The Group of Eight (Go8) represents Australia’s leading research- intensive universities with seven of its eight members in the world’s top 100 universities. As such it is delighted to welcome back to the Go8 Board former Chair and one of Australia’s most esteemed research and commercialisation leaders, Professor Peter Høj AC, who has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide.
“The research and commercialisation successes Professor Høj delivered for Australia during his leadership as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland, and his zeal for such effort, have left a proud and enduring legacy for Australia,” says Go8 Chief Executive Vicki Thomson.
“When Chair of the Go8 his reformist determination and global knowledge of the higher education sector was invaluable, and that is again much welcomed by his Go8 Board colleagues and the Go8 Directorate team.
“Professor Høj’s Adelaide appointment also delivers the Federal and State Government with a research leader who is right for the time in which we find ourselves in Australia – that of a research-led post-COVID economic recovery to build a more sovereign nation.”
Ms Thomson said that with the Go8 conducting 70 per cent of Australia’s university research in a nation which relied far more heavily than others on universities to carry out essential research, the value of the return of Professor Høj to a Vice Chancellor position could not be underestimated in terms of economic benefit.