The University of Queensland capped a successful year of achievement in 1999 by winning two of the prestigious Australian Awards for University Teaching in Canberra.
The awards to Dr Lloyd Davis and Professor Gabriel Moens mark a spectacular 90th year of achievement for the University, which was established by Act of Parliament on December 10, 1909.
Some of the major achievements this year for the University and its community have included:
o Opening of a purpose-built, technology-rich campus at UQ Ipswich, with student numbers expected to rise to 1500 in 2000. The campus has attracted heritage awards and competitive national funding for research projects.
o Confirmed commitment to establishing UQ Gatton as an international centre of excellence, raising its student target to 2500 in five years on the back of a $13 million funds injection.
o Announcement of the winning design for the Institute for Molecular Bioscience complex, and State Government confirmation of $87.5 million for bioscience and supercomputing initiatives, giving UQ the State's technology lead.
o UQ being as one of eight elite universities worldwide to host one of the Rotary Foundation's new centres for peace and conflict resolution studies from 2003.
o The University of Queensland being ranked in the top 20 of 79 universities reviewed by Asiaweek magazine in April.
o The University being rated the State's best University - and one of the best in Australia and the Asian region - in the 2000 edition of the independent consumer guide, Good Universities Guide to Australian Universities. The University also completed its term as Good Universities Guides 1998-1999 University of the Year for outstanding outcomes for graduates.
o The University continuing to attract the dominant share of the State's most able Year 12 students to its undergraduate program, the highest number of course first preferences, and the lion's share of Queensland's Australia Student Prize winners.
o UQ graduates again obtaining the best graduate outcomes in the State, with 85.4 percent of UQ graduates under the age of 25 available for full-time employment finding jobs within four months of finishing their degree.
o UQ continuing its push as of the nation's leading centres for postgraduate studies and one of the top two nationally for PhD completions. With a 6000-strong intellectual community of postgraduates, the University envisages that 25 percent of all UQ students will be studying for a postgraduate qualification within the next few years.
o Preliminary information which indicates the University has retained its second national ranking for the 20000 Research Quantum, the Federal Government's annual funds allocation based on overall research performance.
o The University of Queensland sharing in more than $7 million funding for Special Research Centres in the Australian Research Council's 2000 grants round.
o The University topping the nation in the ARC's Research Infrastructure Equipment and Facilities (RIEF) scheme with seven grants valued at $2.77 million.
o In medical research funding, the University attracting the second highest number of new grants nationally (56) in the National Health and Medical Research Council's 2000 round.
o UQ being announced a partner in seven of 26 Cooperative Research Centres announced in the 1999 round.
o The University becoming the first Australian university to introduce awards recognising outstanding performance and leadership potential among research staff with its UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards to seven researchers. They mirror the University's own awards for Teaching Excellence, the first introduced at any Australian university.
o In community activities, the University attracting more than 40,000 people to its open house, UQ Expo, in May; more than 30,000 people to courses and careers, open house and postgraduate events at St Lucia, Ipswich and Gatton campuses; and inaugural UQ Health Week activities. The University also attracting heavy community use of its Library, art galleries, museums, Brisbane Customs House, health and veterinary clinics, music concerts and public lectures, sporting facilities, cafes, picnic areas and other facilities. The University extended its community education programs and its outreach programs to schools and UQ academics provided their expertise to wider community audiences.
