The University of Queensland has bolstered its commitment to training future generations of researchers by creating a new senior position with a focus on early career researchers.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield announced Professor Alan Lawson as the new Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Research Training). This is a 50 percent appointment, with Professor Lawson retaining some strategic planning and development responsibilities in the UQ Graduate School, where he has been Dean since 1998.
“UQ, as a leading Australian research university with global networks, has a responsibility to continuously improve its research performance,” Professor Greenfield said.
“It is essential that we strengthen and maintain a sustainable research community by giving research higher degree (doctor of philosophy and master of philosophy) students excellent training and mentoring.
“Fostering early career researchers and helping them to identify career pathways and develop the skills they will need is equally important.
“UQ has sound credentials in these areas, thanks significantly to Professor Lawson’s work over the past decade as Dean of the Graduate School. In 2007 we had around 3700 research higher degree students and 20 percent of them were international, from more than 90 countries.”
“The new position will enable Professor Lawson and the University as whole to build on its record, giving greater emphasis to research higher degree students, their transition into the workforce, and the development of talented early career researchers.”
The new Dean of the Graduate School is Professor Christa Critchley. Professor Critchley has been Deputy Dean since 2002 and has continued to carry out teaching and research in the School of Integrative Biology.
Professor Lawson’s research interests include higher education policy (relating particularly to research higher degrees), post-colonial theory and Australian literature.
He has a PhD from UQ, a Master of Arts from the Australian National University and a Bachelor of Arts with first class honours and a University Medal from the University of Newcastle. He has worked at UQ since 1975.
The Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Research Training) reports to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor David Siddle.
Professor Lawson’s and Professor Critchley’s appointments have immediate effect.
Media contact: Fiona Kennedy 3365 6060 0413 380 012
