Letter from WAPOR President (September 2023)

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Note: This document was translated from English into many different languages. In case of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the English version and any other translation, the English version shall always prevail.

According to our Constitution, WAPOR’s activity and financial year starts officially on the first day of each calendar year, thus our annual reports always covers our activities up to the end of December. However, as with almost all international associations, our professional and social activity cycle always culminate at our annual conferences, which may be months ahead of December, like this September in Salzburg and next July in Seoul. In any case, Salzburg marks the end of one chapter in our history, and opens up another one, just like what we did in Dubai last year when we celebrated our 75th anniversary.

At this turning point, let me tune up everybody’s attention and expectation on what would happen soon, irrespective of whether one would attend our conference. Please pardon me for crossposting, in case what I share below overlaps with some conference publications and what I would write in some bulkmails sent to you through our new Listserv system.

At the time of writing this letter, over 300 members have already registered for the conference, making over 280 presentations in about 60 panel slots. In terms of sponsorship, we have surpassed last year’s amount for about 40%, so we are recovering fast after the pandemic, thanks to the hard work of all colleagues and the support from all of you. For those of us meeting in Salzburg, let us make full use of this opportunity to develop WAPOR, and for those who cannot make it, please mark July 2024 Seoul for our next conference. Between now and then, whether we will see each other or not this month, let us keep working together to develop our WAPOR Community. Here are some developments which need everybody’s help:

1. WAPOR has a duty to engage members in serious professional discussions about how best to collect data and maintain data quality all over the world. We have recently created the following Listserv group for members: WAPORnet@WAPOR.simplelists.com. Please start using this system to discuss whatever issue you consider important, with fellow members before, during, and after our conference. You can also subcribe to other lists through this link: https://wapor.simplelists.com/
2. To further build up our WAPOR Community, we are running a “Friends of WAPOR” Pilot Scheme up to the end of 2024 to engage individuals who have never been a WAPOR member, but whose work, research and professional interest may align with WAPOR’s mission and activities. These can be our students or co-workers. If they would pledge to pay $10 to become our “Friends”, they can now go to sign up at WAPORnet@WAPOR.simplelists.com to become Listserv members, and start engaging themselves with our discussions. During the pilot period, all “Friends” can leave the network any time, or join WAPOR as full members whereby the $10 subscription will be waived from the membership fee. Please consider engaging your students and co-workers, preferably during our Salzburg Conference so that they can reap some benefits from the ongoing conference.
3. WAPOR Council now comprises 10 elected members, we are now calling for nominations for the positions of Secretary-Treasurer and three Chairs of the Membership, Liaison, and Publications Committees. Any member with 20 or more individual nominations will be valid, along with those nominated by the Electoral Committee. Please come forward, to serve WAPOR to serve the world!
4. Likewise, but following a different procedure, we are calling for open nomation for a number of National Representatives, to facilitate the advancement of public opinion research worldwide. All National Representatives are required to maintain their membership in WAPOR and familiarity with WAPOR’s Constitution and its Code of Professional Ethics and Practices, and to provide a brief annual report regarding polling-related issues within their county or region including, but not limited to, threats to the freedoms to conduct and publish opinion polls, and general trends in the opinion research business. Please send your nominations, including self-nominations, to our Chair of the Membership Committee by November 1.

We will soon hold our Annual Conference, we will revisit our long term development in promoting Liberty and Quality. We will also break new grounds, make new friends, and indulge ourselves in brainstorming new ideas and carving new developments. Please do not miss the chance, whether gathering with us onsite, or sharing ideas online.

Humbly yours,

Robert Chung

WAPOR President