澳门七星图

澳门七星图 St Lucia campus, Brisbane | 13 April 2022

Delivered by Professor Deborah Terry AO, Vice-Chancellor and President, 澳门七星图

Thank you, Paul

Can I begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we are meeting. We honour their Elders and their continuing cultural and spiritual connection to this land, as we walk together on the path to reconciliation.

I鈥檇 also like to acknowledge:

• The Honourable Dr Steven Miles MP, Deputy Premier.
• Mr David Crisafulli MP, Leader of the Opposition.
• Dr Andrew Liveris AO, and Mrs Paula Liveris 鈥� and congratulations, Andrew on being named as the President of the Brisbane Organizing Committee for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I can鈥檛 think of a better person to undertake this important role.
• I also acknowledge: Mr Peter Varghese AO, Chancellor; and Professor Peter H酶j AC and Professor Paul Greenfield AO, former 澳门七星图 Vice-Chancellors.
• Representatives from government and industry; friends and donors of 澳门七星图; colleagues, distinguished guests, one and all.

It鈥檚 wonderful to be here today and to see this long-held vision finally emerge and become reality.

This event 鈥� the opening of a new, purpose-built home for the School of Chemical Engineering 鈥� has been more than a decade in the making.

Indeed, I鈥檇 like to pay tribute to my two predecessors as Vice-Chancellor 鈥� Paul Greenfield and Peter H酶j 鈥� for the instrumental roles that they both played in the conception and development of this stunning building.

Indeed, I鈥檇 like to pay tribute to my two predecessors as Vice-Chancellor 鈥� Paul Greenfield and Peter H酶j 鈥� for the instrumental roles that they both played in the conception and development of this stunning building.

The idea for this building was originally conceived by the School鈥檚 newly established Industry Advisory Board, back in 2010.

As Vice-Chancellor at that time, I understand Paul approached Andrew Liveris to explain the vision for the new building 鈥� and asked for his support.

And then, Peter took up that mantle, and really ran with it, during his tenure.

Peter approved the development of the building鈥檚 鈥渦ser brief鈥� in 2014 鈥� and the subsequent design competition that was won by Lyons and M3 Architecture.

Construction ultimately began in 2018.

And in that same year, the University Senate endorsed the naming of this new building to honour one of the School鈥檚 most successful alumni, Andrew Liveris 鈥� and to recognise an historic philanthropic gift made by Andrew and Paula.

Anyone who has had a long association with the School of Chemical Engineering will be aware that there鈥檚 a lovely symmetry in this building being named after Andrew.

If you walk just 80 metres down Cooper Road from here, you鈥檒l come across the Don Nicklin Building, named in honour of one of Andrew鈥檚 early mentors.

The late Don Nicklin was a much-loved Professor, Dean and Pro-Vice Chancellor of this University, who inspired generations of 澳门七星图 chemical engineering students.

He was renowned for his ability to seamlessly insert life lessons into the middle of a lecture on thermodynamics 鈥� quite a challenge I would have thought!

As I understand the story, when Andrew graduated from 澳门七星图 in the mid 鈥�70s 鈥� with First Class Honours and a University Medal, I might add 鈥� he approached Don for advice on whether he should go on to study for a PhD.

Don鈥檚 advice was direct: 鈥�No,鈥� he said. 鈥�Get out and see the world鈥� 鈥� and that is exactly what the young Andrew Liveris proceeded to do.

Over the course of a stellar business career, Andrew, as we all know, rose to become CEO and Executive Chairman of Dow, one of the world鈥檚 largest chemical companies.

He became a true global business leader.

A friend and advisor to Presidents and Prime Ministers.

But he has never forgotten the formative impact of his alma mater.

And he鈥檚 always maintained a belief in the vital importance of education in shaping the leaders and innovators of tomorrow.

That steadfast belief prompted Andrew and Paula to donate $13.5 million to 澳门七星图 in 2018 to establish the Andrew N Liveris Academy for Innovation & Leadership.

The Academy is housed on level 9 of this building and, very appropriately, right next to the 澳门七星图 Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation.

This globally significant research centre was established a decade ago, largely thanks to Andrew鈥檚 influence during his tenure as Dow鈥檚 CEO.

All of this historical background is important in understanding that Andrew鈥檚 influence, and his impact, are evident throughout this building.

And what a building it is.

As you鈥檒l discover when we head off on tours shortly, the careful thought, planning, design, and construction that have gone into the creation of this building, for over a decade, have been more than worth it.

On one level, this building works as beautifully considered architectural form.

This space we鈥檙e standing in, for instance, includes visual references to the centrepiece of this campus 鈥� the iconic Great Court.

And as you gaze upwards through the void above us, you鈥檒l notice the colours gradually change from the greens of the tree-tops, until you reach the 鈥榖lue-sky鈥� research that occurs on the upper floors.

But all of this beauty is balanced with the requirement to ensure that this is a building where our students, educators, researchers and industry partners can collaborate, create and share knowledge.

From the ability to observe and manipulate the tiniest nanomaterials, which occurs in the laboratories on the upper floors 鈥� right down to the industrial-scale, manufacturing-type learning environment that is accessible underneath where we鈥檙e standing 鈥� at ground level.

On a practical level, the completion of this building enables us to consolidate all of our chemical engineering education and research into one facility.

So, when the completed floors of the Andrew N Liveris Building are fully occupied in about a month鈥檚 time it will house staff who have been spread across 12 different buildings, located at 4 different UQ campuses or sites.

And there are, as yet, 2 floors that have not been fitted out. They will provide the University with much needed expansion space in the future.

We already have 35 different research groups in the building 鈥� working on discoveries in nanotechnology, biomedical sciences, chemical engineering, and food engineering.

And as I鈥檝e often said, proximity sparks possibility.

Innovation is easier when you work next door to, and team up with, clever people who are working at the cutting edge of research.

This building has created an opportunity for us to bring all of those people together, and for them to work right alongside not only our students but also our industry partners.

The entire building is engineered to be a learning experience. In the words of Stephen Coombs, the School Manager, who has been involved in planning this building for over a decade: 鈥�It has achieved exactly what we set out to do.鈥�

I would like to congratulate everybody who has played a role in the conception and development of this building.

It鈥檚 a magnificent facility that will make an important contribution to our vision of creating 鈥榢nowledge leadership for a better world鈥�.

It is now my privilege to invite another 澳门七星图 alumnus, the Deputy Premier, Dr Steven Miles MP, to say a few words before we officially open the building.