Ninth Level Ireland

“Internal Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) documentation highlights senior university officials expressing concern at the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on international student recruitment. This documentation, seen by The Detail, also shows how the university values just eight international students as having an economic impact equivalent to £1 million …” (more)

[Rory Winters, The Detail, 24 February]

“Fears are growing that St Patrick’s Day celebrations will rage through Belfast’s student area after ‘alarming’ reports of multiple house parties on Monday night. Residents in the Holyland area said young people have been gathering ‘from far and wide’ for drunken festivities, and blatantly disregarding current lockdown restrictions …” (more)

[Claire McNeilly, Belfast Telegraph, 23 February]

“Queen’s University spent over £50,000 maintaining their vice-chancellor’s residence last year, it has been revealed. The vice-chancellor’s lodge, currently occupied by Professor Ian Greer, is a luxurious three-storey property set in its own landscaped gardens at Lennoxvale, off the Malone Road in south Belfast …” (more)

[Belfast Telegraph, 6 February]

“Almost 40,000 students at university or in full time education in Northern Ireland will receive a one off £500 payment to mitigate against the disruption caused by Covid-19. The scheme will cost £22 million and students have been told they can expect payment before the end of March …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 4 February]

“The honour was awarded to Queen’s University by Octopus Ventures, which is a leading European Venture Capital Firm. Investing in the youth of today was never more important …” (more)

[Peter Donnelly, The Gown, 28 January]

“Northern Ireland’s two main universities have been urged to follow the lead of their counterparts in Great Britain and introduce a ‘no detriment’ policy to protect student grades against the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Alliance MLA Stewart Dickson said he has written to both academic institutions, asking them to follow the policy …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 13 January]

“The two local universities are considering taking advantage of a new UK student foreign exchange programme while also being able to avail of the EU’s Erasmus scheme. The UK’s withdrawal from Erasmus has been described as a huge blow by the other devolved nations, which will no longer be able to participate …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 29 December]

“Queen’s University has given more than 1,200 rent holidays to students moving out of its accommodation for 13 weeks over the second Covid-19 wave – however, there are now calls for the contract suspension to continue …” (more)

[Peter Moor, Belfast Telegraph, 25 December]

“Belfast is soon to be transformed further with a number of exciting multi-million pound developments. The coronavirus pandemic has put a hold on all aspects of life, and that includes construction work which has held up some of the plans for new buildings in the city centre …” (more)

[Orlaith Clinton, Belfast Live, 23 December]

“Unite members at Queen’s University Belfast Students’ Union (QUBSU) are celebrating a major victory in their impressive, seven-week-long campaign for respect and pay justice. The campaign developed after workers on zero-hour, casual contracts were left without pay since August as a result of the refusal of university authorities to enroll them on the government Job Retention Scheme (JRS) …” (more)

[Socialist Party, 22 December]

“Queen’s University has placed around 40 zero hours workers back on furlough. The employees, mainly those involved in working in events, conferencing and catering at the Student’s Union, had been removed from the government backed support scheme at the end of July …” (more)

[Mark Bain, Belfast Telegraph, 15 December]

“Unite Hospitality Union has called on Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) to act and to place student union workers back on furlough immediately. Many members of staff were removed from the government funded job retention scheme at the end of July and have not received any payments since. As a result of this decision all these workers are struggling to pay their most basic bills and rent …” (more)

[Caoimhe Garland, Look Left, 7 December]

“Universities in Northern Ireland are to move all teaching online by 9 December to allow students to return home for Christmas. Students have also been advised to take a Covid-19 test before they return to their family home. Rapid testing is being offered to students at Queen’s and Ulster Universities …” (more)

[Robbie Meredith, BBC News, 4 December]

“A group of student nurses at Queen’s University have challenged Health Minister Robin Swann after payments for placements in Covid-19 environments were not re-instated. During the first lockdown student nurses and midwives studying at Queen’s and Ulster universities were heavily relied upon to help alleviate pressure on qualified nurses, and their efforts were recognised by the Department of Health financially …” (more)

[Donna Deeney, Belfast Telegraph, 4 December]

“A former Queen’s midwifery student has settled a disability discrimination case against the university for £20,000 …” (more)

[Adrian Rutherford, Belfast Telegraph, 3 December]

“In July, Queen’s University removed a number of casual staff members from The Speakeasy and other QUBSU facilities from the scope of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). This decision came as a result of the ‘unprecedented times’ and on-going uncertainties surrounding how semester one would look at Queen’s …” (more)

[Jessica Lawrence, The Gown, 29 November]

“The number of students living at Queen’s University in Belfast has fallen ‘marginally’ amid the pandemic. A reduction in the number of twin rooms and international students arriving on campus later were partly responsible, the institution said …” (more)

[Michael McHugh, Belfast Telegraph, 22 November]

“Hundreds of Northern Irish students have been suspended and hit with fines totalling over €14,000 for breaking lockdown restrictions. Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has imposed sanctions on 109 students for coronavirus-related offences, while Ulster University (UU) said it has dealt with 146 transgressions …” (more)

[Claire McNeilly, Independent, 19 November]

“Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly yesterday (9 November 2020), the leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mr Stephen Aiken, encouraged Queen’s University to establish a new academic post ‘to study unionism and its contribution to Northern Ireland’, in the context of the approaching centenary of partition and the creation of Northern Ireland …” (more)

[Marie Coleman, Slugger O’Toole, 12 November]

“Ten staff members at Queen’s University Belfast earn more than £150,000 annually, a new report has revealed. The TaxPayers’ Alliance today published its 2020 University Rich List. It ranks Queen’s 96th in the UK top 100 …” (more)

[Gillian Halliday, Belfast Telegraph, 12 November]