UQ announces next Vice-Chancellor

The University of Queensland has appointed Professor Peter Høj as its new Vice-Chancellor and President.

Professor Høj will start at UQ on Monday, October 8.

Professor Høj is the Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of South Australia and his previous roles include Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council and Managing Director of the Australian Wine Research Institute.

He was selected from a highly competitive field of candidates.

UQ Chancellor John Story congratulated Professor Høj, saying he will continue to build UQ’s momentum as a leader in learning and discovery that have far-reaching impacts.

“Professor Høj has excellent credentials to lead a large and complex organisation that competes and collaborates in global learning and research, and that has extensive links with government, industry and non-government partners.

“He will expand a tradition of Vice-Chancellors who have elevated UQ’s national and international stature, and have overseen tremendous contributions to the Queensland, Australian and international communities.

“In this regard I sincerely thank Professor Debbie Terry, who is providing invaluable leadership as Vice-Chancellor, and has been a key contributor to UQ’s academic direction for many years,” Mr Story said.

“Professor Terry will remain as Vice-Chancellor until Professor Høj commences and I look forward to her continuing leadership of the University”.

Professor Høj said he was honoured to be granted the opportunity to lead a research-intensive institution of UQ’s stature.

“I look forward to working with UQ staff, students and alumni to further enhance the University’s already excellent global reputation for learning, research and outreach activities across a full spectrum of academic disciplines,” he said.

Professor Høj has a Master of Science, PhD and Honorary Doctorate from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

He has served on the Prime Minister’s Science and Engineering Innovation Council, and his many awards include the Boehringer-Mannheim Medal from the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

In addition to his Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, he was recently appointed as a Foreign Member (Natural Sciences Class) of The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters.

For further biographical material, please visit: http://www.uq.edu.au/about/docs/peter-hoj-short-bio.pdf