It’s Diversity Week!

The University of Queensland is celebrating its ninth Diversity Week, with an event calendar packed full of rich and vibrant activities.

Diversity Week is an opportunity to celebrate the increasing diversity of the UQ community and to raise awareness of current issues that are impacting on the world’s diverse people, groups and communities.

Events include a concert by the lake on Thursday, May 26 at 12.30pm, with the UQ Big Band playing originals, swing favourites and distinctive arrangements of ethnic music and jazz.

The UQ Union is hosting a cultural fiesta on Tuesday, May 24 from 10am – 2pm at Campbell Place. The event will feature student clubs showcasing their national foods, costumes and dance plus roving performers, stalls and dancing dragons.

Throughout the week, highly commended images from the School of Political Science and International Studies photography competition will be on display on Level 5 of the General Purpose North Building. The photographs showcase the ways in which students and alumni at UQ have captured diversity and cross-cultural encounters, often while undertaking their research and study.

Students from across the globe who were either personally affected by the January floods or engaged in community efforts to assist others affected by recent disasters will share their experiences as part of a panel discussion on Monday, May 23 from 12pm -1.30pm in the Physiology Lecture Theatres (Room 360).

The Vice-Chancellor's Equity and Diversity Award and the Diversity Week Alumni Award – to be held on May 26 – recognise the outstanding contributions by staff, students and graduates of The University of Queensland who are pursuing inclusive initiatives that benefit others.

The awards will also include a panel discussion chaired by ABC Radio presenter Mr Richard Fidler. Director Co-Founder of Wotif.com and Chairman Uqef, Mr Graeme Wood, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Education) The University of Queensland, Professor Cindy Shannon, and Kenyan Peace advocate, Mr Joseph Hongoh are guest panelists at the awards night and will participate in an interactive panel discussion around the topic Advancing Diversity or reinforcing privilege? – The global role of universities.

With this year's theme of Advancing Diversity, UQ aims to challenge its staff, students, alumni and wider community members to consider how they might make a positive difference, nationally and internationally, in promoting greater acceptance and celebration of the world's diversity.

Director of The Equity Office, Dr Ann Stewart said Diversity Week was a chance to highlight and celebrate the cultural diversity of students, staff, alumni and partners.

“Almost 9000 of our 40,000 students are international, hailing from more than 134 countries, and the network of more than 180,000 UQ alumni stretches around the globe,” Dr Stewart said.

“Many UQ staff and alumni have played a transformational role in making the world a better place and improving the lives and circumstances of people, particularly those who are disadvantaged, in almost every area imaginable; engineering, medicine and public health, agriculture, science, conflict resolution, environmental sustainability, education, social science and across the humanities.”

Media: Penny Robinson at UQ Communications (07 3365 9723, penny.robinson@uq.edu.au).