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October 19, 2023

Lord Ian Botham tours UOW’s cutting-edge Innovation Campus facilities

Cricket legend and UK’s trade envoy to Australia toured the campus and met with local businesses

The ¾«¶«´«Ã½ of ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (UOW) welcomed cricket legend and the United Kingdom's Trade Envoy to Australia to its Innovation Campus on Wednesday 18 October.

Lord Botham has embarked on a strategic tour in Australia aimed at strengthening trade partnerships and exploring opportunities between the UK and Australia as part of the free trade agreements signed in December 2021.

_{Lord Botham in conversation with Professor Tim McCarthy, Director of Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC).}

In an with The Daily Telegraph Lord Botham said: “Both countries have the opportunity now to expand.”

“Look at the advantages for the 18 to 25-year-olds, they can travel freely as of January 2024.

“These kids have been locked up for two years because of Covid and now they have a chance to travel and I think they’re all itching to go so I think we might see a bit of a race to the aircraft come January.”

_{Lord Botham with Cr Gordon Bradbery AM, ¾«¶«´«Ã½ City Lord Mayor and Illawarra-based business executives.}

UOW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Patricia M. Davidson also told the Daily Telegraph that the links between the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ and the UK were growing stronger.

“Anything that facilitates the exchange of knowledge and creates opportunities for our students is something we are very interested in,” she said.

“One thing I am really excited about as part of this free trade agreement is facilitating the mobility of young people between Australia and the UK.

“At the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ of ¾«¶«´«Ã½ we have about 350 students from the UK … so it’s really exciting to have this dialogue, it makes a lot of sense.”

_{Business executives interacting with Lord Botham at iAccelerate.}