There are two universities in Northern Ireland:
The Open University also has a significant presence.
The legal and funding framework for the North differs somewhat from the Irish position. Both QUB and UU have statutes. There is no “binary line” between universities and ITs/polytechnics. Government funding and oversight are conducted by the Department for Employment and Learning. Funding is strongly influenced by the Research Excellence Framework, which is a cross-UK metric.
An umbrella organisation, Universities Ireland, exists to promote co-operation and collaboration among the universities on the island.