UQ names Australian research chief as executive leader

The University of Queensland has appointed Australian Research Council (ARC) Chief Executive Officer Professor Aidan Byrne as its new Provost.

UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Peter Høj announced the appointment today, following an international search that generated interest from a strong field. 

“I am delighted that UQ has attracted a candidate with Professor Byrne’s extensive leadership experience and deep understanding of Australian higher education and the global context,” Professor Høj said.

“I look forward to working closely with him to continue building UQ’s reputation as a place where learning and research are mutually reinforcing, and where outreach is second nature.

“Professor Byrne’s experience on a range of influential committees will be a tremendous asset.

“He has, for instance, been a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council, the Expert Working Group of the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, and the Singapore National Research Foundation Advisory Board.”

Before becoming ARC CEO in July 2012, Professor Byrne held the dual role of Dean of Science and Director of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at the Australian National University (ANU).

He started at ANU as a Research Fellow in 1989, and was promoted through the ranks before serving as Head of the Department of Physics between 2004 and 2007. 

He has held postdoctoral positions with the University of Melbourne and in Bonn, Germany, where he was a von Humboldt Fellow.

A respected and accomplished researcher in nuclear physics (with more than 200 refereed publications), Professor Byrne has a PhD, Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.

Provost is a key UQ position, with senior executive leadership in strategic planning, academic quality, and budget and infrastructure management.

Professor Byrne will replace Professor Max Lu, who is now Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.

Professor Joanne Wright will continue to act as Provost pending Professor Byrne’s arrival at UQ later in the year.

Media: UQ, Fiona Kennedy, +61 7 3365 1384; ARC Stakeholder Relations, +61 412 623 056.