Meet our Members: Griffith University
For outgoing Griffith University Vice-Chancellor Professor Carolyn Evans, WUN stands as a “beacon for the importance of international engagement, global partnerships and enduring networks at a time of growing nationalism and tension between states.”
Griffith University formally joined WUN in 2024, demonstrating what the University describes as its commitment to addressing critical global challenges through international collaboration and interdisciplinary research.
The Network brings together research-intensive universities that collaborate and support projects for researchers at all levels in member institutions.
Last year Griffith successfully secured funding through WUN’s Research Development Fund (RDF), which offers seed funding for innovative projects. It was named lead investigator on one project while collaborating on five others, resulting in the University contributing to six of the 25 approved projects for the 2025 RDF round.
Professor Evans values WUN’s research programmes and the environment it fosters for bilateral and multilateral partnerships. “The Network provides a forum to support a deeper understanding of the trends impacting higher education and a space to develop collective responses to those trends.”
This year, WUN members have agreed its Vision and Strategic Plan 2026-2029, which focuses the organisation on high-impact worldwide research collaborations. To support these collaborations, it will also shape higher education and research policies and practices.
For Professor Evans, “The new strategy is an exciting development, as it focuses on deepening and strengthening the various fibres that connect WUN universities together while also considering growing in size to be truly global.” For the Griffith Vice-Chancellor, the size of the Network is an important consideration, as Presidents also see strength in a compact grouping that allows them to get to know one another.
WUN Presidents, Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and senior leaders have enjoyed getting to know Professor Evans and the collaborations forged with Griffith University. With her departing Griffith University to be Melbourne University’s Vice-Chancellor, her WUN colleagues know she will continue to support international research collaborations. We wish her the very best.