The Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (KESS) is the first of its kind in the United Kingdom, formally partnering a legislative arm of government – the Northern Ireland Assembly – with academia. Aiming to encourage debate and improve understanding, KESS provides a forum to present and disseminate research findings in a straightforward format, making those findings easily accessible to decision-makers.

Seminars are free and the next one is entitled Brexit: Key Considerations and will be held on Tuesday 24 May at 1.30pm in the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings.

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Research and Information Service (RaISe), Northern Ireland Assembly – RLS@niassembly.gov.uk

Promoted and Published by:       

Knowledge Exchange Seminar Series (KESS) – raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda

The agenda is as follows:

1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks 

1.45pm – Prof David Phinnemore (Queen’s University) – Avoiding Brexit? The Renegotiated Terms of the UK’s EU Membership

The presentation reviews the nature and content of the outcome of the United Kingdom (UK) government’s attempt to renegotiate the terms of the UK membership of the EU. The presentation reviews the agreement reached and assesses its significance for the nature of the UK’s membership of the EU. Particular attention is paid to the specific political, economic and social implications for Northern Ireland. The presentation also assesses the extent to which the outcome of the negotiations addresses key political concerns and considers its implications for the “EU referendum” and the likelihood of a Brexit.

2.05pm – Dr Lee McGowan (Queen’s University) – Does Europe matter? The implications of a Brexit for Northern Ireland

Ahead of a now imminent referendum on the United Kingdom’s (UK) membership of the European Union (EU) this presentation addresses the specific issue of how much the EU dimension matters to Northern Ireland and considers the implications of a Brexit for this region of the UK. It is divided into two main parts. The first provides an overview considering the regional context and how the possibility of a Brexit raises particular issues for Northern Ireland, not least given it is the only part of the UK that shares a land border with an EU member state. The second, and main section, explores a series of salient issues for Northern Ireland, including the potential impact of Brexit on business, trade and investment, the financing of agricultural and fisheries, university research funding and student mobility exchanges.

2.25pm – Dr Cathal McCall (QUB) – Brexit and Britain’s Borders

The Brexit campaign for the UK exit from the European Union (EU) poses significant questions for the UK’s borders, the most pertinent of which is: where would a Brexit hard border run? The goal of the Brexit campaign is to re-border Britain through recreating borders as security barriers in order to halt the influx of “outsiders.” However it is unclear where the Brexit border would run. Three Brexit bordering options present themselves: Border the UK of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with implications for the Irish national community and peacebuilding in Northern Ireland, across the island of Ireland and between Britain and Ireland; Border Britain, with implications for the unionist community in Northern Ireland; Border the British Isles, with implications for Ireland’s continued EU membership. This presentation addresses each of these options.

2.45pm – Discussion

3.15pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.20pm – Networking and Refreshments