Monash University Council has extended the term of the current Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Edward Byrne until the end of 2017.

 

University Chancellor, and Chair of the Monash University Council, Dr Alan Finkel said that since commencing in mid-2009 Professor Byrne had introduced and led a range of significant initiatives and strategies that had strengthened and advanced Monash University both nationally and internationally.

 

“Perhaps the most recent example of his record of success is the establishment of the Southeast University-Monash University Joint Graduate School in Suzhou, China. The finalisation of the agreement with the Chinese Government in April marked the first time an Australian university has been granted a licence to operate in China.”

 

Under Professor Byrne’s guidance the University cemented in February a first-of-its-kind alliance with the University of Warwick. The partnership aims to produce global graduates, and will allow the universities to jointly undertake research that will address problems that have proved too big for any one institution to address.

 

Professor Byrne was a founding director of the Melbourne Neuromuscular Research Unit and the Centre for Neuroscience in 1993. He was made Professor of Experimental Neurology at the University of Melbourne in 2001. He first came to Monash University as the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, a role he held from 2003 until 2007.

Professor Byrne was then appointed the Vice Provost (Health) at University College London. He held that position until he became Monash University’s eighth Vice-Chancellor in 2009.