Business and professional leaders join UQ Board

Senior leaders of business, the professions and The University of Queensland have been appointed to the UQ Graduate School's Board which has held its first meeting.

The Graduate School Board advises on strategic postgraduate policies, activities, and directions at UQ.

"We deliberately chose Board Members who could offer UQ a diversity of experience and backgrounds," Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and Graduate School Director Professor Paul Greenfield said.

"The Board will chart future directions for UQ's already first-class postgraduate experience, and ask the hard questions that will help us to maintain our reputation as an institution that performs cutting-edge research.

"At a time when the government is maintaining pressure on the higher education sector to quantify the quality of its offerings, the Board's participation and input will be crucial."

The eight Board members are: Professor Peter Botsman (Director, Brisbane Institute); Dr Julian Clarke (Julian Clarke Consulting, Adelaide); Dr David Evans (Managing Director, UniQuest); Professor Paul Greenfield ; Andrew Greenwood (Minter Ellison); Associate Professor Alan Lawson (Deputy-Director, UQ Graduate School, and Dean of Postgraduate Students); David Merson (founder of software company Mincom); and Helen Rule (Director, Honeywell, Sydney).

As the main growth area for student recruitment at UQ, postgraduate studies will receive tailored advice from the Board.

"Postgraduate education is the area where the greatest improvement in Australian higher education is needed," Professor Botsman said."UQ will not only move forward in this area, it will move ahead of international best practice through a new emphasis on customised supervision, scholarly support and more flexible, timely post graduate study programs."

The Board has agreed to meet quarterly and the next meeting is planned for April/May.

For more information, contact Associate Professor Alan Lawson (336-53477, a.lawson@research.uq.edu.au) or Dr Tseen Khoo (Policy & Projects Officer; 336-58846, t.khoo@research.uq.edu.au).