UQ gets new Head of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies

An international expert in German literature and philosophy has been appointed Head of School and Professor of German at the School of Languages and Comparative Cultural Studies at The University of Queensland (UQ).
Professor Tim Mehigan, previously Professor of Languages at the University of Otago, New Zealand, joins UQ with an impressive track record.

Prior to his eight-year appointment at Otago, Professor Mehigan held a number of prominent positions in language studies over 15 years at the University of Melbourne.

He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities, former President of the German Studies Association of Australia and was Humboldt Fellow at the University of Munich in 1994 and 1995.

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts Professor Fred D'Agostino said Professor Mehigan was ideally qualified to continue the School’s progress towards being internationally recognised as a world leading school of languages and cultures.

“Tim did an outstanding job at the University of Otago," Professor D’Agostino said.

"He was responsible for improving research output by 200 percent over nine years and for the effective consolidation and governance of their languages ‘super-department’.”

Professor Mehigan said he was looking forward to the new challenge at UQ.

“The School has established itself as the main provider of Languages Other Than English (LOTE) in Queensland and also has a good reputation in many areas within LOTE both nationally and internationally. There is great potential and opportunity to develop this much further,” Professor Mehigan said.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the School at this important time in its development.”

Media: Professor Tim Mehigan, 07 3365 6935, t.mehigan@uq.edu.au or Lynda Flower, 07 3365 6247, l.flower@uq.edu.au