The University of Queensland (UQ) has reinforced connections and opened new pathways for collaboration with the United Kingdom and Europe, following a Senior Executive Mission in April.
Led by Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Deborah Terry AC, the mission was one of UQ’s most comprehensive engagements in the region to date, with meetings and events across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scotland.
Professor Terry said the visit provided a valuable opportunity to engage with world‑leading universities, governments, industry and philanthropic organisations, while advancing new avenues for collaboration through initiatives such as Horizon Europe.
“Europe and the UK are key partners for UQ, and this visit reinforced the depth of our shared ambition,” Professor Terry said.
“There are significant opportunities to leverage our collective strengths and complementary expertise to address national and global priority areas.”
“Horizon Europe is a powerful enabler of large-scale, high-impact collaboration. Through this framework, UQ researchers can access world-class infrastructure and networks, and work alongside Europe’s best to accelerate solutions in areas such as health, sustainability and advanced technologies that matter to communities in Australia and across Europe.”
A key milestone of the mission was UQ’s participation in the 2026 Universitas 21 (U21) Presidents’ Meeting and Annual General Meeting in Glasgow, reflecting UQ’s leadership role within the global university network.
Across the United Kingdom, the delegation met with counterparts at Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and the University of Oxford, strengthening existing collaborations in health and medicine, genomics, artificial intelligence, sustainability, climate resilience and societal engagement.
The mission also included engagement with major industry and philanthropic organisations, including the Wellcome Trust and Anglo American, to explore opportunities in global health, research translation and sustainable resources. Meetings with Trade and Investment Queensland and the Australian High Commission supported alignment between research, innovation and trade priorities, while alumni and donor events in London provided opportunities to reconnect with UQ’s UK community.
A highlight of the visit was UQ’s first senior executive mission to Ireland, where meetings with Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin reflected growing collaboration in biomedical science, immunology, health, innovation and graduate education. The delegation also met with the Australian Embassy in Ireland and hosted a UQ Alumni and Friends reception in Dublin.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) Mr Brett Lovegrove said Ireland represents a particularly strong area of emerging opportunity for UQ.
“Our engagement in Ireland showed strong alignment across research, innovation and industry-connected education,” he said.
“There is clear potential to deepen collaboration with Irish university, government and industry partners, particularly in biomedical sciences, advanced manufacturing, agri‑food systems and digital technologies.”
In the Netherlands, discussions with Wageningen University & Research strengthened alignment in agriculture, food systems and environmental science. In Belgium, meetings with Ghent University advanced the long-standing Queensland–Ghent partnership, alongside high-level engagement with the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Research and Innovation in Brussels. A dinner was also hosted by the Australian Ambassador to Belgium, supporting Australia–EU research and innovation ties.
The visit included UQ’s participation in the 2026 U21 Presidents’ Meeting and Annual General Meeting in Glasgow.
