Generally regarded as Northern Ireland’s premier university, Queen’s became a member of the Russell Group of leading UK research institutions in 2006.

The university is investing £259 million in new staff and improved facilities to improve its research performance, raise entry standards and regain the international standing it enjoyed before the Troubles.

Research grades improved in the last assessment exercise: although mechanical engineering was again the only subject rated internationally outstanding, 15 of the 40 subject areas reached the next grade.

An expensive recruitment programme across all three faculties is designed to reap more rewards in 2008.

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Almost £190 million is being spent on capital projects, the centerpiece of which will be a £45-million new library, said to be one of the most ambitious building projects in Northern Ireland, which is due for completion in 2009.

The university’s vision for the future also includes improvements in student facilities: a student village, also costing £45 million, has replaced the existing tower block residences with three-storey self-catering “villas”. A new student guidance centre is bringing services together at the heart of the campus.

Development

The students’ union has been refurbished and a £7-million extension to the physical education centre opened in 2007. Applications have been patchy in recent years: the demand for places rose in 2007, but there was a substantial fall at the official deadline for courses beginning in 2008.

Queen’s was one of four university colleges for the whole of Ireland in the 19th century, and still draws students from all over the island. The aim now is to revive demand from mainland Britain and increase the number of overseas students. A variety of international agreements have been forged in the United States, Malaysia, China and India. Teaching assessments showed the university’s all-round strength: none of the 18 areas inspected after 1996–97 yielded less than 21 points out of 24.

Dentistry, economics, electronic engineering, pharmacy and psychology all achieved maximum points, as did education at St Mary’s and Stranmillis colleges (both associated with Queen’s). The university has done well in the first three National Student Surveys. It was on the fringe of the top 20 in 2007, with particularly good results in medical science and pharmacy.

Facilities

The university district, which is among the most attractive in Belfast, is one of the city’s main cultural and recreational areas. Queen’s runs a highly successful arts festival each November, opened a new art gallery in 2001 and has the only full-time university cinema in the UK – one of the best in Ireland. Another £2 million has been invested in arts facilities recently, the lion’s share of the cash going into a new studio theatre.

More teaching accommodation has been added, with better access for the disabled, and the university’s great hall has had a £2.5- million refurbishment, courtesy of the university’s own foundation. Courses at Queen’s are modular and semesters have been introduced. Students are encouraged to take language programmes from a unique “virtual” language laboratory, which provides online tuition from any computer in the university.

IT facilities are good: Queen’s was the first institution to meet the national target of providing at least one computer workstation for every five undergraduate students. An unusually large proportion of graduates go on to further study, which does Queen’s no harm in the employment league. Strictly non-denominational teaching is enshrined in a charter which has guaranteed student representation and equal rights for women since 1908. The charter even precluded the teaching of theology – this is done through a network of four associated colleges.

Student scene

Nightlife has returned to the city centre, but the social scene is still concentrated on the students’ union and the surrounding area. Sports facilities, which include a university hut in the Mourne mountains, are of a high standard and are being expanded. The university runs academies for rugby and Gaelic sports, which have strong external links. Numerous Queen’s players are selected at club, provincial and national levels. Firstyears are guaranteed university accommodation and there is plenty of reasonably priced private housing for other years, although there have been tensions between students and residents of the most popular area.

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