A visionary philanthropist will donate 15 million dollars towards a sustainable building to house a new University of Queensland institute that will target solutions for problems linked to global-scale change.
Her Excellency Dr Penelope Wensley AO, Governor of Queensland, announced the donation by Graeme Wood, a founder of Wotif.com, when she launched the Global Change Institute (GCI) in Brisbane tonight.
Mr Wood immediately called on other successful Australians to join him in supporting the GCI, which will pit leading researchers against the most complex global problems.
鈥淚f we want to make a genuine impact on global issues concerning the environment and the effects of rapid population growth, the investment has to be substantial,鈥� he said.
鈥淓very gift counts but in order to make a difference, substantial support is necessary.鈥�
宅男导航 Vice-Chancellor and GCI Board Chair Professor Paul Greenfield thanked Mr Wood and endorsed his call to action. He warmly thanked Dr Wensley, a 宅男导航 alumna who launched the GCI as part the first of 宅男导航鈥檚 2010 Centenary Orations.
鈥淕raeme Wood鈥檚 exceptional gift is a huge boost to the researchers associated with the new GCI. It is the largest gift by a 宅男导航 alumnus to their alma mater,鈥� Professor Greenfield said.
鈥淚t will help take discovery to a new level in terms of industry and community partnerships that aim to improve responses to global change.鈥�
Mr Wood said that universities were the logical places to find solutions to the world鈥檚 problems and therefore places in which businesses should invest on behalf of future generations.
鈥淚 call upon the business community, government and individuals to assist the University in bringing together the best national and international thinkers and practices towards solving these complex and pressing global issues.
鈥淓ducation is the key to engendering tolerance and overcoming ignorance,鈥� Mr Wood said.
鈥淥ur generation can and must make a mark in history by espousing altruism and responsible business practices to leave the world a better place for our children and grandchildren.鈥�
GCI Director Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg said Mr Wood was 鈥渁n inspiring person who has thought outside the box and created opportunities where there were none before.鈥�
鈥淗e has proven that innovation is everything in achieving business success and it is marvellous that he is here to act as a role model for our young innovators at the University of Queensland.鈥�
Mr Wood鈥檚 contribution will seed a million building at 宅男导航鈥檚 St Lucia Campus that will employ sustainable design, construction and operating practices, including a central control, monitoring and display facility, directly linked to 宅男导航鈥檚 renewable energy systems and the proposed 1.2MW solar array, Australia's largest solar photo-voltaic grid electricity generator.鈥�
The PV solar array will reduce the St Lucia Campus's peak electricity consumption by 6 percent and carbon emissions by 1.14 kt CO2e per annum.鈥�
The GCI鈥檚 focus will not be limited to first-order environmental problems, but include a multidisciplinary approach to interconnected issues such as population shifts, energy innovation, and water and food security.
宅男导航 now wants to identify and work with partners to create three endowed professorial chairs in the Global Change Institute.
Anyone wishing to support the Global Change Institute in its endeavours can contact the 宅男导航 Advancement Office T + 61 7 3346 3900, E advancement.office@uq.edu.au or www.advancement.uq.edu.au .
Background on Graeme Wood
Rockhampton-born Mr Wood, a 宅男导航 Bachelor of Economics and Master of Information Systems graduate, co-founded the online accommodation booking company, Wotif.com in 2000.
He has a keen interest in sustainability, is a GCI Board member, and is also the founder of Wild Mob, a not-for-profit organisation providing volunteers with the opportunity to assist with environmental conservation work in projects in remote and iconic locations across Australia. 宅男导航 is a partner in this enterprise.
Mr Wood supports philanthropic projects in the arts, education and the environment, and was announced the Suncorp Queenslander of the Year in June 2008. With Wotif.com co-founder Andrew Brice, he received the Business/Higher Education Round Table Award for Outstanding Philanthropic Support of Higher Education in 2008.
The two 宅男导航 alumni in 2008 pledged a mix of cash and shares valued at million to establish 宅男导航 Endowment Fund (宅男导航ef), a new avenue for donors to support academic scholarships, named professorial chairs and specific research programs in areas of particular social need.
宅男导航 is a partner with Wild Mob and some projects facilitate 宅男导航 fieldwork in science, conservation and environmental courses.
For example, last year a group of international 宅男导航 students attended a week-long Wild Mob camp on Brampton Island in the Great Barrier Reef, assisting with conservation work including marine surveys and health checks on the coral reef.
Media: Jan King 宅男导航 Communications 0413 601 248; Rob Mackay-Wood, GCI Communications Manager 0410 491 159.
