Institute notes: National Office and branch activities.

A large congregation attended a memorial service for former NZIIA Director Dr Colin Aikman at Old St Pauls Church, Wellington, on 27 January. The President of the NZIIA, Sir Kenneth Keith, was one of several speakers who paid tribute to Dr Aikman's long and distinguished career.

The move to Rutherford House being completed successfully on 14 February, the National Office was able to turn its attention to some significant events planned in the first half of the year. These included the Annual Dinner scheduled for 9 May, to be addressed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Hon Phil Goff. Preliminary work also began to prepare for seminars provisionally set for late June and September.

Brian Lynch began part-time work for the NZIIA in February, prior to fully assuming the role of Director in July. A diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1964, he served in the New Zealand Permanent Mission at the United Nations in New York, and was Deputy High Commission in both Singapore and London before changing careers to become Deputy Secretary of Transport in 1982. Since 1992 he has been chief executive of the Meat Industry Association. He is also chairman of the Trade Liberalisation Network, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Transport, and a member of the Institute of Directors.

On 29 April, in association with the Institute of Policy Studies and the Centre for Strategic Studies, the NZIIA held a seminar presented by former Ambassador in Moscow Geoff Ward, now the Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Consular Division...