At the time of writing this letter, registration for our Seoul Annual Conference is wide open. Record shows that our Conference Committee has processed 394 paper submissions, 19 of which were pre-organized panels. All applicants should have been informed of the review result by now, and I hope that all presenters will start to plan for their trip and get registered early. I know it is near, or even has passed, the deadline of early bird registration, but if any members have any trouble handling the system and missed the early bird registration, please contact us at waporoffice@gmail.com as soon as possible.

For those not presenting at the conference, I also hope you will come. Other than speeches and presentations, we also have workshops, meetings, gatherings, exhibitions, as well as special and social events which will make your stay in Seoul memorable.

As of April 11, when we held our last Council Meeting, we had 476 individual members, including chapter-only members, and the count will go up to 490 if we include organizational members and Friends of WAPOR. Among our members, 75 are National Representatives (NatRep), another 30 will become NatReps once they pay their membership fees.

At that same Council Meeting, three important decisions were made:

1. The “WAPOR Conflict of Interest Policy” was adopted “to prevent the personal interest of Council members (Officers and Committee Chairs) and staff members, from interfering with the performance of their duties for WAPOR or result in personal financial, professional, or political gain on the part of such persons at the expense of WAPOR”. The policy will be uploaded onto our website in due course.
2. The “Procedures and Guidelines for WAPOR National Representatives” was revised to clarify and further specify the tasks and duties of NatReps, their terms of service, and their nomination, appointment, and renewal procedures. Please check out our website, click “About WAPOR” then “National Representatives” to read the details.
3. Upon recommendation of our Finance Committee, the Council approved engaging Atlas as WAPOR’s investment advisor after comparing two bids. Atlas was chosen because of its extensive experience working with non-profits and its successful track record in managing investments [...].

The World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) seeks nominations for the 2022 WAPOR Helen Dinerman Award. This award, given since 1981, honors particularly significant contributions to survey research methodology. The award, presented annually to an individual or individuals, is in memory of Helen Dinerman\\\\\\\'s scientific achievements over three decades of public opinion research. Recent recipients of the award include Takashi Inoguchi, Mitchell Seligson, Juan Díez Nicolás, Michael Traugott, and Christian Haerpfer. Letters of nomination with a justification of the proposal should be sent to Past President Timothy Johnson (timj@uic.edu) by May 31, 2024. A committee that reflects WAPOR’s diversity will examine the proposals and make a final decision. The winner will be announced at the 77th WAPOR annual conference in Seoul, South Korea.

National Representatives at WAPOR serve an important role within the organization promoting the mission of WAPOR in their countries and facilitating advancement of public opinion research domain worldwide. They encourage professional colleagues and students to consider WAPOR membership and participation. National Representatives participate in WAPOR’s Freedom Survey conducted every 5 years that serves as the basis for the ESOMAR-WAPOR Freedom in the World Report. National Representatives also provide a brief annual report and current advice as needed to WAPOR regarding polling-related issues within my county/region including, but not limited to, threats to the freedoms to conduct and publish opinion polls, as well as general trends in the opinion research business. 

WAPOR announces an open call for nominations for the position of WAPOR National Representatives for 2024-2025 in the following countries/ territories: Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Burundi, Congo, Croatia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Fiji, Finland, Gabon, Guatemala, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Iceland, Ireland, Kosovo, Liberia, Madagascar, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Norway, Oman, Taiwan, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.  

Dear WAPOR members,

WAPOR invites expressions of interest to expand the following our Committees:

• Finance Committee: 1 member

• Membership Committee: 2 members

The period of service shall be 2024, with the possibility to prolong for another year.

To learn more about the activities of the WAPOR committees, please, consult the WAPOR Constitution: https://wapor.org/about-wapor/constitution/ 

To learn about the committee chairs and other members, please, check the WAPOR website: https://wapor.org/about-wapor/committees/

WAPOR Committees are important bodies that both facilitate and guide the development of the Association. We very much look forward to welcoming new members aboard the WAPOR Committees!