There’s a story behind every graduate’s long black gown at The University of Queensland this December.
The 8086 graduating students include Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith, a graduating grandmother, a father who has completed a PhD on online parenting programs and a medical graduate who recently completed cancer treatment.
UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj said each graduation season was packed with success stories, often with students overcoming great challenges, distances and set-backs to achieve their goal of a world-class education.
“UQ graduations represent a celebration of many long hours of dedication to achieve a qualification from a university in the world’s top 50 in key rankings out of more than 10,000 universities worldwide,” he said.
“Each student is graduating with the skills and enterprising mindset to adapt to the way we operate in a rapidly changing world.”
“It’s particularly wonderful to see friends and family here from around Brisbane, across Australia and abroad to celebrate, as they have also sacrificed time and effort in support of the students.”
About 6500 of the graduating students will attend ceremonies at UQ’s St Lucia and Gatton campuses, with up to 30,000 guests expected.
December’s graduating students bring the global number of UQ graduates to more than 244,000 – including more than 12,850 PhDs.
Previous UQ graduates include Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, actor Geoffrey Rush, Wotif.com founders Andrew Brice and Graeme Wood, Queensland’s 19th Chief Justice Catherine Holmes, Nobel Prize winner Professor Peter Doherty and University of California San Francisco Chancellor Professor Sam Hawgood, to name a few.
“Each graduate joins a diverse, esteemed and growing community of UQ alumni doing great things globally in government, industry, research, business, the arts and not-for-profit organisations,” Professor Høj said.
“We’re always so proud to hear of the latest successes and innovations from our alumni community, and we reach out to each student on their graduation day to stay in touch with us well into the future.”
Professor Høj said people who wanted to study at UQ in 2017 should apply through the Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre.
Prospective students can find more information on UQ here.
December 2016 dates and times.
They can also contact UQ Admissions on (07) 3365 2203 or admissionsenquiries@uq.edu.au for information.
Follow one graduate on her big day on UQ’s Small Change blog.
Media: UQ Communications, communications@uq.edu.au, 07 3346 0561.
