Dear staff,
I wanted to share with you an important initiative that will be launching in the coming weeks for staff – the UQ Strategy Jam.
The Strategy Jam will be the first step towards the development of our next Strategic Plan, which will define the University’s strategic direction and priorities over the coming four years – from 2022 to 2025.
Staged over four weeks from 18 May to 11 June, the Strategy Jam will consist of a series of interactive, online sessions where we want you to contribute your ideas on UQ’s future.
The outcomes of the Strategy Jam will also help to inform our subsequent engagements with students, alumni, government and industry partners – to get a sense of how they view UQ’s role and our future direction.
Given the many disruptions we have faced over the past year, I think that now is the perfect time to reflect on how our operating model has been affected by the pandemic; consider the new risks and challenges that we face in this changed landscape; and assess the emerging opportunities that we’ll need to capture in order to secure UQ’s future success and sustainability.
The Strategy Jam page on the UQ website provides more details, including the key themes that we will be discussing. We will provide further updates over the coming weeks, and I encourage you to register your interest in participating in this important discussion about the future of our University.
Of course, research will be one of the key themes at the Strategy Jam, and last night, I had the privilege of attending an event to celebrate UQ’s outstanding researchers, including 32 Highly Cited Researchers, two ARC Laureates and seven NHMRC Leadership Fellows. It was a wonderful occasion – and yet another reminder of the strength of our leading researchers right across UQ.
We also had great news yesterday with the announcement of the establishment of a new facility within AIBN that could be producing high-quality, high-purity mRNA vaccines and cancer therapies for research and development within months. Supported by funding from the Australian Government, this new facility will harness expertise from across the UQ research community. Congratulations to all involved, including Professor Alan Rowan, Associate Professor Timothy Mercer, Professor Trent Munro, Professor Linda Lau and their teams.
On a more sombre note, I attended the ANZAC Day Service at King’s College last Sunday. At the service, Paul Davidson, a UQ alumnus who now holds a senior role in the Royal Australian Navy, delivered a moving speech about the meaning of ANZAC Day. I’d like to echo his acknowledgement of all those who have served their country and lost their lives to war.
I am sure that, like me, many of you are also watching on with great concern at the tragic situation with the spread of the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Over recent days, the University has reached out to our partners and agents that operate in India, as well as the UQ Indian Student Club, to advise them of the support that is available to the 315 UQ students who are currently studying in India. We’ll also be writing directly to these students today to advise them of this support. If you would like to make a personal contribution to the relief effort, then CARE Australia is running a COVID-19 Crisis Appeal to provide urgent healthcare support for the people of India.
Finally, it is unusual to have a short working week, like this one, that is wedged between two long weekends. I hope that you get the chance to relax and enjoy the break.
With best wishes
Debbie
Professor Deborah Terry AO
Vice-Chancellor and President
The University of Queensland
T +61 7 3365 1300
E vc@uq.edu.au W uq.edu.au
