This month marks an exciting new chapter in the EPWS history book. As our organisation has evolved with the times – a larger community than ever before of global women with an international outlook – we too would like to reflect this transition. And so – 23 years on from when we were originally founded, EPWS will re-launch as: IPWS – International Professional Women’s Society.

Our community of professional women is strong, diverse and respected. Our roots are firmly set in Shanghai, however we have members, supporters and partners from the world over, including an active chapter in India.

With a global vision that now extends beyond China, we believe our community has transcended from “expatriate” to “international”. While our core mission and values remain the same, our new name and logo will change to reflect our evolution to the present day.

In undergoing this transition, the Board consulted with many members, partners and friends of EPWS who all agreed on the need for a change. We would like to thank all our members from the past and present for being part of our evolution, and we look forward to continuing IPWS’s strong momentum in 2016.

Over the coming weeks you will see the shift from EPWS to IPWS across our communication and social media channels. Please bear with us during this transition which will include a new IPWS website in the coming weeks!

As we celebrated our 23rd anniversary, we have taken the time to reflect, as much has changed since our founding years, but our core mission and values remain the same: offering a platform for women from diverse backgrounds to connect, build networks, foster personal growth and develop professionally.

Finally, we can reveal that the WLA (Women Leadership Awards) will again return in 2016!  WLA is the only award in China focused on recognising exceptional women that have broken the glass ceiling. Further details on this will be revealed in the coming weeks.

We hope our members, partners and extended network here in Shanghai and further afield are as excited as we are about the future, as we look to continue the strong momentum already set in 2016.

Thank you again for your continued support.

The IPWS Board of Directors