University of Queensland renews VC’s contract

The University of Queensland Senate has extended the tenure of Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Terry AC, renewing her contract for five years, until February 2029.

Chancellor Peter Varghese AO,  said Professor Terry had displayed exceptional leadership, and the Senate decision to renew Professor Terry’s contract had been unanimous.

Mr Varghese said the University was ranked number one in the country by the Australian Financial Review in 2023 based on key measures of research performance and student satisfaction, and holds a strong position in international rankings.

“Under Professor Terry’s leadership, UQ continues to have an excellent strike rate for research grants, and we have the equal highest number of ‘Highly Cited’ researchers in Australia,” he said.

“We maintain a strong focus on commercialisation opportunities and enhanced engagement to encourage use of our research capability by government and industry on national priorities.”

The University also continues to be the nation’s most awarded university for teaching excellence over the 26 years of the Australian Awards for University Teaching.

Professor Terry said the University’s achievements were only possible due to the shared vision and values of a dedicated community.

“One of the initiatives I am particularly proud of is prioritising the accessibility of higher education for those from low socioeconomic backgrounds and rural communities, and Indigenous people.

“We have made considerable progress in relation to The Queensland Commitment and I look forward to working closely with government and the sector on the ambitious equity recommendations made in the Australian Universities Accord report.”

Mr Varghese said the Senate was confident UQ was on track to address the financial impacts of the pandemic and a further term would build on the University’s success.

“Since returning to UQ in 2020, Professor Terry has led the University effectively through the challenges of the global pandemic and 2022 floods,” Mr Varghese said.

“Our international student load returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and there has been progress toward diversifying this cohort.”

Professor Terry was Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor at UQ when she moved to Curtin University as Vice-Chancellor for six years, after starting her career in the UQ School of Psychology in 1990.

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