African Professionals of Australia
in Partnership with QUT Business School
Presents
SUCCEEDING BEYOND BORDERS CONFERENCE 2022
Theme: Building Partnerships & Advancing Innovation
DATE & TIME
Friday 15 July 2022: 9AM – 5PM, Conference Day 1
Saturday 16 July 2022: 9AM – 2PM, Conference Day 2
Saturday 16 July 2022: 5:30PM (Pre-Dinner Drinks) – 10PM, Conference Dinner
Organisation Details
African Professionals of Australia Limited popularly known as APA is a not-for-profit organisation whose aim is to create a vibrant group of professionals who excel and positively impact the community. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), in 2006 there were nearly 25,000 Australian residents of African origin living in Australia. Furthermore by 2007, South African people comprised the third largest group of skilled professionals 457 visa holders. It is against this background that APA was founded in November 2007 initially as a Western Australia-based association.
APA is a membership organization with active chapters in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, ACT, and Queensland. The current membership consists of more than twenty-five professions from thirty -five different countries. APA’s aim is to employ the organisation’s platform as well as its partners, to pursue and achieve continued professional excellence and increase the impact of its members within corporate Australia.
Succeeding Beyond Borders Conference
Succeeding Beyond Borders is APA’s annual thought leadership and networking conference. The aims of the conference include to:
- RPromote knowledge with an aim of contributing positively to Australian and African economies;
- RFoster dialogue that promotes the exchange of ideas and innovative thinking amongst government, universities, corporate, community and entrepreneurs in Australia and Africa; and
- REncourage and enhance research on economic, governance and policy issues relating to the development of African economies
The conference will also focus on increasing awareness and visibility of diaspora from African nations and their contribution to Australia and Africa, economically, culturally, and socially.
A longer term focus is to establish a system that will connect investment projects with the public and private sectors in Australia for inclusive development in Africa. As the emerging social, economic, technological and geopolitical changes play out, African professionals, international students, educators and communities will need to gain insight and apply expert knowledge and skills to achieve positive influence and become adept global citizens..
Sponsors/Partners
Overview of the Conference
APA is holding its annual conference in Brisbane Queensland in partnership with QUT school of business. The conference will focus on challenges and opportunities that are open to professionals of African descent living in Australia. Speakers will address the strategic interventions and share opportunities to advance the professional development of the African diaspora living in Australia. The conference forms part of the continued program of events by APA designed to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue between employers, professionals, skilled workers, Unions, peak professional bodies, governments, non-government organisations, universities, and the private sector.
Conference Details
The APA Conference will be a forum for government, universities, private sector, and African professionals to discuss issues that are hindering African-Australians from reaching their full potential in their chosen careers. It will also be a platform at which best practice models across Australia and beyond will be highlighted. We plan to have diverse range of speakers across several sectors to make presentations on the proposed topics over the two days. We also plan to have a number of plenary sessions to run concurrently, which will give the delegates more time to discuss the relevant topics at length.
The specific objectives of the conference include:
- RBuild strategic partnerships with industries, sectors, and unions to advance the professional excellence of African people living in Australia
- RTo champion increased leadership of Africans in executive leadership in respective industries where Africans are well represented in the workforce this includes: Education, Mining, Agriculture, Health
- RPromote knowledge management as an important driver to professional excellence with an aim of contributing positively to the Australian economy.
- RFoster dialogue that promotes the exchange of ideas and innovative thinking amongst government, universities, private sector and entrepreneurs.
- RHighlight the positive stories of Australians of African heritage in Trade and Business as well as professional excellence. We hope this will go a long way in inspiring other Africans especially young people and emerging entrepreneurs and professionals.
- RShare opportunities and build networks, collaborations and partnerships.
Conference Theme
Building partnerships and advancing innovations
Key Areas of discussion
- PCultural Diversity in Workplace
- PCapacity Building and Workplace Development
- PFinancial Technology
- PAgriculture, Mining, and Renewable Energy
- PWomen in Leadership
- PEntrepreneurship, Investment, and Startups
- PDigital Health
Goals and Outcomes
- RBuilding a strong workforce of trained, experienced and empowered African Australian leaders, professionals and skilled workers includes trades and apprenticeships.
- RBuilding African leaders by working to provide culturally supportive mentorship programs that create future African leaders in key industries.
- RBuilding strong strategic alliances with government, universities, corporates and unions and professional associations and peak bodies that represent employees.
- RIncreasing awareness and visibility of African professionals and their contribution to the economic growth of Australia.
Speakers
Meet Our Speakers
Duku Fore
Anne Nalder
David Nyambuya
Pele Ramdhani
Vincent Algar
Elijah Buol, OAM
Annette Hurley
Melvin Hachuma
Dr Maggy Sikulu-Lord
Tommy Adebayo
Christine Mudavanhu
Dr Esther Onyango
Dr David Wachira
Professor Sagadevan Mundree
Tonderai Mukusha
Dr Ugo Ben Ebelebe
Elena Gosse
Dr Irena Yasmin Shaw
Victor Asoyo
Yangama Jokwiro
Lisa Ward
Dr Joseph Macharia
Target Audience
- RMembers of the African Professionals of Australia
- RCorporate organisations
- RLeaders of community organisations
- RMembers of the diplomatic corps representing African countries
- RPoliticians, Academics and University Students
- RRepresentatives of companies doing business in Africa
- REntrepreneurs and startups
- RUnions and associations
Venues
Friday 15 July 2022, 9am – 5pm; Saturday 16 July 2022, 9am – 2pm
QUT Gardens Point
Saturday 16 July 2022, Conference Dinner: Welcome Drinks from 5:30PM. Dinner concludes at 10:00PM
Car Park – car park rates can be viewed by clicking this link.
Get in Touch
- \Orode Eke-Okoro : president.qld@apaau.com / 0424 065 466
- \Maggy Sikulu-Lord : vicepresident.qld@apaau.com / 07 3365 2516
- \Gina Zyabu : secretary.qld@apaau.com / 0420 879 145