The University of Queensland community is deeply saddened by the passing of philanthropist Charles ‘Chuck’ Feeney, whose extraordinary generosity transformed the research landscape at UQ and across Australia, leading to many ground-breaking discoveries.
Over the past four decades, Chuck and his wife Helga donated more than $8 billion to causes around the world as part of their ‘Giving While Living’ philosophy: dedicate your wealth to charitable causes today, to see its impact within your lifetime.
This movement inspired countless others to make the world a better place through philanthropy.
The Feeneys were introduced to Australia in the 1990s through Chuck’s close friend, Brisbane tennis legend Ken Fletcher.
Fletcher helped organise the first meeting between Chuck and then-UQ Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay AC, in 1998.
Inspired by a desire to do good and an appreciation for our national culture, Chuck Feeney gave $550 million to projects across Australia, including more than $100 million to UQ through his foundation The Atlantic Philanthropies.
This generosity helped establish UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), Queensland Brain Institute (QBI), the Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), UQ’s Centre for Clinical Research, the Frazer Institute, the UQ Centre and UQ Art Museum.
These institutes have made world-leading discoveries in vaccine development, dementia, heart disease and motor neurone disease, and their research will continue to make a profound difference for years to come.
Chuck Feeney’s outstanding generosity and visionary leadership have shaped Queensland as a globally significant hub for research and innovation, and have paved the way for the expansion of educational opportunity across the world – particularly in Vietnam.
In July 2022, UQ renamed the walkway spanning UQ’s historic Forgan Smith Building ‘Feeney Way’ in recognition of Chuck and Helga’s generosity to the university.
It followed the unveiling of ‘Feeney Way’ at Chuck’s alma mater, Cornell University in 2021.
Like Cornell University’s recognition, UQ’s tribute tells the story of the transformative impact of the Feeney family and The Atlantic Philanthropies, featuring words of inspiration from Chuck and sharing his personal philosophy.
UQ also bestowed its highest honour, an Honorary Doctorate, upon Chuck and Helga Feeney, in recognition of their inspiring contributions to research and innovation in Australia and globally.
Click here to read more about some of the research discoveries made thanks to Chuck Feeney’s contributions.
Above left: 'Feeney Way' at the UQ St Lucia campus.
Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, +61 429 056 139.
