Dear staff,
First off, I’d like to say thank you to everyone who was able to participate in the All Staff Forum held yesterday. In total, we had more than 2,000 staff attend the Forum, either online or in-person across a number of UQ sites. It was really pleasing to see such strong participation from our community – and the broad interest and engagement of staff in the Q&A session at the end of the Forum.
I understand, however, that not all staff would have been able to attend on the day, so a recording of the event will be shared via UQ Update next week, along with the slides that I used in the Forum.
As I touched on yesterday, there are, as always, many achievements across our UQ community worth celebrating. Looking forward, there are several developments that will be the focus of attention over the coming months. I look forward to providing regular updates on these and encourage you to reach out if you do have any specific questions.
Our path to reconciliation
Today is National Sorry Day, when we remember and acknowledge the mistreatment and forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families and communities. It is also the sixth anniversary of the 2017 release of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a call for the constitutional recognition and empowerment of Indigenous Australians.
And tomorrow marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week. This year’s theme, ‘Be a Voice for Generations’, is an invitation to all Australians to actively promote reconciliation and cultivate a legacy of respect and open communication that will endure for generations to come. To mark National Reconciliation Week, we have many events across UQ locations including workshops, morning tea, markets and art exhibitions, and I encourage you to get involved.
Congratulations to our UQ colleagues
This week, Professor Pankaj Sah, Director of the Queensland Brain Institute, was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. This appointment recognises Professor Sah’s significant contribution to neuroscience over more than 25 years.
I am also delighted to announce that UniQuest has secured $2 million under the Medical Research Future Fund CUREator scheme for two startup companies, Micromune Therapeutics and Sycura Therapeutics, and two projects focused on health security, BioBandage and Insect Specific Flavivirus Platform.
And in breaking news, last night UQ Press was named ‘Small Publisher of the Year’ at the 2023 Australian Book Industry Awards. Congratulations to the whole UQP team, led by Ben James, who have now won this prestigious publishing industry award for 3 consecutive years.
Outback events a great success
I spent last weekend in Winton and Longreach, where I had the opportunity to meet with a range of local community leaders as part of UQ’s Regional Roadshow.
The Roadshow visit to Winton and Longreach was timed to coincide with the Festival of Outback Opera, which has become a major cultural and social event on the region’s calendar. It was a great privilege to watch 21 of our UQ School of Music students perform with some of Australia’s finest singers, musicians, and industry professionals under the stars in those spectacular outback settings.
Looking ahead
With exam time just around the corner, today is the last day of Semester 1 classes.
On Sunday, we will host the RSPCA Million Paws Walk fundraising event at St Lucia. I am looking forward to welcoming hundreds of humans and their furry friends to the campus. There is still time to register.
Then, next week, on Thursday 1 and Friday 2 June, we will host this year’s Times Higher Education (THE) Campus Live ANZ conference at St Lucia. The conference will involve many colleagues from across Australia and New Zealand, and it will be an excellent opportunity to connect and share ideas on enhancing the student experience and building institutional resilience.
I hope you have a great weekend.
With best wishes
Debbie
