Diplomacy at the Bar

Event Details

The AIIA SA Branch is kicking off 2023 with an installment of the Diplomacy at the Bar series. We welcome you to a night of inclusive social networking and a program development session at the Duke of Brunswick, on Thursday 2nd March 2023.

Our guest speakers are Michael Cook (President of AIIA SA), Jill Collins (DFAT Head of Office SA), and Angela Bogdan (AIIA SA Council member, former Canadian Ambassador, Chief of Protocol and leadership development consultant).

Following introductory remarks by our new President, Michael Cook, Angela Bogdan will moderate a discussion on the development of our new Emergent track which is specifically designed to meet the interests and professional development needs of our younger cohorts (students/young professionals) although any member who wishes to support this new track and contribute ideas is more than welcome to do so.

This discussion will then be followed up with brief presentations by Michael on his career path negotiating treaties, delivering bilateral programs and representing Australia at multilateral forums, and Jill Collins, the new Director of DFAT's South Australia Office.

This event is part of our regular "Diplomacy at the Bar" series, where knowledge, networking and a glass of wine coalesce for a more relaxed way to get involved in international affairs. We hope you can come along to join the conversation and get to know some fellow international affairs aficionados at one of Adelaide's most convivial meeting places, the Duke of Brunswick.

NOTE: This event is free for student members. Food will be provided throughout the night.

Agenda

March 2, 2023

2023 Welcome from the AIIA SA

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Arrival & Welcome

We hear from the new AIIA SA President, Mr Michael Cook, who will reflect on our progress in 2022 and what to look forward to in 2023.

(5.30 arrival for 5.50 start)

Michael Cook

Emergent Track Program

6:00 PM - 6:50 PM

Launch of the "Emergent Track" Program & Youth Participation

In this session, Angela Bogdan will talk briefly about her own career journey in diplomacy and global affairs before moderating a discussion to seek our young members' views, interests, prospects, and the type of activities they feel would like to see over the coming year at the AIIA SA. All participants are welcome as well to contribute thoughts and ideas.

Finally, we will announce an opportunity for an "Emergent" member to sit on the AIIA SA Council.

Angela Bogdan

6:50 PM - 7:00 PM

Break

7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Stories from Careers in International Relations

In this session, we again hear from Michael Cook on his career path negotiating treaties, delivering bilateral programs and representing Australia at multilateral forums.

Michael will be presenting alongside our guest speaker Ms Jill Collins, the new Director of DFAT's South Australia State Office.

Michael Cook

Jill Collins

Speakers

Michael Cook

President at AIIA South Australia

Jill Collins

State Director of South Australia State Office, DFAT

Angela Bogdan

Council Member at AIIA South Australia

Ms Jill Collins commenced as State Director, South Australia State Office of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in January 2023.
As a DFAT career officer Ms Collins has served in several overseas roles, most recently in Moscow as Deputy Head of Mission covering Russia, Armenia and Central Asia. She was Australia’s Consul-General in Guangzhou, South China, and has also served in Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei.
In her most recent Canberra-based role, she was responsible for foreign investment policy. In addition to her East Asia and European policy focus, she has worked across public diplomacy and human resources management roles, including as a founding Director in DFAT’s Diplomatic Academy. She has multilateral policy experience and was formerly Secretary-General of Australia’s National Commission for UNESCO.
Ms Collins is a Certified Practitioner in Human Resources (CPHR) with a Master of Arts in International Relations from Deakin University and a Bachelor of Commerce (1st Class Hons) and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne. She speaks fluent Mandarin and basic Russian.

Angela J Bogdan is a former Canadian diplomat and most recently, served as Canada’s Consul General in Sydney, Australia, and prior to that as Chief of Protocol for Canada and Inspector General. She was also Champion for Women at Global Affairs Canada (GAC) for 6 years.

Ms. Bogdan also served abroad as High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, Political Counsellor in Warsaw, Deputy Political Advisor at Canada's Mission to NATO, and Vice Consul in Melbourne.

In Ottawa, Ms. Bogdan was formerly Director of the Global Partnership Programme, Canada's $1 billion cooperative threat reduction programme and held several other HQ Assignments as Head of Nuclear Policy in the Defence Relations Division and in the Asia Pacific Relations and the United Nations Divisions.

Gender has been a cross-cutting theme in Angela's career. Whilst posted to the Canadian Delegation to NATO, she established a Women's Peace and Security Forum providing support to female diplomats from the new partner countries together with female colleagues from other NATO delegations.

In Belgrade, she established a unique Peace Building Program aimed at empowering women's engagement in democratic elections.

In Sri Lanka, the Mission delivered a robust gender based post-tsunami development programme focused on women's income generation & livelihoods, women's reproductive health and combatting gender based violence.

On becoming Champion for Women at Global Affairs Canada in 2010, she founded the Women's Network (WN), now with a membership of 1000+ female diplomats, the focus of which has been on growing women's leadership in diplomacy, mentoring, training and engagement. Under her leadership, the WN has been the recipient of two Deputy Minister's Awards for excellence, having launched a successful promotion preparation program that resulted in women having been successfully promoted at higher levels than men to the executive level for the first time in Canadian diplomatic history and the highest proportion ever of serving female HOMs.

Employee driven and employee led, the GAC WN model has also been used as a reference point for the establishment of similar networks in UK, Australia, Mexico and with other Canadian federal departments and agencies, including the Canadian Space Agency.

Ms. Bogdan has also been a frequent presenter and participant on the subject of growing diverse leadership models in both the private and public sectors, notably in Canada, Taiwan, PNG, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and in Australia with the Women of the World Festival, KPMG, Canada Australia Chamber of Commerce, the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia, Air Canada and the Parliament of NSW.

In Australia, Angela also established the first female Heads of Mission Network in Sydney and was a member of The Female Social Network and Champions for Change.

Ms. Bogdan holds a BA in International Relations, a Bachelor of Education and a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from York University in Toronto.