international students goes back to

1975 through my employment and study there over

many years and my participation in the University

Friendship Program from 1992.

Meeting and getting to know the students is indeed

worthwhile and their enthusiasm and appreciation is

what makes the volunteers enjoy the time shared with them so much. Not only do

they make new friends, we do too. Age is not a barrier. Feedback indicates that for

many, ICIS Conversation sessions in particular opens the door for many students to

talk freely, make friends and feel welcome here.

Volunteering for other activities also broadens the experience and makes life here

more enjoyable. Without the support of Fran Walder, Senior Manager StudentLife

and Wellbeing, and Andrea Kornhoff, International Student Programs Co-ordinator,

we would find it more difficult to function effectively. Regular meetings with ICIS

Executive and their administrative and financial support shows the Universities

commitment to our activities.

This year I was able to coordinate the Wrap with Love project within our group. We

completed 3 rugs to add to the Library’s annual project to provide warmth to those in

need in other countries due to war and natural disasters etc. Those who participated,

mostly the girls, enjoyed the knitting and chatter together. Some of us met together

separately to complete the rugs on time. It was a great time to get to know each other

better.

This year we decided to support the “Days for Girls” Project. It was the first time we

had taken on a project to raise money. Enthusiasm for the project stemmed from the

ladies of Corrimal Rotary Club who had decided to hold working bees to make

sanitary kits. I chaired the committee of volunteer students that organised an

Information Session where Dr. Elizabeth Magassy and Janelle Dodds addressed a

group of interested people. Kel provided expert secretarial support. We also provided

an information stall in conjunction with our international food stall. A barbecue was

also held on campus to raise money for this worthy project to help girls in third

world countries. We raised $800.00 which will provide over 100 kits. I want to thank

Iliana Peters who was a key player and all of the committee members for their

support.

Peter Beattie’s enthusiasm to support the students and give them more opportunities

to be involved in the community, through Rotary or multicultural activities is

admirable and valued. The Bush Dancing experience at the Annual Farewell Dinner

was a great introduction to this old form of dancing introduced first by English

immigrants.


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Let us enjoy another year of volunteering and spread the news that working with

ICIS is enjoyable, valuable and life changing.

Jan Kemper

Vice- President (Community)


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A Note from the Vice President (International) –

Thi Dong Hop Dao

The Illawarra Committee for International Students has

been an important part of my life for the past 2 years.

At this time one year ago, I was elected as the Vice

President (International) of the committee, which was

recognition of all my love and dedication for the

international community in Wollongong. Since then,

my journey with ICIS has never been more memorable

and meaningful.

I don’t want to copy this bit from the report of the past

Vice President (International) Tran Thi Cam Trang,

but, English Conversation Group is really the very first thing that brings people to

ICIS, and I was not the exception. Conversation is the place where I met most of my

friends here, found someone to talk with and listen to my problems when studying

aboard and learn about different cultures. Then, when I came to the position of Vice

President (International) it has been a great joy to see the group growing each

semester. Not only did I enjoy organising cultural exchange events in the group such

as Mid Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year, where people from different cultures

seem to have no boundary between each other at all, but I also feel proud of myself

when standing in ICIS stalls introducing the programs to new international students.

By being part of ICIS, students are able to find themselves more confident when

speaking English with local people, to get involved in local community activities

with volunteering opportunities. I still remember my first year, I was following Peter

(President of ICIS) to the meeting of Corrimal Rotary Club and their various fund

raising events. That gave me the chance to get to know and join the UOW Rotaract, a

dynamic club for students who are keen on raising funds for worthy causes and

organising events. Besides English Conversation Group, Friendship BBQs is also an

event that gives me a high sense of pride to be part of. All students are welcomed to

bring their friends and families to enjoy free food, games and chats.

The highlights of ICIS’ direction during my term included that we encouraged the

involvement of local students in our activities, an important point in international

education is the interaction between local and international students. As “Friendships

Without Borders” became the vision of ICIS in 2016, I was so happy to see ICIS was

getting more and more local young mates to motivate intercultural communication

and create the diversity in the community. Welcome to Wollongong evening, Wrap

with Love and Days For Girls projects are the results of effort and collaboration

between local and international volunteers. This year with the great update from the

conversation group leaders that we have just got two dedicated enthusiastic First

Year students as conversation leaders. I believe 2017 will be a year full of

refreshment and success for ICIS in terms of normalising cross cultural

communication.

Another essential part that should not be missed is the dedication of the other

committee members, coordinators and volunteers in making ICIS a real home for

international students in the Illawarra. It was the patience and endless enthusiasm of

the Group Leaders in explaining Australian slang to new students and helping them


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settle down in Australia. It was the effort of the coordinators to renovate the

recording system for Conversation’s attendees and organise events for ICIS during

the year. Finally it was the smiles and friendly faces of our volunteers at ICIS Stalls

that enlarge our community and get more people to come and visit ICIS.

A new year has come, which means new opportunities to make friends, build

relationships with people and “Make ICIS Even Greater”. This note is not a summary

of what we have done in the last year, it is all my love and feeling for what I have

called “home” for the past 2 years. I will conclude it with the quote from Brooke

Aster; “Power is the ability to do good things for others”. If that is true, I guess

we are now all having the great power!

Thi Dong Hop Dao.

Vice President (International)


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A Note From the Coordinator – Andrea Kornhoff ‘

First of all I would like to congratulate the committee

and all those volunteers on another successful year of

activities and transition support to our international

students in Wollongong.

This small group of committed community and

international student volunteers engaged with

internationals and their families over 5,000 times and

made a positive contribution towards their study

experience at the University of Wollongong Australia.

I would also like to acknowledge the work and support

of Tom Quinn, who joined ISP in June 2016 as a

Program Officer. Tom actively assisted in most of the activities run by ICIS in the

second half of 2016 and made many new friends. He has since moved on to tackle

new challenges and is missed by many.

Every year there are many highlights to talk about, but I would like to give a special

mention to the following achievements:

In 2016 the governing committee put a lot of work into reviewing the constitution

and bringing it into line with current practices. It will be presented for adoption at the

AGM in 2017.

This year students involved as a committee member or English Conversation Group

Leader were recognised for their efforts through the University of Wollongong

Australia UOWx program. UOWx formally recognises the knowledge and skills that

students gain by actively participating in co-curricular activities. 6 students fulfilled

the requirements in 2016.

English Conversation Group meetings go from strength to strength and on occasions

are so popular that attendance threatens to outgrow the available space. This year I

have seen many of our exchange students participating in English Conversation

Groups and we were able to accommodate a special Conversation Group for one of

our visiting student groups.

English Conversation Groups provides the kind of friendly and supportive

environment that had me witness many students grow their confidence in speaking

English, form close friendships with people from other countries and share their

personal achievements publicly as speakers during official events.

Attracting committed native speakers who facilitate conversation remains one of our

priorities for 2017. So dear reader, if you are a native speaker and do have some time

to spare to support our international students and their families then we would love to

hear from you.

Trips were very popular in 2016 and have brought the required additional income to

cater for the growth in the attendance numbers at events throughout the year. Seven


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trips took our students to places such as Jervis Bay, Canberra, the South Coast, the

Blue Mountains and the Snowy Mountains National Park.

In addition our friends from the South Coast Bushwalkers took our students on 6

guided bushwalks in the region. We are very grateful for their ongoing support and

commitment.

Finally, congratulations to all our students who graduated in 2016. I hope you will

leave with many good memories and I wish you success in your future endeavours.

Andrea Kornhoff

Coordinator

UOW International Student Programs


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Conversation Groups:

The conversation Groups which are our major program continue to prosper with an

atmosphere of friendship and family prevalent. During the year under review we had

participants from 33 countries actively involved. The mix of cultures ensures a

diverse range of ideas and topics for discussion.

During the year 2800 internationals attended the group. They were supported with

560 Group Leader attendances which we estimate to total over 1,300 hours.

The Tuesday group which was originally scheduled to operate from 4 p.m. until 5.30

p.m. often winds up at about 7 p.m. and on a few occasions the “chatterboxes” were

left to switch off the lights.

Family members continue to be made welcome where they also make a very positive

contribution. It is not uncommon for children to also join in which does enhance the

family theme of the group.


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The practice of supporting the Library with the Wraps With Love project continued

with the groups 21st Wrap being completed and presented. This activity is seen as a

very positive one as it creates discussion and opportunities to share skills and a

significant diversion from study, research and in some cases home duties.

During the year Ben Taylor from the Education Unit participated in the program

where final year students undertake volunteering for approved programs. He was a

valued member of the group and brought friends to some of the social activities.

The practice of presenting certificates for outstanding attendance has continued.

Although the certificates are not a qualification they are highly valued by the

recipients. During the year over 60 Certificates were presented at the 2 Presentation

Ceremonies and during group meetings when members were returning to their

country outside of the presentation time frames. While our Deputy Vice Chancellor

(Academic) Professor Joe Chicharo was anxious to continue the practice of

presenting the certificates overseas travel and illness made this impossible in 2016.

His place was ably filled by Mr. Peter Day, Director International Engagement and

Coordination and Associate Professor Christian Ritz from the Faculty of Engineering

and Information Services.


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At the conclusion of one of last years presentations when Michelle spoke on behalf

of internationals our President, Peter Beattie thought for a while and then said “Well,

that says it all”. This year at the conclusion of Sari and Phil’s speeches he was again

lost for words. With this in mind it has been decided that we should share these

speeches with you as they do reflect what our international friends think as well as

confirming the value of the program.

Phil’s Speech;

There is a saying that family is the best school for a child. I think it is true. I grow

up in a very normal family, we were not rich but my parents are great parents, they

have always tried to give me the best they can possibly give me. I had always been a

terrible student, well not always, I was ok until the first year of junior high, but

they managed to get me into the best school in town to ensure that I can get good

education and learn things that they were not able to teach me. But somewhere

along the line, I became a person with low self-esteem, low self-confidence and

who is socially awkward. It was difficult for me to say hello and introduce myself

to people let alone having a conversation. Two years ago I made the most

courageous but correct decision for myself – coming to Australia and trying to give

myself a new start. Here I met ECG and our lovely and admirable volunteers who I

see as my second family.

I remember I was introduced to ECG by Andrea on Orientation Day, she

introduced many services and activities, ECG among some others caught my eyes,

and I said to myself I have to check it out. Then a few weeks later, I came to this,

but I couldn’t find the room, while I was wandering around, Cathy who was sitting

outside of the room with I think Kel if I remember it correctly, came up to me and

asked me if I am looking for ECG, and I said yes, then she registered my name

into the computer and asked me to go in, that was the first time I came here and I

fell in love with ECG right after the first attendance. I thought if I want to improve

my English, ECG is the exact place I should go, and I was right.

Our volunteers in ECG are extremely patient and nice, no matter how terrible your

English is, they always try their best to listen to you very carefully and to

understand you. I was treated the same the first few months, of course I am still

treated the same way, but what I wanted to say is that, after their patience, after a

while, I started to think to myself, maybe I am not as less useful and socially

awkward as I thought I was, maybe I can do a little bit better. Then I started to try

to talk to other students and try to make conversation with them, during that time ,

I made some really nice friends from all around the world, such as Japan,

Vietnam, France, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and of course China Mainland.

We have lunch together, go on trip, having coffee break together, some would say

we have too much coffee break, well I agree. But it’s a great and fast way to

improve English; of course there is a side effect, which is excess intake of caffeine

and consequently loss of sleep at night. But anyway, one day I surprisingly found

that I am changing, I am not avoiding eye contact with people and I don’t feel

anxious when I am talking to a person that I just meet like the old me. I started to

enjoy talking to people, especially in English.


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I thank ECG and our wonderful volunteers for my changes, because you guys give

me not only the chance to practice English, but also give me the opportunity to

meet all those fantastic students and be friends with them, and more importantly,

because of your supports I get to become the person who I would’ve never thought

I could become into, if I was still the old me, I probably going to just spend two

years here with an average mark of credit, and then go back to China and couldn’t

speak good English and get laughed at by my horrible relatives. But now, I am

able to tell myself that I can do better! So in a way, you guys are literally changing

my life.

In the end, I just wanna say thank you again to volunteers and ECG, thank you for

putting so much effort to help international students and make us feel welcomed,

thank you for making our lives better. Thank you.

Phil has been joined by his wife Rachael who will study nursing. They are both

active volunteers at ICIS events and valued members of the ICIS family.

And at the June Certificate Presentation Sari Said:

Good evening everyone. Let me thank you for giving me the opportunity to talk

with you this evening. My name is Sari. I’m from Japan and studying Master of

Education. When I introduce myself like this , everyone asks me “Will you be a

teacher?”. One year ago, I hesitated to answer that question because my English

was terribly bad. But now I can say “I used to be an English teacher,” with

confidence because I have gained a lot of confidence in my English thanks to

ICIS.

I’ve been here for more than one year but I seldom joined the ICIS Conversation

Group for the first six months. At that time, I thought if I had time to go to the

group, I should have taken time to study more and I was struggling with heaps of

assignments. Even if I joined, I didn’t feel comfortable because I couldn’t

understand what other people were saying and I couldn’t speak English at all. I

had lost the will to keep on attending. But when six months have passed after I

came here, I realised my English speaking skills had not improved at all. I was so

sad that I knew the fact and decided to join the group twice a week. It was at the

beginning of last November and since then I have become a regular member of

ICIS.

ICIS helps me improve my English in many different ways. At the beginning of

February, I gave a presentation of Japanese New Year. Many people think Japan

has a Lunar New Year but this is wrong. I could clear up their misunderstanding

in the presentation. Also, I joined ICIS Friendship BBQs as a volunteer. I enjoyed

talking to new students as well as old friends. The most important way to improve

my English is the ICIS Conversation Group. Here I can not only practice my

English but also make a lot of friends. I can meet people from a variety of different

countries and share our language and culture. For me ICIS is the most relaxing

place in UOW.

Actually, this is the second time to attend the ceremony but the first time to receive

a certificate. Needless to say, it’s the very first time to make a speech as a


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representative of outstanding attendance of ICIS Conversation Group. The last

time I attended the ceremony, I was so impressed with the speech by Michelle. I

sympathised with her story very much. I couldn’t imagine I would be chosen as a

representative at that time, but now I’m really happy to say thank you to our

leaders by taking this opportunity. I’d also like to express my gratitude to Professor

Joe Chicharo the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic. Thank you for sparing the

time to attend and present certificates to us. Again, I really appreciate your support

and I’m very proud of being a member of ICIS. Thank you.

Sari completed her last assignment in January and then came to conversation to share

the good news. She will return to Japan in March, 2017 by which time she will have

attended conversation over 100 times.

The practice of internationals making presentations has continued. During UOW

Goes Global presentations were made by Metty and Vicki about their homeland,

Taiwan. It was an incredible presentation. We found out afterwards that these girls

stayed up all night rehearsing. Another presentation was made by Patt from Thailand.

It was also amazing and to make it even more special one of her lecturers came to

hear her.

In addition to the regular conversation groups a special session was organised for a

group of students from Hong Kong on a study tour. In addition to the opportunity to

meet and chat with Group Leaders a variety of Australian foods were prepared for

their enjoyment. Feedback during the session was positive.


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The practice of community members assisting our international friends by proof

reading some documents or just offering support in a variety of ways continues. And

yes, we do believe from the feedback it is valued.

Friendship BBQs:

During the year we were able to hold 5 Friendship BBQs which attracted over 610

registrations for attendance. We do believe that the numbers registered to attend was

exceeded and on one occasion we were able to confirm an attendance of just over

200 people with 150 registered.

Social interaction at the BBQs is excellent with a number of untitled games taking

place. Monica has often accepted the role of Sports Mistress. We do believe her Dad

who was a very senior officer in the Indian Army would be pleased with her ability

to command and control in a manner somewhat similar to that expected of a Sargent

Major.


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As well as sporting activities at the BBQs we were honoured to have “Slinky”, a

python attend one of our BBQs with his owner Elise Vohradsky. Slinky’s

willingness to be draped around people’s necks or just pose while being held by them

for photos was a great crowd pleaser with many hundreds of photos being taken.

Before retiring Slinky demonstrated how he devours his prey, an act which drew

much attention and interest.

We continue to be proud of the quality of catering at Friendship BBQs. It includes

Halal Sausages, Vegipatties, Salads, Bread Rolls, Fruit and Juice. The sausages and

Vegipatties are cooked to perfection by volunteer attendees under the watchful eyes

of Peter and Cliff and served by members of our volunteer pool with a smile. The

average cost of catering at Friendship BBQs based on numbers registered is $5.65.


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The increasing attendance of family members at BBQs is welcomed and makes a

wonderful contribution to the fabric of the events.

Welcome Evenings:

Welcome Evenings continue to be held at the beginning of semesters with organising

support from nominated ICIS committee members. In 2016 over 800 people

registered for these events. The welcoming speech by international students were

made by Jin (Echo) Shang and Thi Dong Hop Dao who are both ICIS committee

members. Their contribution was on both occasions outstanding and clearly

demonstrated their personal commitment and the commitment of ICIS to supporting

international students and their families.

The ISP/ICIS volunteers were again amazing and professional throughout the

evenings.

The parade of costumes continues to grow with 110 people electing to wear

Traditional Costume in 2016. It is a highlight of the evening. Some of this sections

success is the encouragement of people attending conversation to participate in this

segment. On several occasions participants have returned from visits to their

homeland with their costume and on a few occasions others arranged for their family

to send their costume.


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Community Engagement:

The ICIS Community Engagement Program commenced in 2007 when arrangements

were made for international students to meet and interact with Aunties at the

Aboriginal Cultural Centre. Many happy exchanges of culture took place with this

activity including international students preparing a variety of foods from their

country for presentation. This was extended with international students acting as

Guest Speakers at Wollongong and Nowra Probus Clubs. In addition to these

activities speakers attended VIEW Club meetings. On one occasion a Dancer from

Indonesia performed at the Nowra Probus Club.

Although the focus has changed the involvement with community groups has not. At

present ICIS coordinates an active program with Corrimal Rotary Club where

internationals are able to attend Dinner Meetings which provides a variety of

opportunities including evenings where guest speakers can be heard.

During the year 45 of our internationals have joined forces with the Rotarians where

they assisted in the operation of their BBQ Van at events such as Relay for Life,

Wings Over the Illawarra and Australia Day. They also assisted at Christmas Tree

Sales, Pub Crawl, Spring into Corrimal, Memory Walk the Harley Day BBQ and

Rotary Trivia Night.. In addition to this our group attended the Rotary Bowel Scan

Launch which provides an opportunity for them to meet and interact with Civic

Leaders where they get further exposure to Australian Culture.


23

A letter from the President of Corrimal Rotary in relation to the ICIS support for

their operation at Wings Over the Illawarra in included at the end of this section and

you are encouraged to read it..

Our involvement with Corrimal Rotary has resulted in two community committee

members and three Conversation Group Leaders. In addition to this Cliff Barker who

is a Rotarian and Conversation Group Leader is a regular Chef at the Friendship

BBQs where he provides expert praictal training for the apprentice chefs along with

opportunities to exchange culture and friendly banter..

Another first for Community Engagement occurred when 2 exchange students from

China were able to attend the annual Corrimal Rotary Farm Aid visit to Narsdhan

They were both actively involved in a range of farm activities including marking and

tailing of lambs. In addition to this they were able to visit a school with 12 students

ranging from year 1 to year 6 and attend the Rotary Club of Lake Cargelligo Dinner

Meeting. Reports confirm that they were actively involved in all activities with very

curious minds and never stepped back from anything that was taking place except

when Shelly sought alternative duties when the lambs were being processed.

The Dutch Club continues to welcomes international students to their Social/Dance

nights. During the year 80 people attended these events.


24

On all occasions the internationals have proven to be wonderful ambassadors for the

University of Wollongong Australia and their country.

An unexpected opportunity for some of our internationals attending the launch of

Bowel Scan arose when Joy, a visiting Pianist invited Troy to play the Piano in the

Lobby area of the Novatel. This created considerable chatter and much happiness as

we listened to the music. It was seen as an extension of the traditional Community

Engagement activities.


25


26

Annual Dinner/Bush Dance:

The Annual Dinner took a different format this year with a BBQ and a Bush Dance

which 110 people attended. Music was provided by the Dusty Opals and their Caller

Tony Romeo. It was an amazing night. A BBQ meal was served on the lawn near the

Graduate School of Medicine and attendees smiled continuously as they learned new

skills. One student from China confided that she never realised Australia had such

culture. Our volunteer group in their normal efficient and happy way cooked and

served the food while happily chatting and smiling.

The event impressed the Bands Caller Tony Romeo to the extent that he has offered

to run a monthly class, at no cost with taped music during 2017. The offer has been

locked in and will start in March 2017 in an activity space at the Early Childhood

Centre. It expected that this will be another ICIS success story.

The net cost of the event was $1,016.00 or $9.23 per person in attendance.

Friends of ICIS Facebook has a video clip of this event which we believe will

confirm the evenings success.

.

Sightseeing Trips

The success of Sight Seeing Trips has again improved. During the year trips were

organised to Jervis Bay Dolphin Adventure, National Capital Tour, Costal Wildlife

Adventure, Bowral Cricket Hall of Fame, Blue Mountains, Canberra Floriade and a

Day Trip to The Snow. : A total of 440 people participated in the trips which were

supported by volunteer Trip Leaders.

The net profit from the trips which is utilised to fund other activities was $9,213.00.


27

Sponsored Trips & Support Activities:

A Culture and History excursion was organised and managed by Bob Colvin during

the year.

While other small group trips were not undertaken this year sightseeing trips for up

to 4 people were undertaken. They included a visit to Sydney to support those

returning to their home to purchase souvenirs along with visits to places of interest in

and around Wollongong and the Shoalhaven Wineries. Some of the outings included

visiting family members.


28

Accompanying an international student to Sydney for Day Surgery after being

injured while undertaking research was undertaken on several occasions.

Some planning for sponsored trips is underway for the 2017 year.

Bush Walking:

Bush Walks were again organised by Joce and Carole who are associated with ICIS

and members of the Illawarra Bush Walking Group. The walks included Heathcote

National Park, Gerringong to Kiama, Otford to Burning Palms, Sydney Harbour, Mt

Keira Accent and Waterfall to Heathcote. 105 people registered to attend these walks

which are provided at no cost except rail fares which the student funds.

Joce and Carole have indicated that they will again provide these opportunities,

which are highly valued, in 2017. Without the support of these people the

participants would not have an opportunity to witness more of our areas spectacular

scenery with experienced guides.

Stalls Operated:

During the year ICIS supported the Well Being Centre by operating an international

food stall during Harmony Day. Eight of our international students prepared food for

this event which was well patronised and all available food consumed. In addition to

this we assisted in the operation of ISP/ICIS information stalls during International

Enrolment Days and OWeek activities. An information stall was operated during

Volunteer Day attracted considerable attention.


29

UOW Goes Global:

The practice of inviting our international friends to make presentations about their

home countries during UOW Goes Global continued. Metty and Vicki from Taiwan

made a wonderful presentation about their country. Their presentation was perfectly

coordinated and we have been told that they stayed up all night rehearsing their

presentation. This was followed on a different occasion with Patt from Thailand

making a presentation which was also outstanding. Patt’s presentation was made

even more special as one of her lecturers came to hear the presentation.


30

In addition to the presentations we again operated an international food stall with

most of the food being prepared by our international friends. This time the offerings

included an Australian component with Devon and Potato Rolls. Although inclement

weather impacted on this event it was considered a success as 120 plates were served

along with the opportunity for our people to share and chat about their contribution.

The enthusiasm of our international friends to learn the ancient art of making Devon

and Potato Rolls on site created much laughter and chatter with the product being

quickly consumed.

Friends of ICIS Facebook

Friends of ICIS Facebook which was set up by Kiara 4 years ago continues to be a

valuable social media tool. It allows us to publish pictures from our events as well as

assisting in the promotion of events. At the end of the year it had attracted over 1,400

likes. Among the followers are a number of the Alumni.

Prior to the introduction of our Facebook page the practice was for the Secretary to

email pictures taken at events to all who had registered. Yes, it was laborious and

perhaps old fashioned but it was an important part of our development.

Kids Christmas Party:

In 2011 Miyako Matsui who was at that time Vice President (Community) and a

Graduate of UOW organised the first ICIS Kids Christmas Party. It was a

challenging task as there had been suggestions from some quarters that such an event

may not be politically correct. In addition to this it was a first so there was no prior

records or experience to refer too. This did not deter Miyako. She simply took the

challenge, stood outside the Gwynneville School handing out flyers, issued

instructions to fellow committee people contacted Santa and arranged his attendance

along with a lot of other promotional activities which resulted in the event being an

amazing success. Part of her motivation may be reflected in her comment “I want

my boys to experience an Australian Christmas!”


31

On 18th

December, 2016 we conducted the 6th

Kids Christmas Party with 120 people

in attendance. It too was an amazing success. Santa was able to arrange for his

Chinese Helper Zeng to attend on his behalf. Vicki, Patt and Pauline undertook Face

Painting, parents and grandparents from many cultures happily interacted and the

kids played happily while waiting for lunch and Santa’s arrival.

The volunteers were amazing and seemed to have the ability to predict where they

should be at any given time and what they should do when they got there. Rudolf

declined the invitation to attend the party preferring to rest and recuperate in the

shade at the Botanic Gardens. However, he was able to arrange for Baxter to take a

break from patrolling the Duck Pond and spend some time with the kids some of

whom may be classified as Big Kids.

The total cost for the event was $1,244.00 or $10.36 per person. This included the

cost of purchasing a Santa Suit, catering, lollies and other sundries.


32

The Christmas Tree was relocated to the home of a European Family who did not

expect to be able to celebrate a traditional Christmas while in Australia.

Perhaps reference to the pictures will confirm the success of the event.

We must also record appreciation to Miyako for her determination and efforts to

launch this program which has been enjoyed by so many since its launch way back in

2011.

Graduations:

The practice of supporting Graduands who have an association with ICIS continued.

During the year we were able to support and meet some family members of Nurul

Syazana from Malaysia who received her PhD, Nhat Tan Le from Vietnam who also

received a PhD and Jin (Echo) Shang from China who received a Masters Degree

with Distinction. All of these people were active in ICIS and members of the

conversation group as well as holding positions on the committee.


33

A Highlight of the Graduation Ceremony was Echo unexpectedly asking the Deputy

Chancellor for a hug prior to accepting her degree. The moment was captured on

camera and while not a perfect picture we have chosen to include it in this section.

The Chancellors Award Money:

At the time of writing we still have $350.00 remaining from the Chancellors Award

money. At the time of receiving this award it was agreed that the money would not

be used on operational items. It has been used to purchase 2 Barbeques and a Gas

Bottle which has enhanced the Friendship BBQs significantly. In addition to that a

Laptop was purchased along with a synthetic Tug O War Rope for the Friendship

BBQs. The celebration Dinner when ICIS won the States inaugural award for a

Group supporting international students was subsidised from this award.

Support for Worthy Causes:

ICIS was proud to be placed in a position

where it had $100.00 from the 2015 Trivia

Night it operated with Rotaract and The

Vietnam Students. The original plan was to

donate the money to a Children’s Library in

Fiji. A variety of issues made it difficult to

complete this commitment. However, another

opportunity emerged when Hop, our Vice

President (International) found that she

would be undertaking part of her studies in

Fiji. Hop was tasked with identifying a

school which she thought would benefit from

our donation. After researching opportunities

while studying she selected a school for

children with disabilities and arranged the

presentation of our funds to the Principal.


34

Identified benefits of managing the donation this way was that Hop could carry the

cash with her avoiding commission fees and we had outstanding representation. A

picture of the presentation is included in this section.

An article in the Corrimal Rotary Bulletin about women in developing countries not

having access to sanitary products to manage their periods with some relying on

Banana Leaves, Feathers, Cow Dung and other unsatisfactory methods shocked our

members. It was then discovered that a group was making and distributing

sustainable kits for these women which had a life expectancy of three years at a cost

of $10.00 each. A sub committee was formed to raise funds for this project. Our Vice

President (Community) Jan Kemper along with Iliana Peters were the driving forces.

Janelle Dodd from Days For Girls and Dr. Lyn Magassy an Associate Professor at

the Graduate School of Medicine, a practicing General Prationer and UOW

Counsellor supported the group with an informative launch and the result is that

almost $800.00 was raised. An opportunity has since been identified where our funds

can be channelled through Corrimal Rotary to a group in Nepal where women

involved in cottage industries make the kits which cost about $8.00. A decision

regarding this opportunity will be discussed with the subcommittee early in 2017. So,

the bottom line is, a number of girls and women will be a bit better off because of

the commitment of our people.

The value of these two programs has inspired ICIS to undertake some fundraising for

Worthy Causes during 2017. The amounts raised are not expected to he huge and it is

in no way an indication that we see an opportunity to embark on fundraising for

operational expenditure. It is an opportunity for people to come together and do

something positive for those who would benefit from some support. Participants are

expected to gain personal satisfaction and event management skills along with

opportunities for interpersonal interaction.

Feedback from one of the Days For Girls Sub Committee members was “If we can

do it again I want to help so I can help those girls”.


35

Some Statistics;

Readers may find some of the following statistics of interest.

Conversation Group: During the year the conversation group convened on 93

occasions with 2800 internationals attending which was supported with 560 Group

Leader attendances. The average number of internationals attending each session was

just over 30 and they were supported with an average of 6 Group Leaders. The

average cost per person attending (which includes leaders) which included

refreshments, funding for refreshments at special celebrations including Birthdays

and the conduct of 2 Presentation Ceremonies including a small gift for the recipients

of certificates was 95 cents. Guests at Certificate Presentations were excluded from

the calculations.

Friendship BBQs: During the year under review there were 5 Friendship BBQs

conducted. The number of people registered to attend these events totalled 610. It is

the committee’s belief that the actual number in attendance was well in excess of this

number and on 1 occasion there was a head count of 200 people in attendance. The

average cost per person attending the BBQs based on numbers registered was $5,65.

This includes all food, juice, fruit, cups, plates, serviettes gas and cutlery.

Community Engagement: About 175 international students attended functions

conducted by Corrimal Rotary and the Dutch Club during the year. The total cost

which included sponsorship of 2 international students to the Corrimal Rotary Farm

Aid Project was $2084.00 or $11.90 per student attendance. In addition to this 45

international students assisted Corrimal Rotary with Fundraising activities during the

year. Sadly we do not have a record of the total hours contributed but it is estimated

at 300 as most of the events were full day activities..

Kids Christmas Party:. 120 People were in attendance The average cost per person

in attendance was $10.36. This included purchase of a Santa Suit, Juice, Catering for

Lunch, Lollies, a Christmas Tree, some craft Materials and sundries.

Annual Dinner/Bush Dance: This event attracted a small contribution from

attendees. The net cost per person in attendance which included the cost of the Band

and Catering was $1,016.00 which equates to $9.25 per person in attendance.

Bush Walking: During the year there were 6 Bush Walks conducted with 105

internationals participating. These events do not incur any expense against ICIS.


36

Feedback:

During the year ICIS sometimes receives compliments from those we interact with.

It is our belief that making some of this feedback available is important in a

document such as this as it will demonstrate the value of the group and perhaps act as

a historical record.

From Hui Mei An - a Visiting Fellow from Beijing:

When I’m in UOW I always went to Building 6 to learn spoken English. I met

many friends from different countries and I learn much from them. I’m thankful

to all friends here.

I will miss all friends here.

Wish everyone here will have a good future.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year……..

Farewell Speech – Sebastian Lucke (Germany)

Hello everybody.

First of all, I would like to thank

you all for the lovely time I have

had at Friday conversation classes.

I don’t regret at all to be a part of

this project and I will miss you all.

You made my Friday always special

and I never felt uncomfortable.

Quite the opposite, I felt welcomed

and comfortable right from the

beginning.

I want to say thank you to all the

volunteer workers. Because you

were more than just volunteer workers. You were not just organisers but also

advisors, supervisors, problem solvers, chat partners and at least very good friends.

Your passion and your readiness to help others as well as open your hearts

overwhelmed me. So thank you very much for everything you did for me and other

international people.

I would like to say thank you to all the other international people. Thank you for

having really nice and interesting conversations and that you allowed me to have

an insight in your countries, lives, opinions, thoughts, religions and cultures. And

for sure that you also gave me the chance to tell you something about me and my

life. It was great to become friends with you and I hope we will see us again.

All in all I will never forget the time at ICIS’s conversation classes. I have the

feeling that I have improved my English but not just that. I also think I have


37

improved my world knowledge and that has developed my personality. It has made

me a better person.

My advice for other international people is to support this project through

becoming a part. Just be friendly, open minded, tolerant and not afraid to speak.

Because the focus is thereby not on speaking perfect English. We are all still in a

learning process and mistakes are part of this process. But other people can learn

much more than the right way to speak. If you show a little bit of your personality

you will get much more back than you believe.

I wish you all the best for the future and I will definitely come back to Australia

one day. When I go back to Germany I will go with a crying eye and a laughing

eye. The one eye is crying because I will miss you all. But the other eye is laughing

because of the amazing time I have had in Australia. So thank you very much for

everything.

Your friend from Germany.

Sebastian Lucke

A Facebook Post by Maria.

IELTS Results. (The result slip from Wollongong College was shown)

Such unexpectedly great results for me. Thanks to the English Conversation

Group I’ve got so successful speaking test!! Thanks to all of you Guys!~

Sari’s letter to the Group Leaders on her last Day at Conversation

Dear ICIS Volunteers,

Thank you for everything you did for me.

It’s very hard for me to say good bye to

you because you made my stay in

Australia more enjoyable. I’ve kept

coming to English Conversation Group

since last year as you made me feel

being part of the family. I really

appreciate your support. You helped me

improve my English a lot. You’re very

patient and tried to understand what I

said especially when I pronounced the

particular words incorrectly. I always

looked forward to Tuesday evenings

and Friday mornings, and enjoyed

talking to new people which helped me

increase my confidence.


38

I’d like to say thank you to all ICIS Volunteers. All of you made me feel

comfortable to stay.

Take care of yourself and hope to see you again.

Kind regards,

Sari Yanagawa

After Sari’s reading of the letter the President rose to express appreciation when she

quietly said, “I haven’t finished yet. I want to speak to the students now!”

Sadly we do not have a copy of this address which focused on encouraging the

internationals to participate in the group and never feel shy with assurances that their

confidence and ability to speak English would improve if they participate.

Our Sister Group:

When our Vice President (International) Phuong returned to the Ho Chi Min

University of Medicine and Pharmacy after graduating with a PhD she established an

English Conversation Group there. It has been a success story with the ICIS

President visiting the group while visiting Vietnam. Kay Osborne from UOW also

visits the group when she is in Vietnam on business. During the year 2 Exchange

Students from Holland were regular attendees at the group and actively participated

in improving international relations..


39

Some Personal Achievements:

Sometimes we hear that the programs we conduct assist our international friends to

develop confidence. On other occasions mention is made of being part of a family

and the importance of that. With this in mind it has been decided that we should

include some detail about the achievements made by some of those we interacted

with during the past couple of years. It is not considered to be a definitive report as

some events may escape our attention because of modesty, but as an extended family

or group we are proud of everyone’s achievements and proudly share some that we

are aware of.

Jin (Echo) Shang: Echo undertook 2 internships

because of her thirst for knowledge. She was elected

President of Wollongong University Post Graduate

Association where she worked hard to help in the

struggle to have concession fares approved for

international students. She spoke on behalf of

international students at a Welcome Evening with great

confidence and was complimented by the Lord Mayor

who was in attendance. She has been an active

committee member of ICIS and a volunteer at many

functions. Echo Graduated with Distinction as a Master

of Engineering and continues to interact and volunteer

with the group.


40

Mengdan Chen: Chen came to Wollongong with a

Bachelor’s Degree in Economics. She then undertook a

Master of Professio0nal Accounting Degree. She made

several presentations to the conversation group, usually

about unusual foods. During her studies Chen was

awarded a Scholarship by BUPA. After receiving a score

of 4 eights in the IELTS test using the computerised

option she made a presentation at the conversation group

about this experience. Chen has been an active

volunteer for ICIS and recently received Permanent

Residency. She continues to attend the conversation

group and continues to assist at ICIS events.

Hui Cui: Hui was an active committee person and

volunteer with ICIS. She was a regular at the

conversation groups for the duration of her studies

which resulted in her being awarded a PhD. After her

graduation Hui moved to Singapore for Postdoctoral

work. In May, 2017 she will commence employment at

the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University

as a Research Fellow. Hui made many friends in the

conversation group and when she married Simon they

banded together to arrange a truly international wedding

reception in Stuart Park.

Hua Huang (Phil): Phil is studying a Master of

Environmental Engineering Degree. He is a regular at

the conversation groups and an active volunteer with

ICIS. At the November 2016 Conversation Group

Certificate Presentation Ceremony Phil spoke with great

confidence and passion on behalf of the internationals (a

copy of this speech is included in the Conversation

Group section). This has been followed with him

speaking at the autumn 2017 Welcome Evening and

again at a Transition to Australia Seminar for incoming

international students. His ability to share his

experiences and to encourage others is amazing..

Xishun Wang (Sheldon): Sheldon is a PhD candidate

researching Artificial Intelligence. He is a regular

attendee at the conversation groups, an active committee

member and active volunteer for ICIS. He recently

attended the IFAAMAF conference in Singapore where

he presented a paper. His paper was included as a

Finalist for Best Paper of the Conference. It is our

understanding that presentation of a paper at this

conference is quite an achievement and to be a finalist

for Best Paper of the Conference is an outstanding

achievement. Sheldon has made presentations to the

conversation group about his research which are always well received as he has the


41

ability to simplify complex matters. His research was recently demonstrated at a

conference in Melbourne where a prototype towards auto navigation was

demonstrated. The prototype can avoid obstacles and change route automatically.

Tsz Yan She (Troy): Troy who is an active ICIS

volunteer and regular at the conversation groups is

studying Nutrition. She was one of a group of 7

students selected to visit Universities in Europe,

England and USA to gather information regarding their

physical structure as part of the planning process for

UOW over the next 20 years. She has outstanding

interpersonal skills. Her association with ICIS saw the

President, who is a Corrimal Rotarian nominate her for

a Rotary Youth Leadership Award. The nomination

was successful and Troy completed the course early in

2017. She is a talented Pianist which resulted in her

being invited to play with a visiting pianist in the

Lobby Area of the Novotel after a Rotary function. This was seen as another positive

in the field of community engagement.

Thi Dao Hop: Hop is the current Vice President

(International) of ICIS. She is studying Journalism

and would one day like to be a Political Journalist..

She was the International Student selected to

welcome new international students at the 2016

Spring Welcome Evening. Hop represented ICIS by

identifying a school while undertaking part of her

course in Fiji and presenting the proceeds of a

fundraising effort to them. Another of Hop’s recent

achievements was being selected as one of three

international students from UOW to be a 2016 -

2018 ISLA Program Ambassador. Members of the

ICIS Executive and the Senior Manager UOW

Student Life and Wellbeing attended the Induction Ceremony at Sydney Town Hal

where Hop was one of the four international students chosen as an official speaker at

the ceremony. Her speech was, of course, outstanding. She has also coordinated

Lunar New Year celebrations for the conversation group.


42

Ngoc Mai Nguyen: Mai is an ICIS committee person, an

active ICIS volunteer and regular conversation group

attendee. Mai accepted responsibility for coordinating the

volunteers at the 2017 Autumn Welcome Evening which

made a significant contribution to the events success. She

is studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical

Engineering. Mai’s academic achievements were

recognised by the Dean of Engineering and Information

Sciences with her name being added to the Dean’s Merit

List. As well as her support for ICIS Mai is a team leader

with PASS, a Member of Unicrew, Member of the Green

Team and a Global Communicator. Her most recent

award is the Frank J Paoloni Electronics Prize which is

awarded to the student with the highest mark in subject

ECTE212 Electronics.

Nghi Minh Phan (Michelle): Michelle is studying for a

Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering. She one day

hopes to build a significant bridge and we are sure that

this dream will be realised. Michelle’s academic record

was recognised by the Dean of Engineering and

Information Sciences when her name was added to the

Dean’s Merit List. She has been a regular attendee at

the ICIS Conversation Groups and spoke on behalf of

the internationals at a recent Certificate Presentation.

She addressed incoming international students at a

recent seminar about Cultural Transition. Feedback in

relation to this address was very positive. In addition to

these things Michelle was recently appointed as a

Mentor for incoming international students in the Faculty of Engineering and

Information Sciences.

Nguyen Thuy Viet Phuong: Phuong is one of three

people known to have been awarded Life Membership of

ICIS. She held the position of Vice President

(International), introduced new programs, mentored other

international students, worked tirelessly in the area of

Community Engagement and graduated with a PhD in

Computational Modelling in the area of Mosquito Borne

Diseases. On return to the Hochiminh University of

Medicine and Pharmacy she introduced an English

Conversation Group which is now in its second year of

operation. Her group has been visited by the President of

ICIS and some Senior UOW Personnel. Some

preliminary discussions are underway in an attempt to introduce opportunities for her

University and UOW to introduce an exchange program. Her conversation group

will soon be visited by a group from another University who are anxious to learn and

perhaps introduce her model for conversation groups to that University. Her

interpersonal skills and commitment are exceptional. During a period of recent

illness Phuong’s students visited her home where they prepared meals and helped


43

care for her. She is the principal author of a book which will be printed by her

University and presented to incoming Pharmacy Students. While in Wollongong she

devoted some of her spare time to learning the Guitar and continues to practice when

she can find time in Vietnam.

Katherine Choi: Kathy as she is better known to some

of us commenced her involvement with ICIS when she

was an international student studying accountancy. She

continued her association with ICIS as a community

committee member after graduating. Her determination

to progress towards Permanent Residency saw her

achieve 4 sevens in the IELTS exam. The association

ICIS has with Corrimal Rotary Club saw her nominated

and awarded a RYLA award which was undertaken early

in 2015. Since then she has become a member of the

Corrimal Rotary Club and now holds a position on their

Board. A highlight for Kathy in 2016 was the award of

Australian Citizenship. She recently secured employment with a local Accountancy

Practice and will soon commence study for the Certified Accountant qualification.

Yujie Qi: Yujie is known to some of us as Clare. She is

researching a PHD in Civil Engineering with a focus on

introducing recycled material to Railway Track Ballast.

Yujie has been an active participant in ICIS events and

holds an award for outstanding attendance at the

conversation group. In addition to this she is very active

in the area of community engagement offered by ICIS.

Yujie will be presented with the Buddhima Indraratna

Award for Industry Engagement on 25th

May, 2017 at the

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences Prize

Giving Evening. To assist in understanding her research

we will provide titles for three papers she currently has

under review with leading journals. They are, Evaluation the properties of Mixtures

of Steel Furnace Slag, Coal Wash and Rubber Crumbs Used as Sub Ballast, The Role

of Rubber Crumbs on the Cyclic Behaviour of Steel Furnace Slag and coal Wash

Mixtures and Behaviour of Steel Furnace Slag, Coal Wash, and Rubber Crumb

Mixtures, with Special Relevance to Stress-dilatancy Relation.


44

Treasurer’s Report:

As the Treasurer has been experiencing illness the following

comments are made on her behalf in relation to the 2016

Statement of Receipts and Payments.

The information contained in the 2016 Receipts and

Payments Statement will confirm that the committee have

again managed the association’s finances with care.

It was pleasing to note that the net income from Trips has

again rallied with significant marketing from our coordinator

Andrea. The increase in net trip receipts was $2,500.00. This made a significant

contribution to the actual surplus of income which totalled $4,500.00.

With careful management of catering for BBQs we have been able to hold the

average cost per person registering to attend at less than $6.00. The quality of the

food offered is high and attendees have commented on this.

It is to be noted that the retiring committee have resolved to transfer some of the

financial management responsibilities to UOW. It is expected that the incoming

Treasurer will now assume responsibility for following this up and ensuring that

everything is in place when an implementation date is decided on.

While the committee have expressed pleasure in the bottom line results of the year’s

finances they would encourage the incoming committee to continue to manage with

care and attention to all things involving financial issues. With this type of

management some unexpected opportunities may become acceptable and the winners

will be our international friends in particular and Wollongong in general as the

Wollongong experience is enhanced.

for Monica Sharma

Treasurer -


45

Illawarra Committee for International Students – Statement of Receipts and

Payments for the Year Ended 31st December, 2016

Balance Brought Forward 1st January 2016 $11,918.77

Less: Outstanding Deposit Not Realised 142.40 $11,776.37

Add: Receipts UOW Allocation 7,000.00

Trivia Event 99.46

Interest Received 149.63

Trip Receipts 27,570.06

Fund Raising (Days for Girls) 773.65

Gold Coin Collections at BBQs 507.80

Annual Dinner/Bush Dance 312.34 36,412.94

$48,189.31

Less: Payments

Community Engagement 2,084.00

Printing & Stationery 377.18

Trips 18,357.11

Parking 401.80

Annual Dinner/Bush Dance 1,328.80

Kids Christmas Party 1,244.10

Sponsored Trips 100.00

Friendship BBQs 3,443.40

Conversation Group 3,215.35

UOW Goes Global 204.75

Hospitality and Appreciation 163.50

Karaoke Night 22.00

Welcome Evening Support 150.00

Volunteer Support (Shirts) 505.45

Committee Expenses 97.10

Sundry Payments 619.45 32,313.99

Funds Available Carried Forward $15,875.32

Opening Balance Note: On checking it was reported that the Outstanding Deposits

from 2015 were in part an expectation that some reimbursements would be received

from UOW. A thorough check has revealed that the expected receipts were $142.40

less than expected so the opening balance has been adjusted to reflect that.


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Appreciation:

The successes achieved in 2016 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.

Perhaps we should introduce a recording system to capture this information.

The Volunteers: The efforts of committee members, conversation group leaders,

members of the ISP/ICIS volunteer pool along with Trip Leaders and those who

unexpectedly assist at the Friendship BBQs have contributed some thousands of

hours to support international students, researchers, visiting fellows and their

families .It is difficult for the committee to express its gratitude to all these people

who have supported others which has resulted in ICIS operating continuously for 37

years. Perhaps we can simply say the effort of all over the years has made a positive

impact on many people’s lives.

Chujie (Stella) Shen: Stella came to UOW to study a Master of Professional

Accounting Degree 10 years ago. She became involved with ICIS in the first few

weeks of her arrival and was an active participant with the group organizing the

Chinese Cultural Festival which was held in 2007. From there she became the

Treasurer of ICIS and later Secretary. After graduating Stella went to Darwin where

she secured work, Permanent Residency and Citizenship. She now works in the

Taxation Office in Paramatta and continues to have an interest in ICIS. She

undertook the responsibility of graphics and layout for the 2015 and 2016 Annual

Reports.

Corrimal Rotary: The ongoing relationship with Corrimal Rotary and its members

is valued. It provides opportunities for our international friends to experience more

of Australian culture with opportunities to be involved in their service to the

community. The opportunity to hear Guest Speakers at the Rotary Dinner Meetings

is a valued and inspiring opportunity for our internationals.

The Dutch Club: The willingness of the Dutch Club to welcome our internationals

in a warm and friendly manner is appreciated. It is another opportunity for our

friends to socialize, relax and learn some ballroom dancing along with opportunities

to practice English.

Janelle Dodds: Janell is a driving force for the Days for Girls project in NSW. She

is generous with her time and attended our Program Launch where she made a

presentation about the Program with quality promotional material. She also loaned

our group promotional material for our fundraising program.

Dr Lyn Magassy: Dr Magassy is an Associate Professor at the UOW Graduate

School of Medicine, a General Practitioner and a UOW Counsellor. Dr Magassy

attended the Launch of our Days For Girls project where she was a key speaker. To

have a speaker of this calibre was impressive and highly valued.


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Smart Infrastructure and Their Administrative Staff: It is about 4 years since we

commenced accessing space at Smart Infrastructure for the Conversation Groups.

The relationship has always been outstanding and the interaction with staff

wonderful. Without this support we are confident that the conversation group would

not be achieving the results it is.

Unicenter: The support Unicenter provides by way of access to the St. George Hub

for the Kids Christmas Party and other events during the year is highly valued. We

would not be able to present some programs without this support.

Fran Walder: Fran is the Senior Manager UOW Student Life and Wellbeing and the

person we are responsible to. The relationship is strong and valued.

Andrea Kornhoff: Andrea is our coordinator. The relationship is strong and positive

which ensures that we continue to present quality support to the International

Students.

Conversation Group Leaders: Members of this group are amazing. Their

commitment to the internationals is highly valued and their impact on our friends

does much to enhance their Wollongong Experience. Without these people the value

of ICIS would quickly diminish leaving a huge gap in the support available to our

international students and their families.

Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) Joe Chicharo: Joe has continued to show

interest in the group. His support was clearly evident when he agreed to provide an

interview when requested for our Vice President (International) for an assignment.

We do realize the position he holds is significant and demanding but his ongoing

interest and support is valued.

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 interact at the

events we present is, we believe, unique. Unofficial feedback suggests that other

Universities do not have anything like ICIS. Perhaps it is fair to say that together we

have helped to make the world a better place by fostering positive friendships in the

international community. You are all an essential part of our fabric and we treasure

you all.

The Dusty Opals: Well, your support at our End of Year Function was amazing.

Feedback from our internationals was positive and the smiles which were present on

their faces all night was a joy to behold. Your music was delightful and your patience

in helping those who have never experienced this type of dancing before ensured the

evenings success.

Thank you one and all! Without you and your contribution

nothing would have happened.


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The year ahead has signs that we will again achieve a lot.

Koko and Isabel are local students undertaking International Studies. They have

become involved in the conversation group and other activities unexpectedly. To

have support from local students is always valued and the rapport they have

established with our international friends is amazing.

The conversation groups are away to a good start. On one occasion we had 67

internationals in the group which was a record. This record was broken the following

week with an international attendance of 80. Many references have been made by

new internationals about the family atmosphere.

The first Friendship BBQ was huge with over 160 people in attendance. Games were

well supported and feedback on the day was positive.

The association with Corrimal Rotary is continuing. A recent bonus included an

opportunity to take 3 Nursing Students to hear Helen Richards who is a Stoma

Therapist who undertakes training of nurses in Africa in a volunteer capacity. The

rapport which our guests struck up with Helen was wonderful and the feedback from

them was positive with comments such as “she was inspiring” and “I hope I get a

placement in her hospital”.

We were also pleased to hear that another ICIS supporter, Troy She was nominated

and selected to attend the 2017 Rotary Youth Leadership Award course. Troy who

was nominated by our president is a regular at ICIS functions and often accepts the

role of photographer.

Support for the OWeek ISP/ICIS Information stall was excellent. Over 400 incoming

students registered their interest and many more accepted literature.

Friends of ICIS Facebook continues to attract a good following with over 1,500 likes

recorded at the end of March, 2017.

Volunteer support for Corrimal Rotary events is continuing.

An ICIS representative was able to recommend 2 international students we interact

with to make presentations at a Transition to Australia Session by speaking about

their experiences. Both are involved with the conversation group. The feedback was

positive and in part read ….Both did an exceptionally good job talking about their

own experiences and encouraging students to get involved with the programs on

offer.


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Four years ago Debora from Italy who was an active person in ICIS and the

Conversation Group returned to her country. Early in March she phoned the

Secretary to say she was working in Sydney for a while and wanted to revisit the

conversation group. It seems to again confirm Jacqueline’s quote “Once an ICIS

always an ICIS”.

The examples quoted are certainly not definitive. There are many more and they may

feature in the 2017 Annual Report.


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Gallery:

This section contains some pictures taken at recent ICIS events.

The pictures displayed in this section are in no way a complete record, just an

attempt to share some of the joy. A more compressive collection is on Friends of

ICIS Facebook.


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Documents

Illawarra Committee for International Students (ICIS ...web/@stsv/@isp/... · Illawarra Committee for International Students (ICIS) Annual Report 2016 Friendships without Borders