Global Partnerships

UQ-Latin American Colloquium

The 19th Annual Latin American Colloquium will address the theme 'Shared Futures, Shared Solutions: Australia–Latin America Cooperation in an Era of Global Volatility'.

The in-person Colloquium will explore practical pathways towards a sustainable and equitable future. Featuring speakers from Australia and Latin America, the program will highlight how universities and people-to-people connections can advance cooperation in sustainability, energy transitions, and systems resilience. Discussions and presentations will consider how social and cultural perspectives can inform thoughtful international engagement.


Register to attend

Call for student posters and lightning talks

Are you a UQ research student with an interest in Latin America? We invite you to participate in the student poster sessions and lightning talks at the 2026 Colloquium.

A People's Choice Prize will be awarded on the day.

Submissions close 25 August 2026.

Submit your research

Keynote speaker

 

Ambassador Prof. Arturo Cabrera-Hidalgo PhD, MPA, JD

Amb. Arturo Cabrera-Hidalgo PhD, MPA, JD

Former Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador and Academic Director of the Australia-Latin America Studies and Research Organisation (ALASRO)

Ambassador Arturo Cabrera-Hidalgo is an international lawyer, career diplomat, academic, and former Vice Minister and Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador. With nearly four decades of diplomatic service, he has represented Ecuador at the United Nations, the Organization of American States, and in senior diplomatic postings across Washington D.C., The Hague, Geneva, and Ankara. He has also served as Ambassador to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Palau, as well as Undersecretary General for Migration and Intelligence, and adviser to the President of Ecuador.

Professor Cabrera-Hidalgo holds a PhD from Leiden University, a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, and a Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of Ecuador. With more than 26 years of academic experience, he is currently an Honorary Professor at Australian Catholic University and Professor and Academic Director at the University of Canberra. An accomplished researcher and author, he has published widely on international relations, security, intelligence, migration, and diplomacy, including his latest book International Cooperation Regimes in Security and Intelligence, which is used as a reference text in academic institutions across several continents.

Program

This year’s Colloquium will be held exclusively in-person on Tuesday 8 September 2026 at UQ’s St Lucia campus.

Time (AEST)Activity
10–10:30amDoors and registrations open
10:30–10:50am
Colloquium opening and welcome addresses
10:50–11:30am

Keynote speaker followed by Q&A
Cooperation in a Changing Global Order: The Power of Universities and People-to-People Ties

11:30am–12:05pm

Panel
Sustainability, Energy Transitions, and Systems Resilience

  • Moderator: Professor Adrian Panow, Director, Energy Transition Network and Industry Professor, Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research and Innovation, UQ.
  • Associate Professor Kathy Witt, Interim Director, Gas & Energy Transition Research Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, UQ.
  • Ms Patricia Lee, Senior Manager, Sustainability Strategy Implementation, UQ.
  • Ms Louisa Nicolson, Lead Technical Advisor (Resource Rehabilitation), Office of the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner, Queensland Government.
12:05–12:40pm

Panel
Culture, Ideas, and Gender in Times of Change

  • Moderator: Dr Roberto Esposto, Spanish Major Convenor, School of Languages and Cultures,  Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, UQ.
  • Ms Marcela Lapertosa, President, LatinOz QLD.
  • Professor Shahar Hameiri, Professor, School of Political Science and International Studies, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, UQ.
  • Dr Melanie Saward, Lecturer, School of Communication and Arts, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, UQ.
12:40–1:40pmNetworking lunch with student poster session
1:40–2:10pm

Presentation
Sustainable Minerals Institute – International Centre of Excellence in Chile (SMI-ICE-Chile)

  • Professor Doug Aitken, Director, Centre for Environmental Responsibility in Mining, Sustainable Minerals Institute, UQ.

2:10–2:40pm

Student lightning talk followed by audience discussion

  • Moderator: Ms Fiona McGann, Former President, Latin American Student Association (LASA) 2025 and Student, School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, UQ.
2:40–2:55pmPresentation
UQ Embassy Internship Program
2:55–3pmAudience People's Choice Winner Announcement - Posters and lightning talks
3–3:10pm

Presentation
UQ Latin American Student Association

3:10–3:30pmClosing remarks

Contact

For more information about the event or UQ's engagement in Latin America, contact
Jessica Court, Senior Engagement Officer, Global Partnerships, UQ.

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