UQ and the Pacific

From good neighbours to strategic partners

The Pacific is central to UQ’s global engagement—as neighbours, partners and collaborators. Built on long-standing relationships across the region, UQ works with Pacific partners in medicine, health, science and international development to strengthen economic, governance and social systems. Through collaborative research in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions, we also support the protection of oceans, crops and ecosystems that Pacific communities depend on—advancing shared resilience and sustainable futures.

Fast facts

Dataset includes Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu.



97

Students from the Pacific enrolled at UQ


43

Pacific-UQ co-publications


11

academic staff born in the Pacific


6

research project collaborations


1,168

alumni in the Pacific


11

agreements with 11 official partners

Fast facts show full year 2025 data. 

Collaboration in action

  • Laura Wawun-Kiri, Practice Manager from the Office of the State Solicitor is one of the 36 participants who attended the four-day short course on information studies for law and justice facilitated by the University of Queensland for the Pacific Leadership and Governance Precinct.

  • UQ student Patrick Walsh, 22, is one of seven UQ undergraduate students to receive New Colombo Plan scholarships in this round, with other recipients heading to Indonesia, Singapore, Japan and South Korea.
  • It’s the end of a long journey for twenty women from Papua New Guinea who will graduate from The University of Queensland today. The public servants, all recipients of the government-funded Australia Awards Fellowship-PNG, studied a tailored Graduate Certificate in Governance and Public Policy in the School of Political Science and International Studies.
  • The University of Queensland hosted diplomatic leaders from almost 70 countries at an Ambassadorial Reception and Dinner at the National Arboretum in Canberra last month.
  • Today, the Mt Hagen market remains a preferred place to buy and sell and continues to generate significant benefits to Highlands’ communities, despite generally poor service delivery by market management. Lessons have been learned from the Mt Hagen market redevelopment that can inform future market developments in PNG.

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Alumni

UQ has more than 2,148 alumni in the Pacific (excluding Australia). Alumni with strong links to the region include:

Papua New Guinea

Member of Parliament for Alotau electorate, Minister for Planning, Papua New Guinea (Bachelor of Economics, 1989)
Kiribati

President of Kiribati (Master of Economic Studies 2002)
Samoa

Law lecturer, School of Law University of South Pacific (PhD, 2013)
Fiji

Leader of the National Federation Party, Shadow Minister for Finance, Planning and National Statistics, Fiji (PhD 1998)
Papua New Guinea

Director of the Papua New Guinea National Research Institute (PhD Applied Economics 2013)
Papua New Guinea

Member of Parliament for Gazelle Open and Minister Transport & Infrastructure (Masters of Agribusiness 2002)
Kiribati

Commissioner of Police & Superintendent of Prison at Kiribati Police and Prison Service (Master of Philosophy 2004)
Brisbane/Tonga

Summer and Winter Olympian for Taekwondo and cross-country skiing representing Tonga (Bachelor of Engineering 2007)