COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT
REPORT
2024
Message from the Vice-Chancellor and President
In presenting the 2024 UQ Community Engagement Report, I am once again reminded of the remarkable contributions made throughout the year by UQ’s staff, students, alumni, donors and partners who share our mission of delivering for the public good.
This year, we launched The Queensland Commitment Roadmap, outlining 58 strategic actions that UQ will implement to ensure more equitable access to education by 2032. We are committed to nurturing the talents and aspirations of young Queenslanders through the provision of more needs-based scholarships and improved university pathway programs. The Queensland Commitment aims to create sustained change that is informed by research and enabled through philanthropy and partnerships with our alumni, schools, Queensland communities and all levels of government.
In 2024, we celebrated 15 years of the Young Achievers Program (YAP) and 11 years of InspireU – proven programs that encourage and support underrepresented secondary school students to pursue higher education. Under The Queensland Commitment initiative, we have now set a goal to double participation in these programs by 2032.
In December, we also launched our Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan (Stretch RAP), which is the result of many years of hard work and dedication. Building on our inaugural RAP, this extended plan will further embed reconciliation across UQ, making it business as usual and strengthening our commitment to become a leader in reconciliation.
As our approach to community engagement continues to develop and mature, we are seeking to demonstrate the power of UQ as a force for social good in communities everywhere, and embed best-practice approaches to community outreach and engagement in all aspects of the University’s operations.
Thank you to everyone who partnered with UQ to further our efforts and our impact in 2024. Together, we’re creating lasting change.
Professor Deborah Terry AC
Vice-Chancellor and President
Message from the Chief Community Engagement Officer
This report is a testament to UQ’s ongoing commitment to Community Engagement. From bolstering rural and regional health to broadening access to the arts, we continue to expand our impact with each year.
The activities and outcomes highlighted in this year’s report are just a taste of all we accomplished towards these goals with the help of our partners in 2024.
We also celebrated the positive impact of sport in our community through a calendar of activities surrounding the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, from live blogs to watch parties. As we prepare for 2032, we are excited to continue to grow our support for community sporting initiatives and ensure all Queenslanders can access these opportunities.
I share our Vice-Chancellor’s gratitude to all our supporters and partners – the extraordinary community impact outlined in this report is enabled by your dedication to positive and lasting change.
Mikaeli Costello
Chief Community Engagement Officer
The Queensland Commitment
The Queensland Commitment is our pledge to build a brighter future for our state by 2032. By partnering closely with communities across Queensland, we are working to advance educational equity and build aspiration.
In April 2024, our work towards the goals of The Queensland Commitment took an important leap forward with the publication of The Queensland Commitment Roadmap.
The Roadmap outlines our pathway forward through 58 actions and 106 targets to help address educational equity and deliver better outcomes for Queensland, including:
- Raising $250 million to support research and increase the number of perpetual scholarships for students in need.
- Doubling the intake of pathway programs for underrepresented students through YAP and InspireU.
- Strengthening our partnerships with schools and Regional University Study Hubs across Queensland.
- Collaborating with our network of over 350,000 UQ alumni in 190 countries to foster aspiration and strengthen bonds with Queensland communities.
In 2024, we have grown our partnerships with Queensland's Regional University Study Hubs, including delivering activities for school-aged students, and look forward to expanding this work in 2025 and beyond to deliver on our shared goals.
This year we also appointed Veronica Pritchard as Program Director for The Queensland Commitment to help us deliver on these promises.
Veronica brings with her a wealth of experience in addressing equity in education, primarily in New Zealand. We welcome her to the team and thank her for the energy and passion she has already brought to this important initiative.
Jennifer Karlson
Vice-President, Advancement and Community Engagement
The Queensland Commitment in numbers
$31.2 million
committed to date
262
funds supported
To date, over 3,903 donors have partnered with us to support our work on this program. They have supported more than 262 funds, 227 of which are scholarship funds that directly assist underrepresented students as they commence their journey at UQ.
Celebrating and supporting Indigenous communities
The Indigenous Engagement Division has had another busy year, marked by dedication, progress and resolve.
In October, Dr Lilla Watson, UQ’s first Australian Indigenous tutor, was honoured for her many contributions with the naming of Lilla Watson Place.
The new open textbook UQ has a Blak History was published in September 2024 and is now available online.
Australia’s Indigenous languages are to be protected and preserved through the development of a centralised digital archive in a collaboration between UQ and the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) in the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA).
Dr Margaret Valadian AO MBE, the first Australian Indigenous woman to complete a university degree, was posthumously awarded an Honorary Doctorate from UQ. Award-winning author Dr Alexis Wright FAHA was also awarded a UQ Honorary Doctorate in early May, while Aunty Ivy Trevallion, highly regarded social worker and community leader, and Melissa Lucashenko, passionate advocate for social justice and an acclaimed author, received Honorary Doctorates in December.
National NAIDOC Week saw various events take place across the UQ campuses, with the Keynote Lecture from Professor Megan Davis being a definite highlight.
Finally, the landmark ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures, also known as the Indigenous Futures Centre (IFC), celebrated its launch in early June.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to these extraordinary achievements this year. As we also celebrated the launch of UQ’s Stretch RAP in December, we can look ahead with excitement to an even more productive year in 2025.
Professor Bronwyn Fredericks
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement)
InspireU
Building aspiration through inspiration
In 2024, 130 students attended InspireU Camps (Years 7-12) and 41 of these students have applied through QTAC to study at UQ.
This represents an increase in the number of InspireU students applying to study at UQ by 11%.
- 41 applied
- 17 students accepted
- 30 preferenced UQ 1st; 6 as 2nd; 4 as 3rd
We currently have 61 InspireU students studying at UQ in 2024 compared to 44 InspireU students in 2023.
“I attended the Spring InspireU Camp (Business, Economics & Law) as a Year 11 student in 2024. I come from a rural NSW town and have never visited Queensland before. The University of Queensland was definitely a new experience for me. InspireU certainly did inspire me to explore new places to learn and broaden my interests. This camp solidified my interest in law and had so many different activities to provide further knowledge. St Lucia’s campus really caught my eye, the area was so serene which makes the learning process so much more enjoyable.”
“I say you should definitely come to an InspireU camp, not only are the lessons great, but the people you meet are amazing. I have made lots of great friends at the camp. The classes showed us in depth, how to apply to university and how to be a successful student. As well learning what opportunities are available to us if we chose to come to UQ, it also emphasized the possibilities as university students.”
Celebrating and supporting Indigenous communities
The Indigenous Engagement Division has had another busy year, marked by dedication, progress and resolve.
In October, Dr Lilla Watson, UQ’s first Australian Indigenous tutor, was honoured for her many contributions with the naming of Lilla Watson Place.
The new open textbook, UQ has a Blak History was published in September 2024 and is now available online.
Australia’s Indigenous languages are to be protected and preserved through the development of a centralised digital archive in collaboration between UQ and the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) in the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA).
Dr Margaret Valadian AO MBE, the first Australian Indigenous woman to complete a university degree, was posthumously awarded an Honorary Doctorate from UQ. Award-winning author, Dr Alexis Wright FAHA was also awarded a UQ Honorary Doctorate in early May.
National NAIDOC Week saw various events take place across the UQ campuses, with the Inaugural Keynote Lecture from Professor Megan Davis being a definite highlight.
Finally, the landmark ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures, also known as the Indigenous Futures Centre (IFC), celebrated its launch in early June.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to these extraordinary achievements this year. As we celebrated the launch of UQ’s Stretch RAP in December, we looked ahead with excitement to an even more productive year in 2025.
Professor Bronwyn Fredericks
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement)
InspireU
Building aspiration through inspiration
In 2024, 130 students attended InspireU Camps (Years 7-12) and 41 of these students have already applied through QTAC to study at UQ.
This represents an increase in the number of InspireU students applying to study at UQ by 11%.
- 40 applied
- 17 students accepted
- 30 preferenced UQ 1st; 6 as 2nd; 4 as 3rd
We currently have 61 InspireU students studying at UQ in 2024 compared to 44 InspireU students in 2023.
“I attended the Spring InspireU Camp (Business, Economics & Law) as a Year 11 student in 2024. I come from a rural NSW town and have never visited Queensland before. The University of Queensland was definitely a new experience for me. InspireU certainly did inspire me to explore new places to learn and broaden my interests. This camp solidified my interest in law and had so many different activities to provide further knowledge. St Lucia’s campus really caught my eye, the area was so serene which makes the learning process so much more enjoyable.”
- Summer, InspireU participant
“I say you should definitely come to an InspireU camp, not only are the lessons great, but the people you meet are amazing. I have made lots of great friends at the camp. The classes showed us in depth, how to apply to university and how to be a successful student. As well learning what opportunities are available to us if we chose to come to UQ, it also emphasized the possibilities as university students.”
- Jaycee, InspireU participant
15 years of the Young Achievers Program
Now in its 15th year, the Young Achievers Program (YAP) continues to go from strength to strength, enabling bright futures for students from underrepresented groups through its unique combination of mentorship, scholarship support and leadership development.
Highlights for 2024 include:
- Introduction of the new YAP Lounge – a space for YAP students to hang out, study and socialise on campus.
- The first-ever YAP Graduation Ball to celebrate 61 graduating students in 2024, with 59 students in attendance.
- 121 students commencing in the YAP, a 10% increase from 2023.
- 208 year 11 and 12 students attending YAP residential camps at St Lucia in January.
- Welcome and Celebration events held across Queensland (Brisbane, Toowoomba, Roma, Goondiwindi, Bundaberg and Rockhampton) to welcome new students, celebrate Year 12 students finishing the program and also celebrate 15 years of YAP.
"My experience with YAP is one of lasting friendships, a sense of community, and growing self-assurance, not to mention instrumental financial support and an accommodation scholarship. The program has given me the means and confidence to move from a small country town to UQ in pursuit of my interests in anthropology and the social sciences. I’ll always be grateful to be part of YAP."
UQ Regional Roadshow 2024
Another year of connections across Queensland
Now in its 3rd year, UQ’s Regional Roadshow continues to celebrate our students, staff, alumni and diverse partners across the state, and strengthen relationships with leaders in education, government and industry, alongside First Nations peoples and members of the local community.
Together, we are working on strategies to build new pathways for students to study at UQ, sharing our academic expertise and building our industry partnerships with regional communities, alongside growing our Queensland alumni networks. Our strategic discussions with key community leaders continue to highlight local collaboration and partnerships as critical to our goal of delivering real impact for communities.
In 2024, the Regional Roadshow:
- visited 15 locations across 9 Regional Development Areas (RDAs); and
- met with over 1,300 community members in regional, rural and remote locations.
Regional Roadshow highlight
Improving our impact through partnerships
In order to deliver greater impact to Queensland communities, in 2024 we continued to grow our strategic partnerships as part our regional roadshows.
Our partnership with Business Chamber Queensland saw 4 Innovation for Growth workshops take place across the State, led by Professor Tim Kastelle, Director of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy at UQ.
The workshops focused on eliciting the existing capacity of regional and rural businesses to innovate in changing environments, and identified opportunities for future workshops to address the needs of diverse business communities.
We look forward to delivering more of these workshops in 2025.
Our work with Inspiring Australia Queensland (IAQ) continued to support regional STEM outreach and raised awareness in regional communities of the opportunities in STEM-based professions.
Engagements showcased the diverse STEM career opportunities for women to high school students in Warwick on International Women’s Day, and brought a family-friendly STEM Fair to Cloncurry for the launch of National Science Week.
Regional Roadshow highlight
Marking the 80th anniversary of the US Military Hospital at Gatton
In late August, 130 guests including government representatives, military personnel, local community and staff and students of the UQ Gatton campus both past and present, gathered to commemorate a unique part of the campus history.
In March 1942, mere months after General Macarthur established his Pacific war base in Brisbane, the Queensland Agricultural College and High School (as Gatton campus was then known) was identified as an ideal military hospital base.
The College had just one day to relocate, and from March 1942 until July 1944 the 153rd US Army Hospital, and subsequently the 105th Harvard General Hospital, occupied 85 acres.
Over this period, Gatton hosted more than 19,000 wounded servicemen plus 3,000 Army doctors, nurses, civilians and Red Cross personnel.
The impact of this important historical moment was recognised by guests at this event commemorating 80 years since the US Army’s departure from campus.
The legacy of the 105th General Hospital is still felt today by those who were there, those who benefitted from the US Army infrastructure on campus and those in the Australian Armed Forces whose personnel continue to come largely from regional Queensland communities.
The history of the 105th General Hospital at Gatton and the commemorative event celebrating its 80th anniversary were recognised through media coverage in The Lockyer and Somerset Independent (left, 5 September 2024) and the Sunday Mail (right, August 25 2024).
The history of the 105th General Hospital at Gatton and the commemorative event celebrating its 80th anniversary were recognised through media coverage in The Lockyer and Somerset Independent (left, 5 September 2024) and the Sunday Mail (right, August 25 2024).
The history of the 105th General Hospital at Gatton and the commemorative event celebrating its 80th anniversary were recognised through media coverage in the Sunday Mail (below top, August 25 2024) and The Lockyer and Somerset Independent (below bottom, 5 September 2024).
Regional Roadshow highlight
Improving rural and regional health services
The UQ Regional Roadshow continues to shine a spotlight on important developments in rural and regional health.
During our visit to Chinchilla in July, the Southern Queensland Rural Health (SQRH) Education and Training Centre was officially opened by The Hon Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health. SQRH is a collaboration between UQ, the University of Southern Queensland, Darling Downs Health and South West Hospital and Health Service.
The Centre, funded through the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, is a partnership between SQRH and Southern Cross Care Queensland and is co-located at the Illoura Village aged care facility.
The official launch saw community stakeholders, government officials, university partners, health service providers, Illoura residents and university students come together to celebrate the opening and its intended impact on growing the rural health workforce with a focus on aged care and healthy ageing.
"Since the establishment of this initiative in Chinchilla, SQRH has supported over 80 health students undertaking clinical placements in Chinchilla and surrounds. SQRH plays a vital role in the community by growing the capacity of health services to provide student placements and supporting those students to undertake part of their health education in a rural location."
The University was also awarded $8.8 million in additional funding from the Department of Health and Aged Care in 2024 to support our regional medical program in Wide Bay/Central Queensland.
Through these initiatives, and with the support of our partners, UQ is training our future medical workforce while addressing urgent needs in rural and regional health.
Inspiring Australia Queensland
Inspiring communities through STEM
Inspiring Australia Queensland (IAQ) had a great year bringing STEM to regional and remote communities across Queensland.
IAQ sponsored tables at the Zonta International Women’s Day event in Warwick where Professor Deborah Terry AC and IAQ ambassadors Dr Mariel Familiar-Lopez and Amy Beckett spoke of their experiences and the importance of STEM education for women and girls.
We also supported National Science Week in Queensland with our first outback launch in Cloncurry in partnership with the Cloncurry Shire Council. Set up as a mini-STEM fair, over 200 participants were welcomed by the local Deadly Dancers and Associate Professor Colin Saltmere AM before enjoying a range of STEM activities hosted by academics, local industry and national grant recipients.
Additional national science week events were hosted by Seed Grant recipients and IAQ Hubs, with over 317 events registered across Queensland during the week.
Inspiring our community through expanded access to the arts
The arts were once again an area of focus across UQ’s community engagement efforts in 2024 through the flourishing UQ Arts initiative and other programs.
UQ Art Museum launched the Oceans Pathway in partnership with the Art Gallery of New South Wales. This program will create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators and curators through longform professional development opportunities, encouraging knowledge sharing and community collaboration.
UQ Art Museum was also a proud exhibition partner of the Australia Pavilion at the 2024 Venice Biennale. Archie Moore’s exhibition kith and kin was awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for Best National Participation, a first for an Australian artist. UQ Art Museum partnered with Creative Australia to deliver cultural mediation training for Australia Pavilion staff, empowering them to relay Archie Moore’s critical messages of First Nations truth telling to visiting audiences.
In 2024, the national tour of UQ Art Museum's OCCURRENT AFFAIR: proppaNOW travelled to USC Gallery, University of Sunshine Coast and Artspace Mackay. The exhibition has now toured to 6 cultural institutions across Australia thanks to a partnership with Museums and Galleries of NSW and funding from Vision Australia and Create NSW.
Meanwhile, the UQ Anthropology Museum saw its touring exhibition Kirrenderri: heart of the channel country visit Cairns on the 6th stop on its tour across the state (16 March–24 June). This exhibition, which has previously been displayed in Winton, Biloela, Birdsville and Longreach, gave over 35,000 community members access to rarely seen artefacts, historic and contemporary photographs, letters, maps, archaeological discoveries and rare interviews exploring the cultural and aesthetic riches of the Mithaka region of Channel Country. The success of the tour was recognised at the recent Museums and Galleries Services Queensland Achievement Awards, held in Toowoomba in October.
This year also saw a major performing arts landmark in the neighbourhood of our St Lucia campus in Brisbane with the reopening of the revitalised Avalon Theatre. Through its restoration, the University continues to support the future of local arts and culture, and the next generation of talent at UQ.
UQ Neighbours
Growing community engagement in our own backyard
In 2024, we launched UQ Neighbours: a new initiative to encourage the communities surrounding our campuses to feel more welcome within their bounds and to raise awareness of community offerings.
Launch events were held in Gatton and St Lucia, with St Lucia kicking off with A Day at the Lake, presented in partnership with Brisbane Festival.
Local residents were invited to come to campus to explore the newly revitalised UQ Lakes precinct through free ecological tours and a family-friendly treasure hunt, among other activities.
In 2024 we engaged with over
8,900
UQ Neighbours
(residents of the Lockyer Valley and
Walter Taylor Ward where our
Gatton and St Lucia campuses are located)
"Every moment of this event was a testament to the vibrant spirit of our community. The atmosphere was electric with cheers, and it was truly heartwarming to witness all the love and support for our incredibly passionate performers. A huge thank you to UQ for the unforgettable Saturday arvo at UQ Lakes and Amphitheatre."
Celebrating volunteerism
Volunteering plays a crucial role in bringing communities together and supporting common goals, and UQ is proud to support a culture of volunteering across our staff and students.
The UQ Colleges have a long history of encouraging student volunteerism. In 2024, the 8 colleges supported around 35 charitable organisations through volunteering and fundraising initiatives, raising over $90,000.
This focus on the value of volunteering fosters future leaders who continue to play important roles in the success of their communities.
To recognise and celebrate outstanding students who have participated in or led community service initiatives that have made a demonstrable impact on the wider Brisbane community, we were pleased to partner with Councillor Penny Wolff from the Walter Taylor Ward to launch the Walter Taylor Ward Community Service Award.
The inaugural recipient was Lucy Crockett, a Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours) student from Duchesne College. Lucy has organised workshops and events that connect UQ residential colleges with local residents and raised funds for initiatives that support local communities, such as Eat Up Australia which ensures vulnerable children have access to nutritious meals.
Thank you to the partners, alumni, staff members and students who have contributed to our community engagement efforts in 2024.
We look forward to continuing and expanding this important work in 2025.
Acknowledgement of Country
The University of Queensland (UQ) acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which UQ operates. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country. We recognise their valuable contributions to Australian and global society.
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