UQ-IITD Joint PhD

Before you arrive, complete the following steps:

1. Reach out to the Higher Degree Research Liaison Officer (HLO) for your UQ School/Institute to let them know when you will be arriving at UQ. We recommend that you start your UQ research stay within one month of the start of the Research quarter.
2. Apply for a physical student ID card before you leave India. Waiting times do apply, so submit your request so that your card is ready to collect when you arrive on campus.
3. Register to attend the first available Graduate School Higher Degree Research (HDR) orientation session after you arrive. Review our Getting Started information to ensure you have completed any important steps to help you settle in to your PhD at UQ.
4. Visit UQ’s Getting prepared to come to Australia webpage, as this includes important information on arriving in Australia and more.

General information and useful updates for international (and interstate) candidates arriving in Brisbane can be found on UQ’s International and Interstate Students webpage.

Travel from the airport

If you’re arriving via the Brisbane Domestic or International Airports, there are several ways to travel from the airport, including:

• taxi
• rideshare (Uber, Didi, Ola and Sheba)
• airtrain
• Con-x-ion shuttle bus. 

Visit the Brisbane Air Transport Options website for more information. Other useful resources include the Brisbane Airport International Arrival Guide and the Translink website (for public transport).

Candidates based at the Gatton campus

We suggest that you arrive and stay in Brisbane until the first weekday when we can book you a seat on the free St Lucia inter-campus shuttle bus to Gatton.

Alternatively, if you arrive early on a weekday morning and can be at the St Lucia Campus by 7am, you can travel to Gatton on the shuttle on your day of arrival.

Please let us know your preference at least 2 weeks prior to arrival, so that we can help organise your trip to Gatton from the St Lucia Campus.

Accommodation

You can find information on both on-campus and off-campus accommodation options at UQ through UQ’s accommodation webpage. To assess the travel distance from campus, you can use the Translink website.
 

Confirm your arrival

Email the Graduate School HDR Partnerships Team at uqiitd@uq.edu.au with the subject line 'UQ-IITD student arrival' followed by your UQ student number, and include a copy of the boarding pass from your flight as evidence of your arrival in Queensland.

Note that evidence of arrival at UQ is required before your UQ stipend payments can be activated.

Meet with your Higher Degree Research Liaison Officer (HLO)

Book a meeting with the Higher Degree Research Liaison Officer for your UQ School/Institute to obtain information on local resources. Alternatively, you can attend a location induction meeting – your HDR Liaison Officer will be able to advise you of any local induction requirements.  

Update your contact details

Update your SI-net contact details with your Australian residential address and telephone number. It is a requirement for your Student Visa that you keep your contact details current with the University during your candidature. You'll be required to change these details back to your Indian address when returning to IITD.  

Open an Australian bank account

Visit a local bank branch to open a local bank account. When you are at UQ, your UQ stipend will be paid into an Australian bank account. Many banks offer accounts for international students with no withdrawal account fees.

There are numerous banks operating in Australia, with the 4 largest Australian banks being the Australian New Zealand (ANZ), Commonwealth Bank (CommBank), Westpac and National Australia Bank (NAB).

Update Workday

Log into your Workday account with your UQ staff credentials and enter your Australian bank account details. You would have received details of your staff credentials when you commenced your joint PhD program. Please follow the guide (PDF, 1.1 MB) on how to add your bank account details to Workday.

If you have not already done so, contact UQ’s Information Technology Services (ITS) to activate your staff login and advise your Higher Degree by Liaison Officer immediately if you are experiencing difficulties.

Bank account details must be provided via Workday in order for you to receive stipend payments. Delays in actioning this step might delay the payment of your stipend.

Apply for your relocation grant

Once you have arrived at UQ and have opened an Australian bank account, you will be eligible to apply for your $5,200 relocation grant.

You can apply for the relocation grant by completing the Online Relocation Grant Application form.

Pay your Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF)

UQ charges students the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). This is a compulsory fee that the Australian Government requires universities to collect from students, to help provide student services, support and amenities for students.

For UQ-IITD students undertaking a research period at UQ, payment of SSAF will be required to remain actively enrolled. Log into your SI-net account to arrange payment of your SSAF by the due date.

Things to do - Getting around - Public transport

Brisbane is full of exciting events and activities all year round. To find your way around the city on public transport, use the Translink Journey Planner. We recommend buying a ‘go card’, an electronic ticket that allows you to travel on all Brisbane public transport services. Since COVID, many of the services are cashless, meaning the go card is required.

Once you have arrived and updated your semester address in SI-net, you may be eligible to apply for a student discount (concession) on public transport fares.

UQ has 4 campuses:

• St Lucia - UQ's main campus, located in inner west Brisbane
• Herston - home to Medicine and Public Health schools, the Oral Health Centre, UQ Centre for Clinical Research, Child Health Research Centre, and Herston Imaging Research Facility, located in inner north Brisbane
• Dutton Park - Across the river from St Lucia and is the primary teaching and research location for UQ’s School of Pharmacy and home to the Queensland Alliance for Environmental Health Sciences (QAEHS) and the Cornwall Street Medical Centre (UQ Health Care)
• Gatton – primarily focused on Agriculture, Food Sustainability, Environment, and Veterinary Science, located 87 kilometres west of Brisbane

Here are some other helpful links for your time at UQ:

• Understand parking options at UQ
• Discover UQ maps for all your directions
• Establish safe habits on campus
• Explore UQ Sport services
• UQ Association of Postgraduate Students (APS)
• UQ clubs and societies
• Review the food services offered by UQU, including Morning Marmalade & Kampus Kitchen (serving free meals to students across campuses) and Food Co-Op (free and low-cost groceries).

If you are unable to return at the end of your approved stay due to research-related reasons, contact the Graduate School HDR Partnerships Team via email at uqiitd@uq.edu.au as soon as possible so we can schedule a meeting to discuss your plans.

Our guide on preparing to leave UQ contains helpful information on who to advise of your departure dates, checking the status of any fee requirements, returning equipment and cleaning workspaces, etc.

Please note that if you are departing Australia after the Research Quarter census date, Student Services and Amenities Fees for that Research Quarter will apply.

Review this information and advise your HDR Liaison Officer of your plans to return, so we can ensure you are supported through this process.

Please complete the Joint PhD candidate – Notification of location Checkbox survey to change your status back to remote when you have returned to IITD.