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<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Sent on behalf of M. Agnes Kang, new president of IGALA</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">Dear IGALA members:<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;">It’s hard to believe it has already been one week since IGALA9 in Hong Kong! It was a truly memorable time, starting off with a lively Lion Dance to open the conference followed by three days of sharing
our research in gender, sexuality and language. Several delegates there remarked on the high caliber of papers presented, as well as the richness of the networks forged at our biennial conference. My thanks to Brian King and his team at City University of
Hong Kong for a very successful conference.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">During the conference, IGALA President Michelle Lazar announced the host of the next IGALA conference: University of Botswana in Gaborone! The IGALA Board (made up of the
Executive Board and the Advisory Council) was very impressed with the quality of the proposal presented by the University of Botswana. One of the aims of IGALA is to create and support international research networks, and so we are truly excited that IGALA10
will take us to the continent of Africa for the very first time. </span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">IGALA9 also marked the beginning of the term for the new President of IGALA. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank Michelle Lazar, now officially one
of our Past Presidents, for her hard work and guidance of IGALA in the past two years. By her work in the organization as well as her own research, Michelle has brought increased attention to gender and sexuality research and scholarship to a wider international
audience. I have learned much about IGALA from her and from Lia Litosseliti, another Past President, and have benefitted greatly from their experience and insights.</span> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span lang="EN-US" class="">As I enter into my term as IGALA President, I hope I will have the opportunity to meet as many of our members as possible and continue to learn from your expertise. At our
AGM, I was happy to see the active exchange of ideas and engagement with important issues that face us as scholars in the field of gender, sexuality and language, and I hope we can continue these conversations moving ahead. I look forward to IGALA10 in 2018,
and I hope to see you in Gaborone!<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p>
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<div>Best,</div>
<div>Agnes</div>
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