Welcome
From the Vice-Chancellor
Together we are making a real difference.
In early 2025 we refreshed our strategy, giving it even greater focus on our mission to make a difference for Tasmania, from Tasmania, and with Tasmanians.
Over the past year, we have worked hard to organise ourselves to deliver on this and are now firmly focused on driving the transitions we need to see Tasmania make by 2050.
Given the scale of local and global challenges we are facing – from climate change and biodiversity loss to widening inequality and declining productivity – this 25-year outlook gives us the best chance of success. That brings real hope and a renewed clarity and purpose to our work, which remains grounded in excellence in education and research for Tasmanians.
In partnership with our communities, our work is now centred on four critical transitions that will shape Tasmania’s future: raising educational attainment, improving health outcomes, transforming productivity, and leading in climate resilience and sustainability. Alongside these, we are nurturing and calling upon the deeply valued stories Tasmanians tell about each other, and the special place we call home.
These transitions are ambitious and essential. They reflect the areas where the University can make the greatest difference for Tasmania and Tasmanians while also offering distinctive global contributions, especially in sustainability and climate.
Philanthropy is vital to this endeavour. It is, at its heart, an act of hope. The generosity of our donors continues to open doors for students, particularly those from regional and disadvantaged backgrounds. It supports research that addresses urgent challenges and helps us build the capabilities Tasmania and the world will need in the decades ahead. Every gift, large or small, contributes to this legacy.
To all who support us, thank you. Your commitment strengthens our work and inspires all in our community.
Please enjoy this edition of Impact and its many stories about how, together, we are making a real difference.
Professor Rufus Black
Vice-Chancellor
We value your support – the quiet power of philanthropy in action.
2025 was a wonderfully memorable and surprising year, rich with moments that revealed the quiet power of philanthropy in action.
One of the most striking moments was joining Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies researchers as they prepared to enter purpose-built facilities and observing the care and ritual required to keep these work areas sterile. Here, the scientists pursue answers to some of the planet’s most urgent questions: climate change, marine diversity, and the health of our oceans. By examining ice-cores thousands of years old, they can stare into the deep past. Through sophisticated modelling, they trace the shifting patterns of the Earth’s systems, helping us understand why the climate is changing.
Another day, on a visit to the sandy northern beaches of Tasmania, I peered into the confines of a plastic research tube to discover a Tasmanian devil curled inside. I had joined donors on a field trip with scientists who are working on the frontline to track and combat the devastating devil facial tumour disease. To see these endangered creatures up close and to witness the impact of donor support was profoundly moving.
I felt a similar thrill when a group of music students ushered several supporters into the Hedberg’s Salon and shared how they used the unique space for rehearsals, recordings and intimate performances, shaping their artistic journey.
Throughout the year, I also had the opportunity to join hundreds of scholarship donors across the State as they met the students they support. They heard powerful and heartwarming presentations from scholars describing, first-hand, the impact of scholarships. I would like to echo the students’ gratitude for your generosity, vision and belief in the power of education.
Each of these encounters offered a window into the real difference philanthropy makes. This is evident when reflecting on the incredible success of the Sustain campaign, the University’s bold fundraising initiative. The vision is to raise $50 million dollars for our students and researchers over five years. At the conclusion of our third year, I am delighted that, with your support, $42.5 million has been received, a truly transformational milestone.
The Sustain campaign is focusing on five key areas of impact, guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and addressing world challenges that require a community to solve. Alongside a portfolio of funds worth $156 million, which have been gifted by our community of generous benefactors, philanthropy to the University enables us to turn ambition into positive action.
Wherever you choose to donate, your support resonates.
It inspires. It challenges. It shapes a better world. Thank you.
Rebecca Cuthill
Director, Advancement
The impact of your generosity in 2025
Thanks to your generosity, we have achieved outstanding outcomes over the last year.
2,575
Total donors
$13.8M
Total donations
$156M
Philanthropic funds under management across the University
$4.9M
Received from bequests
$380K
Donations received through fundraising appeals
$179K
Donations received from our staff, through our workplace giving program
$8.7M
Total donations supporting transformational research
733
New and continuing students supported by philanthropic scholarships, prizes and fellowships
$42.5M
Thank you. At the conclusion of its third year, your support has ensured that Sustain, the University's landmark philanthropic campaign, is on track to raise $50 million in five years. Your generosity is transforming lives and shaping a better future.