SDG 16 – Peace, justice and strong institutions

Source: https://about.uq.edu.au/strategy-values/sustainability/sustainable-development-goals/sdg-16-peace-justice-strong-institutions Parent: https://about.uq.edu.au/faculties-institutes/bel/about/contact

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.

2024 progress

In 2024, The University of Queensland (UQ) contributed to Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions, with activities spanning governance, education, outreach, research and innovation.

UQ’s Research Roadmap recognises that as a leading public research university, UQ has a major role to play in working collaboratively at the state and national level to address complex challenges facing Australia. UQ also supports reconciliation as well as Australia’s commitment to capacity-building across the Indo-Pacific.

Operationally, we ensure that decision-making includes a wide range of perspectives through our strong governance model with diverse representation on committees, and through the UQ Student Union (UQU), which plays a key role in student advocacy.

Our collaborations with Indigenous communities, local councils, and civil society organisations shape many of UQ’s research initiatives, supporting empowerment of people and communities. Government engagement is also critical, and we regularly provide expert advice, customised training and evidence-based technical and strategic input into shaping policy.

In teaching and learning, UQ offers legal education in criminal law, human rights and anti-corruption that includes hands-on experience in legal clinics, internships, and international programs, ensuring students are equipped to make a real-world difference to leading change, both locally and globally.

Read our SDG 16 2024 report (PDF, 344.52 KB)

See how we make a difference across key areas:

• University governance
• Partnership with government

University governance

UQ prides itself on strong governance and on seeking multiple perspectives on key issues to support sound decision making and the development of robust policies and procedures across various areas of our operations. As outlined in The Queensland Commitment, we aim to make informed decisions that are evidence-based, community-centric and measurable, through capturing community sentiment towards UQ as a values-based organisation and establishing a method to integrate these insights into the planning for UQ decision making.

How we are achieving this

Elected representation

The UQ Senate is The University's highest governing body, as constituted by the University of Queensland Act 1998. The primary role of Senate is to exercise oversight of The University and its affairs. In particular, Senate ensures that the appropriate structures, policies, processes and planning are in place for UQ to effectively manage its activities and achieve its goals. Senate reviews and approves the strategic direction of The University as outlined in UQ's Strategic Plan 2022-2025. The 35th Senate runs from 2022 to 2025 and includes official, appointed and elected members. The elected positions are:

• 1 postgraduate student (as of 2025, Mr Richard Lee)
• 1 undergraduate student (as of 2025, Mr Joshua Marsh)
• 1 member of the Academic Board (as of 2025, Professor Greg Hainge)
• 1 member of the full-time or part-time academic staff (as of 2025, Professor Kristen Lyons)
• 1 member of the full-time or part-time general (non-faculty) staff (as of 2024, Dr Dino Willox)

Student's Union

The UQ Union (UQU) is recognised as an independent student body that represents the interests of students. UQ encourages student participation in the UQ Union as part of student representation for careers and employability. The Union provides governance input with a number of representatives sitting on important University committees, such as the Teaching, Learning and Student Experience Committee (TLSEC) and Committee for Academic Programs Policy (CAPP). Union members also work with other elected representatives to advocate for student interests at all levels of governance at UQ. UQ Union is partly funded by the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SAFF), a fee required by the Australian Government to help provide student services, support and amenities. The University collaborates with UQU on a range of issues, including negotiating the Services Agreement (PDF, 43.73 KB), maintaining critical student services and legacy student spaces. It also lists the UQU as an official organisational unit on UQ’s website.

UQU is committed to providing support for students, hosts student clubs and societies and provides social activities, as articulated on the UQU homepage: 'UQU are here to support you throughout your uni experience. We’ve got a range of programs to help empower you to feel and do your best — beyond just academics. From wellbeing support to legal and career guidance, our free and independent advocacy and support team are here to ensure you thrive, not just survive. With more than 220 Clubs and Societies, there’s a group for everyone — and don’t forget the UQU Collectives connecting and representing minority groups on campus. Or perhaps making mates while volunteering is more your thing. Whatever your interest, there’s a community for you at UQU.'

The UQU Impact Report 2024 (PDF, 10.53 MB) outlines the support and social activities that the union provided for students throughout 2024.

Examples of support provided to students by the UQU in 2024 include:

• The UQ Student Rights Collective. In 2024, the collective:
• made several submissions to federal and state government bills and inquiries, wrote to government ministers and made public media statements to advocate for student rights on issues such as paid placements and better tenancy rights
• provided free breakfasts (Morning Marmalade) and dinners (Kampus Kitchen), as well as free and cheap groceries through the Food Co-Op on the St Lucia campus and the UQU Pantry at Dutton Park and Herston campuses.
• The UQU Disability Collective, which supported students in 2024 through:
• events such as a Neurodivergent Lived Experience panel, Auslan lessons for students and the Auslan practice lunch
• support students during exams with activities such as a facilitated study space and DisabiliTEA,
• The International Collective which supported international students in 2024 with:
• bridging to support services regarding visas and housing
• offering employability workshops to help international students upskill to better their employability while they study. This series of workshops included job interview skills, LinkedIn headshots, a Visa work rights information session and resumé writing tips.

Examples of social activities provided to student by the UQU in 2024 include:

• the Atlas Ball 2024, hosted at Warehouse (Fortitude Valley, Brisbane) on Friday 16 August from 7–11pm, featuring food, drinks, music and performances
• the Winter Carnival, hosted at the Upper and Lower Forgan Smith Lawns, UQ St Lucia on Friday 26 July, food trucks, carnival rides, live DJs and photobooth
• the 'Llamas and Ice Cream' event held on Wednesday 22 May from 10am–1pm at the Great Court, St Lucia Campus, featuring live llamas, free ice cream and prize draws
• Queer Fest, an inaugural market-style event held on Tuesday 30 April from 10am–2pm at the Great Court, St Lucia, offering free live entertainment, jewellery, clothing and art stalls, and local organisation stalls.

Written policies to identify and engage with local stakeholders

Our approach to engaging with external stakeholders is an overarching one, covering community engagement, research partnerships, equity and diversity, reconciliation and Indigenous engagement, strategic planning and reporting. A key value of UQ, as reiterated in the Staff Code of Conduct, is ‘respect and inclusivity’ – ‘we provide a caring, inclusive and empowering environment for all. We engage respectfully with one another and promote the value that our diversity brings to our whole community’.

Information relevant to engaging with external stakeholders is embedded in wide-ranging resources that support UQ academics and other staff to engage meaningfully with external stakeholders. Some of these are outlined in our Integrity Framework (308.51 KB), which sets out expected behaviours when interacting with colleagues, students and community. The Responsible Research Management Framework Policy articulates principles outlined in the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research, such as ‘respect for research participants, the wider community, animals and the environment'. Other related policies include:

• Conflict of Interest Policy
• Public Interest Disclosure Policy
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Behaviours Policy.

Of particular importance to research is the UQ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research and Innovation Strategy (2022-2025) (PDF, 3.99 MB), which aims to provide UQ’s non-Indigenous research community with the knowledge, processes and systems to support ethical and impactful research with Indigenous communities. This document, and other UQ resources, encourage UQ researches to adhere to the principles outlined in the nationally recognised AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (2.03 MB) when conducting any research with or about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities or people. UQ also provides guidance and information on responsibly upholding Indigenous data sovereignty and Indigenous data governance and ethics when conducting research involving Indigenous data, information and knowledge.

UQ’s research involving humans is monitored through the Human Research Ethics procedure and processes, which include sharing of resources, such as the Australia Clinical Trial Alliance Consumer Involvement and Engagement Toolkit. The toolkit provides practical advice for researchers and research organisations wishing to conduct patient-centred research. Less formal resources available to UQ staff and students include the Research Impact Toolkit, which contains a section on Stakeholder Mapping and Engagement Strategy.

UQ’s Brand Policy and Procedure supports an effective and consistent representation of UQ to its stakeholders, by promoting a ‘stronger, more cohesive brand that effectively presents UQ as one unified entity to our many local, national and international audiences’.

Participatory bodies for stakeholder engagement

During 2024, UQ continued its collaborative governance structures, integrating community voices into decision making through a variety of formal and informal processes. This ensures that local stakeholders in the University have meaningful mechanisms for participating in University decision-making. Examples of this include:

• The University’s peak governing body, the UQ Senate, includes several community appointees who bring in external expertise and viewpoints. These include graduates of The University, and other upstanding members of the community such as those involved in NGO governance and those part of the state judiciary.
• Many of UQ’s institutes have advisory boards that include external experts and community representatives from industry sectors and government departments who provide independent advice and guidance and help guide strategic direction. Examples include:
• Institute for Molecular Bioscience Advisory Board
• Institute for Social Science Advisory Board
• Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation Advisory Board
• Queensland Brain Institute Advisory Board.
• Various UQ faculties and schools maintain advisory boards, often with membership from relevant industries or organisations, who meet regularly to discuss strategic direction in teaching and research, including strengthening connections with industry. Examples include:
• Industry Advisory Board - School of Architecture, Design and Planning
• UQ Business School Advisory Board - Business School
• Bachelor of Arts Advisory Board - Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
• UQ School of Economics Advisory Board - School of Economics
• UQ has 2 Human Research Ethics Committees (PDF, 160.04 KB) and 6 Animal Ethics Committees, all of which require and value community members perspectives in assessing and ensuring UQ’s research, use and care of animals meet ethical obligations.
• Development of UQ’s Stretch Reconciliation Plan (Stretch RAP) was underpinned by consultation to ensure genuine partnership between UQ and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, giving voice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and others in decisions that affect them. This is demonstrated through the membership of the Stretch RAP Oversight Committee (RAPOC), which included as Co-Chair a UQ Honorary Professor and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community representative, as well as 2 alumni who were also Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representatives (one based in New South Wales). As of August, the Stretch RAP Working Group also included at least one First Nations alumni representative, in addition to a representative from the Goorie Berrimpa Indigenous student collective, and other staff members from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
• The Queensland Commitment Roadmap, launched in 2024, facilitated strategic roundtable discussions, workshops, surveys and events as part of the Regional Roadshows, enabling regional communities to provide invaluable input into UQ’s educational equity goals, highlight priority issues for regional communities, and provide better outcomes for the state.

University principles on corruption and bribery

UQ publishes The University’s principles and commitments on organised crime, corruption and bribery in its Fraud and Corrupt Conduct Policy. UQ has zero tolerance for, and denounces all forms of, fraud and corruption. This includes 'Corrupt Conduct' as defined by the Crime and Corruption Act 2001 (CC Act), which may include fraud.

The policy sets out the following principles and key requirements by UQ, and details minimum mandatory requirements of all UQ staff, affiliates and volunteers in implementing them:

1. implement effective UQ-wide anti-fraud and anti-corrupt conduct procedures;
2. take all reasonable steps to proactively establish a culture and an operating environment that denounces all fraud and corrupt conduct;
3. effectively manage the risks of fraud and corrupt conduct;
4. encourage and facilitate, through planning and provision of resources, the identification and honest disclosure of reasonably suspected fraud or corrupt conduct;
5. unless directed otherwise by the CCC, promptly refer complaints to the CCC for assessment where UQ reasonably suspects corrupt conduct;
6. investigate and report on all complaints and allegations of fraud or corrupt conduct;
7. discipline those who have engaged in corrupt conduct, notwithstanding their position and power;
8. promptly address any deficiencies in controls or culture;
9. develop and implement training that raises awareness regarding culture, accountability and internal controls;
10. deal with frivolous or vexatious complaints including the possible commencement of disciplinary actions; and
11. treat all allegations of reasonably suspected fraud or corrupt conduct confidentially.

It is the responsibility of the Integrity Unit to ensure that The University’s legislative obligations under the CC Act are met, as per UQ’s Integrity Unit website. This involves maintaining policies and procedures with regard to corrupt conduct matters, assessing and dealing with complaints or information that may amount to corrupt conduct, and notifying the Crime and Corruption Commission Queensland of such matters if the conduct is reasonably suspected to amount to corrupt conduct as defined by the CC Act.

Academic freedom policy

UQ’s Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom Policy outlines The University's principles and commitments supporting the protection of freedom of speech and academic freedom (including freedom for academic staff to choose areas of research and to speak and teach publicly about the area of their research). The policy is publicly available and applies to all students and staff, regardless of appointment type and career level. 'Academic freedom' is defined as:

• the freedom of staff, in the course of their academic activities, to educate, discuss or research and to disseminate and publish the results of those activities;
• the freedom of staff and students, in the course of their academic activities or area of professional expertise, to engage in intellectual inquiry, to express their opinions and beliefs, and to contribute to public debate, in relation to those activities;
• the freedom of staff and students to express their opinions in relation to the University;
• the freedom of staff to participate in professional or representative bodies and associations;
• the autonomy of the University in relation to the choice of academic courses and offerings, the ways in which they are taught and the choices of research activities and the ways in which they are conducted.

Publish financial data

UQ’s financial data and information is published each year as part of the University’s annual reporting. The 2024 UQ Annual Report (PDF, 1.17 MB) is publicly available. The section titled 'Financial information' outlines University finances for the year (pages 38–39) along with a set of annual financial statements (pages 40–105), Management Certificate (page 106) and independent auditor’s report from the Queensland Audit Office (pages 107–110).

Partnership with government

Through strong partnerships and collaboration with industry and government, UQ aims to support building of Australia’s prosperity and sovereign capability. In 2024, UQ actively partnered with local, state, national, and international governments to support policy development, research collaboration and public education — contributing significantly to SDG 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions.

Our specialist Government Partnerships team works across The University to deliver a coordinated approach to partnerships that responds to the needs and priorities of local, state and federal governments. This partnering cultivates collaborations with government and industry stakeholders to deliver commercial outcomes, assists government in navigating the research landscape to drive priority outcomes, and supports policy debate and solutions by leveraging experts and cutting-edge research.

Providing expert advice to government

As outlined in the UQ Strategic Plan, UQ is confident that its researchers can make an even greater contribution to the growth of the innovation ecosystem, as well as the development of new industries and a thriving knowledge-based economy through closer collaboration with both industry and government. In line with The Queensland Commitment Roadmap, UQ aims to inform and guide government, industry and community stakeholder decision making processes by effectively communicating UQ research outcomes. An important part of this commitment is through providing expert advice to government.

How we are achieving this

The Queensland Decarbonisation Hub

TheQueensland Decarbonisation Hub is a multi-institutional initiative funded by the Queensland Government and led by UQ’s Centre for Policy Futures. The Hub works in direct partnerships with the Queensland Government, providing expert advice regarding its commitment to take action to achieve net zero emissions and lead the state’s approach to climate adaptation. This is done through interdisciplinary research that is demand-driven and collaborative, policy brokerage that enables 2-way dialogue with decision-makers, policy advice which is scoped and timed to inform live decisions, and outputs and deliverables that are designed for system-level influence. Connecting Queensland universities, industry, government and communities, the Hub draws together existing decarbonisation knowledge to develop research and policies that can support Queensland industries and communities while safeguarding and enhancing Queensland’s natural environment. During 2024, the Hub undertook the following activities that provided expert advice to government:

• On 17 April, the Hub delivered a parliamentary briefing at Queensland Parliament House, 'Decarbonising Queensland: Fostering Innovation and Competitiveness'. The briefing addressed topics that are relevant to the state’s activities, such as carbon markets, nature-based solutions, environmental integrity and community and regional transformation.
• The Hub delivered several webinars to a variety of stakeholders, including from government, such as 'Decarbonising Regional Development' (July 25), 'Energy Storge in Queensland' (13 November), and 'Nature-based Solutions and Environmental Integrity' (20 November).
• On 2 August 2024, the Hub hosted the annual Queensland Decarbonisation Forum, based on the theme 'Decarbonising Queensland: Building Capability through Collaboration'. The event brought together government representatives, policymakers, industry professionals, decision-makers, academic experts, First Nations people, community groups and landholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of climate change, decarbonisation and the net zero agenda. The program included a plenary talk, interactive panel sessions on key themes of technology, nature and place, an in-depth case study panel session on decarbonisation and the agricultural sector, a solutions-focused interactive ‘hackathon’, plus networking opportunities. The event facilitated knowledge-sharing and dissemination between diverse stakeholder groups, which was especially valuable for the Queensland Government in informing their policies and strategies around climate action.

In 2024, the Hub delivered a number of policy briefs that provided expert advice to government, including:

• Carbon farming and nature repair markets: Benefits, opportunities and risks for Queensland – This brief provides an overview and update on recent developments to environmental markets in Australia and Queensland, and what the potential risks and unique opportunities are for Queensland.
• Community is key to Queensland’s energy future (PDF, 568.25 KB) – Drawing on research from Kingaroy and lessons from other jurisdictions, this brief highlights the importance of ensuring that communities are included in decision making and benefit sharing of the energy transition. The brief provides 5 recommendations on how to safeguard and strengthen Queensland’s regional communities.

Centre for Policy Futures

UQ’s Centre for Policy Futures plays a central role in translating academic research into policy-relevant insights. In 2024, the Centre continued to collaborate with governments, international bodies, and NGOs to address complex policy challenges. Key themes included climate adaptation, digital governance and health equity. The Centre continued to inform the Queensland Government on a variety of prescient topics during 2024 via the following parliamentary submissions, policy briefs and reports:

• Submission to the Senate Select Committee on Adopting Artificial Intelligence (AI) (PDF, 1.02 MB) (May 2024)
• Submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights’ Inquiry into Compulsory Income Management (PDF, 166.41 KB) (May 2024)
• Governance Principles for Novel Reef Interventions (PDF, 13.68 MB) as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program
• Coastal Horticulture in Northeastern Australia: Global Networks and Regional Development (PDF, 3.50 MB), scoping report as part of the Australian Research Council funded Discovery Project 'High-Value Horticulture and Global Production Networks in Coastal Australia'.
• Fair Food Futures: Transforming food systems through food justice Policy Brief (PDF, 595.49 KB), an output from research done as part of the Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards project titled 'Fair Food Futures, Civil Society and the Sustainable Development Goals'.

UQ Law School submissions

In 2024, UQ’s Law School made various submissions to Parliament, Commissions and government, often informing policy reform beyond Queensland. These included:

• Submission to Joint Standing Committee on Treaties inquiry into the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks (Feb 2024)
• Submission to the Competition Taskforce Division: Consultation – Merger Reform (Feb 2024)
• Submission to the Defence Subcommittee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Inquiry into the Department of Defence Annual Report 2022–2023 (Feb 2024)
• Submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care on the December 2023 Exposure Draft of the Aged Care Bill 2023 (Mar 2024)
• Submission in respect Search Engines – Digital Platform Services Inquiry (Apr 2024)
• Consultation to inform options for implementing the Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records in Australia (Sep 2024)
• Submission to the Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Mandatory guardrails for AI in high-risk settings (Oct 2024).

Research on public policy processes

• 'How do Changes to Institutional Memory Affect Public Policy Processes?' is a project being undertaken from 2021–2025 at UQ’s School of Political Science and International Studies. Institutional memory changes as ministers, public servants and public agencies come and go, but it is uncertain what effect these changes have over the quality of public policy. This project is analysing how changes to institutional memory have influenced public services and policies in Australia and the UK. Expected outcomes include best practice recommendations for government — about how to address memory loss to improve public policy — and novel academic findings about how institutional memory influences the character of public service delivery, lesson-learning and long-term reform.

Participation in government research

As stated in our Research Roadmap, UQ has the most comprehensive discipline profile of any university within Australia. This positions us well to undertake policy-focused research addressing a range of challenges in collaboration with government departments, not only locally and nationally, but also internationally.

How we are achieving this

FamilyLinQ Evaluation framework and plan

In collaboration with The Bryan Foundation (an NGO) and the Queensland Government, researchers from the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) and UQ’s School of Education and Business School have created a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of FamilyLinQ. FamilyLinQ is an integrated school-based hubs initiative funded by the Queensland Government Department of Education and running from 2022–2025. It brings together education, health and community services to support children and their families, with the goal of improving life outcomes by making it easier or families to access the help they need in one place. The evaluation project, which runs from 2022–2026, will lead to a full review, and the results will guide future best practice and policy in the form of improvements and new initiatives for the Queensland Government.

Evaluating effectiveness of integration outcomes for refugees

From 2022-2025, UQ’s Institute for Social Science Research is partnering with the Australian Institute for Family Studies to develop a new approach to evaluate the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) and Community Support Program (CSP). The Australian Government Department of Home Affairs commissioned this work to assess how well the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) and Community Support Program (CSP) are working in achieving strong integration outcomes for refugees compared to existing programs such as the long-running Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP).

This evaluation, which involves sourcing input from all parties involved, will use both existing data and new surveys and interviews to examine the programs’ effectiveness. The goal is to use this feedback to inform program improvements for future participants and achieve strong integration outcomes for refugees.

Evaluation of the Resilient Homes Fund

UQ researchers from School of Business worked with Natural Hazards Research Australia and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) to evaluate the Resilient Homes Fund, demonstrating the success factors and lessons learnt as they apply to the 4 resilience dimensions (physical, financial, social and emotional). Evaluating the program helped ensure building of knowledge and capability to help make Australian people and communities more resilient to disasters. Developing this knowledge relies on high-quality data and good trust between organisations, as demonstrated by QRA and UQ as partners in this study. This collaborative model enabled the co-design of key elements of the research process to ensure the project’s findings and outcomes are academically rigorous and practically applicable. This form of partnership highlights the benefit of academia and government working together to develop, implement and evaluate policy that builds resilient communities and creates lasting, meaningful change.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course

Led by UQ, the Life Course Centre's research is focused not only on describing and understanding the key causes of disadvantage but also on developing innovative solutions to address them. By examining how people construct their lives the Centre strives to identify the drivers of disadvantage, and also the critical life course junctures and opportunities for innovative public policy and social interventions. The Centre’s 2024 activities with government directly influencing policy and strategy included:

• Research by Centre members has been included in the Productivity Commission’s report, 'Fairly equal? Economic mobility in Australia', published July 2024. The report uses research by a range of Life Course Centre chief investigators, research fellows, partner investigators and affiliates, to help inform their analyses of poverty, inequality, intergenerational mobility, economic growth and opportunities for equality, all of which are highly relevant to the Life Course Centre’s core themes.
• In September 2024, the Life Course Centre hosted the International Data for Policy Workshop in Chicago, USA. This 1-day event followed the International Population Data Linkage Network Conference and focused on identifying key factors that support the development of socially acceptable, next generation linked data ecosystems. By bringing together researchers, government representatives, non-government representatives and other experts, the workshop sought to advance approaches that deliver higher standards in research, evaluation and policy.

Advancing Australia's biomethane sector

As part of UQ’s partnership in the Australian Government supported Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre, researchers from UQ’s Centre for Policy Futures undertook a project seeking to support the development of the biomethane industry in Australia. Their work examined the current state of biomethane production, policy instruments, enablers, barriers and opportunities in Australia, contrasting with initiatives employed in a number of international jurisdictions with more mature biomethane industries. The final report ‘Policy pathways to advance Australia’s biomethane sector: learning policy lessons from international jurisdictions' included potential policy mixes that could be applied to the Australian context.

Co-designing Indigenous education policy in Queensland

The aim of this study is to provide an evidence base and framework for the new co-design approach being implemented across State and Commonwealth Indigenous policy domains. This multi-year project investigates co-design within the context of Indigenous education policy in Queensland, creating a large dataset to inform best practices that directly benefit Indigenous people, schools, policy makers and governments.

Policy- and lawmakers outreach and education

UQ seeks to deliver economic and social benefits to Queensland and beyond by leveraging our research and teaching expertise in a diverse range of fields. One pathway for sharing this expertise is by providing outreach, general education, upskilling and capacity-building to policy and lawmakers on relevant topics.

How we are achieving this

Short courses in Social Research Methods

UQ’s Institute for Social Science Research short courses in Social Research Methods provide upskilling and capacity-building in design, implementation and evaluation of research projects, policy and programs. They are ideal for professionals in government, non-government, corporate and university sectors, as well as postgraduate students who want to learn more about methods for social analysis and how to translate scientific social research into public policy outcomes. Almost half of the 185 attendees in 2024 were from government. Courses held in 2024 included:

• Gathering and Analysing Qualitative Data – This 6 half-days online course equips participants with qualitative skills to design, collect, analyse and make evidence-informed decisions based on qualitative data or qualitative data integrated with quantitative data (mixed-methods).
• Survey Design – This 3-day on-line course provides participants with the skills to plan, conduct or commission cost-benefit analyses for social, health or human service programs.
• Data literacy, storytelling and influencing decision-makers – This 1-day on-line course introduces essential knowledge and skills to enable data to be translated into compelling narratives to influence decision-makers.
• Evaluating Social, Health and Human Service Programs: This 2-day face-to-face course introduces key evaluation concepts and techniques. It provides participants with the foundational skills to plan, conduct or commission social, health or human service program evaluations.
• Introduction to Quantitative Data Analysis – This 1-day on-line course will introduce the essential skills to prepare and statistically analyse social science data.

UQ Executive Education and Queensland Futures Institute partnership

UQ’s Executive Education partners with Queensland Futures Institute (QFI) to deliver a range of short courses, targeted at public sector policy professionals, program managers, administrators and regulators across the Queensland Government. In 2024, these included:

• Adaptive and Inclusive Strategies for Collaborative Change
• Building Cross-Sectoral Trust and Relationships
• Systems Thinking for Enhanced Decision Making

UQ Law School Law Matters webinar series

Hosted by UQ Law School, Law Matters is a thought-provoking webinar series open to the legal, academic and general community which delves into new and meaningful research with community-wide impact. The Law Matters series showcases world-leading researchers in collaboration with guest speakers from industry, academia and the legal profession, on important topics in law and social policy, including Indigenous rights, disability rights, defence technology and deaths in custody. One session in 2024 addressed ‘Demystifying AI: AI and Legal Practice’, and featured lectures by 2 professors from the UQ Law School who explored how to think about AI technology and AI in the practice of law.

Current Legal Issues Seminar Series

Current Legal Issues Seminar Series is a collaboration between UQs School of Law, the Bar Association of Queensland and the Supreme Court Library Queensland. It seeks to bring together leading scholars, practitioners and members of the Judiciary in Queensland and from abroad, with a view to:

• providing a forum for the critical analysis and discussion of current legal issues
• bringing to bear upon those issues the different perspectives offered by leading academics, legal professionals and the Judiciary
• forging stronger links between academic and practising lawyers in Queensland.

UQ International Development online modules

During 2024, UQ delivered 36 international development programs plus 23 online modules for more than 1,300 participants from 41 different countries addressing key development challenges including climate change and resilience, poverty and inequality, access to quality health and education, food security, gender equity and inclusiveness, economic development and good governance and supporting Australia’s foreign policy, international relations and national interest objectives. Many of these were delivered to government employees and key industry stakeholders.

Neutral platform to discuss issues

As part of its role in service to the community, UQ aims to nourish intellectual vitality through inclusive access to debates, public lectures and cultural events. One activity that supports this aim is to provide a neutral platform and 'safe space' for diverse political stakeholders to frankly discuss challenges and potential solutions.

How we are achieving this

Open forum events for stakeholders

UQ's School of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS) holds open forum events for stakeholders to join in discussion of topical events and challenges. Topics that were covered during 2024 included:

• We need to talk about Russia. And China. And so much more (9 October 2024) – Discussion on current global conflicts and their impact on the world order and the rule of international law that has underpinned Australia’s security, prosperity, and stability for the past 70 years.
• Crimes against humanity, gender and the responsibility to protect (2 October 2024) – APR2P (Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect) and JANA (Justice and Accountability Network Australia) presented a discussion on the proposed international treaty on Crimes Against Humanity, the role such a treaty could play in atrocity prevention, and the link between accountability and the Responsibility to Protect. The event also explored the aspect of gender in crimes against humanity, including sexual and gender-based violence in Iraq and Syria and gender apartheid in Afghanistan.
• Global Politics Discovery Day (9 July 2024) – Secondary students from across South-East Queensland were invited to the St Lucia campus to explore current issues around climate change, power and political secrets. Topics included how the Pentagon and CIA influence Hollywood, looking at newly declassified CIA and Pentagon documents first-hand, reflecting on legitimacy and power in world politics; and the politics of climate change, which introduced students to some of the key political and ethical challenges of responding effectively to climate change.
• Conceptualising Power: A conversation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives (28 May 2024) – Acknowledging that conversations about expanding understandings of power are crucial to the political science discipline as it is called to engage with Indigenous peoples and perspectives, this panel discussion featured Typanga Evans (Rotary Peace Fellow), Adjunct Professor Mary Graham (Kombumerri, Adjunct Professor in POLSIS), Associate Professor Rya Walter, and Dr Heloise Weber, with moderation from Associate Professor Morgan Brigg.
• UQ Talks: unpacking the US election (hosted by UQ Alumni and Community Engagement, 12 November 2024) – As the UQ election results came in in November, this expert panel comprising researchers from POLSIS, shared their predictions for the next 4 years and the potential impact for Australia.

Explore our progress

Read more about how we're making progress toward other Sustainability Development Goals.

Good health and well-being

Quality education

Decent work and economic growth

Climate action

Life below water

Life on land