The number of sponsored members, from lower income backgrounds, reached its highest level ever, at 297. Subscription costs are covered by IAH central and chapter funds. Our mentoring programme continued to be popular with 25 younger members seeking an experienced mentor to help with advice on development of knowledge and career direction.
It seems that in-person meetings have provided a welcome relief from online meetings and new members have been able to take advantage of reduced registration fees. Despite the undoubted technical effectiveness of virtual meetings these are still no match for socialising with colleagues and friends, and networking with new acquaintances. We still need to work out how to balance the financial and carbon costs of meeting in person with the opportunities for reaching out to a potentially very large audience online.
We offered free online registrations for members for our online congress in China. The offer included two registrations via a prize draw for all members and a call for supported applications for registration, to be paid from IAH’s ‘Solidarity Fund’, to all members from low income circumstances.