Queen's Policy Engagement

What do NI Businesses Need to Drive Growth in our Economy? - CANCELLED
2020-03-26 17:30 - 19:30 (Europe/London) | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, it is timely to reflect on how best our local Northern Irish businesses might be supported to grow and thereby contribute to the Northern Ireland economy.
The Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s has brought together a panel that includes leaders of business representative groups, to discuss a range of key issues affecting business. Those taking part on the panel will be:

Dr. Graham Brownlow, Senior Lecture of Economics, Queen’s Management School
Roseann Kelly, Chief Executive, Women in Business
Angela McGowan, CBI Northern Ireland Director
Ann McGregor MBE, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Our host for the evening will be the business broadcaster, Jamie Delargy, who was formerly the Business Editor at UTV. The topics to be discussed by the experienced panel members will include:

What are the business sectors with the most growth potential?
What are Northern Ireland’s key selling points in attracting in-ward investment?
How can we best support local business and help them grow and thereby create new jobs?
What issues are currently hampering business growth? And how might they be addressed?

Abomination - screening at QFT - CANCELLED
2020-03-26 18:30 - 20:00 | Queen’s Film Theatre, 20 University Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Imagine! Festival of Ideas & Politics presents the world première of Nicky Larkin’s (Cherrie, Me & HIV) documentary exploring the creation of The Belfast Ensemble’s provocative and powerful Abomination: A DUP Opera.
At midnight on 22nd October 2019, marriage equality rights were finally extended to Northern Ireland. With no sitting government in Stormont for three years, the law was passed through Westminster, much to the horror of the evangelical Christian right and the DUP.
Meanwhile, in a quiet corner of Loyalist east Belfast, a radical theatre group was in the process of creating the world’s first ever ‘documentary opera’. Led by enigmatic artistic director Conor Mitchell, The Belfast Ensemble were taking every homophobic phrase said by DUP politicians over the past 40 years, and putting it to music, verbatim. The opera is called Abomination, after the infamous Iris Robinson phone call to the Stephen Nolan Show where the then Health Minister of Northern Ireland described homosexuality as shamefully wicked and vile, live on air. The full-length opera investigates the power of language in the hands of politicians, and the damage it can do when used irresponsibly.
This screening will be followed by a Q+A with director Nicky Larkin and cast members.
Dir: Nicky Larkin | 2020 | UK | 42 mins + Q&A | Age 15+
Funded by Northern Ireland Screen
Nicky Larkin is a Belfast-based filmmaker. Recent credits include BBC NI doc Cherrie, Me & HIV, telling the story of his friend Matthew Cavan aka Belfast’s most-loved drag queen, Cherrie Ontop (who also stars in Abomination). This followed on from the success of his previous short, Becoming Cherrie, which was nominated for ‘Best British Short’ in the Iris Prize in Cardiff, won ‘Best LGBT Short’ at the Bolton International Film Festival, and screened at Dublin International Film Festival, Dinard Film Festival, Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, IndieCork, Docs Ireland, GAZE Film Festival, Chicago Irish Film Festival, and at the Contemporary Irish Arts Centre Los Angeles.

Brexit, Health and Me - documentary screening - CANCELLED
2020-03-26 18:30 - 20:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
In 2019 four academics from University of Sheffield and Queen’s University Belfast began a research project examining health governance after Brexit. Along the way, they were joined by ShoutOutUK to produce a documentary about people’s expectations, hopes and fears for health in the post-Brexit era.
The result is a gripping documentary about the role health and the NHS played in people’s vote on Brexit and in people’s imaginations about what the future holds.
How did we get to where we are? Where are we going now? Why is health and the future of the NHS of such importance to us? How do we hold politicians accountable for their words and actions? These are some of the questions that we aim to answer in the documentary.
Join us for a screening of Brexit, health and me and a panel discussion with the academics behind it. One of the lessons for us is that despite our political differences we all care about our health and the health of the NHS. It is more important than ever to join the discussion about its future.

Negotiating Brexit: What can we expect? - CANCELLED
2020-03-27 12:30 - 14:00 | PFC 02/026, Peter Froggatt Centre, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, and the EU’s Michel Barnier met at the beginning of March to begin the formal negotiation on the future relationship between the UK and the EU. Negotiations will alternate between Brussels and London over the coming months but already the UK has warned the EU it will walk away from trade talks in June unless there is a “broad outline” of a deal.
Both sides have laid out their priorities for the negotiations, so what are the key issues being discussed? And what is the likelihood of an agreement being reached if the “UK will not negotiate any arrangements in which it doesn’t have control of its own laws and political life?”
Come along and join in the discussion with Queen’s resident EU and Brexit experts, led by Prof David Phinnemore.
In conjunction with the Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics.

The Quiet Shuffling of Feet - CANCELLED
2020-03-28 15:00 - 16:45 | Queen’s Film Theatre, 20 University Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
David Bolton, as we discover in The Quiet Shuffling of Feet, was no stranger to conflict trauma. He was involved, both personally and professionally, in the Enniskillen bombing and responded to the Omagh bombing.
“This is no ordinary story. As a second responder, David was at the heart of a number of major trauma incidents. For the first time David tells his personal story, revealing earlier childhood encounters with trauma.” Fergus Cooper, Director
In 2001 David left the main health service to establish the Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma and Transformation. As well as providing recovery services the Centre carried out ground-breaking research, in partnership with the University of Ulster. This dispelled the myth that the traumatic impact of The Troubles is limited to those who directly experienced violence. It evidenced some of the highest recorded levels of PTSD in a society, post-conflict.
David and his colleagues’ commitment to a holistic response to conflict trauma led the team to Sarajevo, Nepal, and New York. He went on to author Conflict, Peace and Mental Health, a book that addresses the consequences of conflict trauma within the Northern Ireland experience.
This intimate and reflective film was recorded over a seven month period, mostly on location in Fermanagh and Tyrone. A challenging yet inspirational film. Visually stunning, it is a moving tribute to one man’s unbreakable spirit.

Attitudes to migrant workers in Northern Ireland: an improving landscape?
2020-04-03 11:00 - 12:30 | NICVA Offices, 61 Duncairn Gardens , Belfast, Antrim, BT15 2GB, United Kingdom
In this seminar, Lucy Michael will explore data from the 2018 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey on attitudes to migrant workers. Given the recent release of post-Brexit immigration plans by the UK government, it is timely to consider the level of public acceptance and recognition of the role of migrant workers in the economic and cultural life of Northern Ireland.
The seminar will run from 11am to 12.30, followed by a light lunch. The event is free, but places must be booked in advance by Friday 27 March.
Dr Lucy Michael is a Research and Training Consultant in the areas of integration and equality.
We hope to see you there!

The Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement - CANCELLED
2020-04-24 09:00 - 17:00 | School of Law, Queen's University, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The ICEL and the School of Law in Queen’s University Belfast are delighted to announce an all-day conference on the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The conference will feature an impressive range of speakers who will address the most important issues arising in this complex and ever-changing area, including the governance arrangements by which the agreement will be implemented in both the UK and the EU; Fundamental Rights; Citizenship and Free Movement; Goods, Customs and the Single Market; and likely future developments.
Confirmed speakers and chairs include:

The Hon Mr Justice John Cooke, formerly of the High Court of Ireland and the Court of Justice of the European Union and Chairman of the ICEL
Dr Thomas Liefländer, Deputy Head of Unit, Task Force for Relations with the United Kingdom, European Commission
Professor Daniel Halberstam, University of Michigan
Professor Gordon Anthony, Queen’s University Belfast
Sir Declan Morgan, Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
Ciaran Toland SC, Law Library -Professor Christopher McCrudden, Queen’s University Belfast -Professor Imelda Maher, University College Dublin
Professor Colin Harvey, Queen’s University Belfast
Margaret Gray SC, QC
Dr Katy Hayward, Queen’s University Belfast
Dr John Temple Lang, ICEL, Trinity College Dublin, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Oxford University, and Solicitor
Professor Catherine Donnelly BL, Trinity College Dublin and Law Library

June Brexit Clinic
2020-06-23 12:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
The latest Brexit Clinic will take place online on Tuesday 23 June from 12 noon.
The event is now sold out but a recording will be made available.

Exploring the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Tackling the Pandemic
2020-07-07 11:30 - 12:30 | Online
In AI we trust? In this webinar Dr Laura Steele explores the use of artificial intelligence in tackling the Coronavirus Pandemic. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being deployed in the fight against Coronavirus, with projects ranging from disease detection to the identification of potential treatments.
How likely is AI to deliver meaningful results and what ethical issues may be encountered along the way?
In this webinar we will briefly examine the history of AI and explore the current state of the art, before considering several contemporary applications. We will separate reality from hype, addressing the strengths and limitations of AI. The session will conclude by highlighting some of the ethical concerns that need to be addressed in order to maximise the value of this important technology.
You can register for the session here, taking place on Tuesday 7th July 2020, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.

Dynamic Capabilities: Making Businesses More Agile in an Uncertain World
2020-08-04 11:30 - 12:30 | Online
Dynamic capabilities, with its emphasis on uncertainty, provides an analytical tool for thinking about creating better strategy and more agile businesses. In this webinar masterclass Graham explores the benefits to organisations in focusing on their dynamic capabilities to help future proof for the uncertain times ahead.
Dr Graham Brownlow is Senior Lecturer in Economics at Queen’s Management School. Since 2012 he has been editor/co-editor of Irish Economic and Social History. Apart from his research on topics in economic and business history, such as the rise and fall of John DeLorean, Graham has published on contemporary topics such as devolution, rebalancing and Brexit. He worked in Whitehall and finance prior to earning a PhD.

Access for this event:
This webinar will be delivered through the online platform Zoom.
Please register with your email for your free attendance
Please check your email – we will email your Zoom access link and login up to 24 hours in advance of the event
Contact Us:
ClintonLeadershipEvent@qub.ac.uk

The Covid-19 Crisis and Strategic Management
2020-08-11 11:30 - 12:30 | Online
Dr Lisa Messina discusses surviving in a crisis; exploring crises management strategies in small and medium-sized enterprises. How is your business addressing the challenges brought about by the Covid-19 crisis?
In this webinar, discussion will focus on the key challenges brought about by circumstances of severe crises, and how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can address them. The session will examine and evaluate the effectiveness of existing SME strategic and crisis management tools in the light of the current Covid-19 public health crisis, and attempt to shed light on the opportunities and threats stemming from its market disruption.
You can register for the webinar here, which will take place on Tuesday 11th August 2020, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM.
Any queries should be made to qmsresearch.support@qub.ac.uk

Negotiating Brexit: October 2020 Brexit Clinic at Queen's
2020-10-20 12:30 - 13:45 | Online
Although the transition period ends on 31 December 2020, all aspects of the UK’s future relationship with the EU-27 would need to be agreed soon to allow the ratification process to begin before the end of November.
So what happens next and what is the likelihood of an agreement being reached?
Following the October meeting of the European Council, due to take place on 15-16 October, Queen’s Policy Engagement is delighted to hold its latest virtual Brexit Clinic on 20 October at 12.30pm where our resident Brexit panel will share their thoughts on the negotiation process and the implications for Northern Ireland and the UK.
So why not join in the discussion with our resident panel.
You can register by clicking here.

Annual Senator George J. Mitchell Peace Lecture 2020
2020-10-29 17:00 - 18:30 | Co Antrim
Thursday 29 October 2020
17:00pm to 18:30pm
Online via Microsoft Teams
Register via Eventbrite by noon on Monday 26 October 2020.

Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela is Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Stellenbosch University. She holds the South African National Research Foundation Chair in Violent Histories and Transgenerational Trauma. She has published extensively on victims and perpetrators of gross human rights violations, and her current research interest is in intergenerational repercussions of historical trauma and exploring what the “repair” of these transgenerational effects might mean in societies where victims, perpetrators, and their descendants live together in the same country.
Her books include the award-winning A Human Being Died that Night: A Story of Forgiveness, which won the Christopher Award in the United States in 2003, and the Alan Paton Award in South Africa in 2004; Narrating our Healing: Perspectives on Healing Trauma as co-author; Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Repetition: A Global Dialogue on Historical Trauma and Memory, as editor; and the more recent publications Post-Conflict Hauntings: Transforming Memories of Historical Trauma, as co-editor; and the forthcoming volume, History, Trauma and Shame: Engaging the Past through Second Generation Dialogue as editor.
Among her awards are the following honorary degrees: Doctor of Laws from Rhodes University, South Africa; Doctor of Theology from the Friedrich-Schiller University, Germany; and Doctor of Laws from Holy Cross College, Massachusetts. Since 2017, she has been serving as Research Advisor and Global Scholar at Queen’s University, Belfast, affiliated with the Senator George Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Recently, she was named the 2020-2021 Walter Jackson Bate Fellow in Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

#KidsValueFood Online Cook Along
2020-11-07 08:00 - 2020-11-15 17:00 | Co Antrim
Looking for a fun activity to entertain the kids? How about getting their hands dirty and making a meal together, for the chance to WIN a cooking party for 12 children at Forestside cookery school (worth £360) and lots of other prizes!
Chef Stephen Jeffers, who runs the Forestside Cookery School and works closely with social scientists at Queen’s University Belfast, leads children through an online cooking class with a focus on fun, food and different cooking skills. Spend an afternoon together with your child cooking up a scrumptious meal.
This pre-recorded session will be available online from 7-15 November. Please register to receive the link.

Homelessness: examining the effectiveness of existing approaches
2020-11-09 11:00 - 12:00 | Co Antrim
Professor Sarah Miller, Dr Ciara Keenan and Dr Jennifer Hanratty at Queen’s discuss their reviews of different approaches to dealing with homelessness, including the effectiveness of accommodation-based interventions, discharge programmes, and accessibility of health and social care.
The findings will be presented and there will be a chance to get involved in the discussion.
This event will be recorded. Joining instructions for Zoom will be sent 24 hours in advance.

What learning is needed for post-Covid arts and cultural industries?
2020-11-09 13:30 - 15:00 | Co Antrim
Dr Ali FitzGibbon hosts this event which will involve a discussion on future directions of and challenges to our creative sector with insights from Professor Mark Banks (University of Glasgow) and new research from students completing the MA in Arts Management at Queen’s. A Q&A and panel discussion will be chaired by Dr Natalia Grincheva (Honorary Digital Fellow at University of Melbourne) and will be accompanied by short digital summaries of student research. Join the discussion online and via #Tweetchat.
This event will be interpreted in BSL
This event will be recorded. Joining instructions for Zoom will be sent 24 hours in advance.

Brave New Virtual World
2020-11-10 12:00 - 13:00 | Co Antrim
Lucy Baxter from QUB Film Studies will be joined by Dr Paul Best, Queen’s University Social Work; Hanna Slattne, Dramaturg in Immersive Media; and Sarah Ticho, Founder/Director Hatsumi.
This workshop brings together trailblazers in virtual reality, creative technology, mental health and social care, and the creative arts to discuss how cutting-edge interventions can be used to treat everything from abuse trauma and PTSD to phobias and social anxiety. Tune in to find out more about this Brave New Virtual World.
This event will be recorded. Joining instructions for Zoom will be sent 24 hours in advance.

Brexit and the Economy in Northern Ireland
2020-11-10 12:30 - 14:00 | Co Antrim
This special event, organised by the Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s and Queen’s Policy Engagement, will explore the latest Brexit developments and what they mean for Northern Ireland, with a particular focus on the economy.

Chaired by John Campbell, Prof David Phinnemore and Prof Katy Hayward from Queen’s will be joined by Angela McGowan, Director of CBI Northern Ireland and Ann McGregor MBE, Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The panel will discuss what the future holds for the Northern Ireland economy in a post-Brexit world.
This event will be live streamed via Vimeo and recorded. Joining instructions will be sent 24 hours in advance
The Chief Executive’s Club at Queen’s is an executive business forum that facilitates and supports high-level networking in Northern Ireland. The Club was established in 1993 to connect, enhance and strengthen partnerships between the University and the Northern Ireland business sector.
Club membership comprises leaders from a wide range of businesses; private, public, charity and social enterprise organisations; entrepreneurs; and leaders in higher education.

Museum accessibility and challenges in the new normal
2020-11-11 10:00 - 11:00 | Co Antrim
As we begin to return to cultural venues, how do we ensure equal access for all? Queen’s researcher Xi Wang hosts this event which focuses on museum accessibility for blind and partially sighted (BPS) visitors.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People and researchers at Queen’s will discuss challenges faced by venues and ways in which social inclusion can be enhanced during these difficult times. There will also be an opportunity for attendees to engage via an online poll and Q&A session.
This event will be recorded. Joining instructions will be sent 24 hours in advance.

Creating a consumer-friendly sustainability label for food
2020-11-11 16:00 - 17:00 | Co Antrim
Interested in responsible food shopping? Researchers at Queen’s are looking into creating simple sustainability labels for food and drink. Join this talk hosted by Dr Tony Benson to hear about the processes and challenges faced by industry and researchers in helping you discover the real cost of your weekly shop. There will also be an opportunity to have your say via an interactive poll.

This online event will be recorded. Joining instructions will be sent 24 hours in advance.

Social Sciences Response to the Pandemic
2020-11-12 11:00 - 12:30 | Co Antrim
Hear from a range of social scientists including Dr David Cutting, Dr Neil Anderson, Dr Ioannis Tsioulakis, Dr Michelle Templeton, Dr Gemma Carney and Dr Tess Maginess, all of whom mobilised their research to address some of the challenges arising from the Covid pandemic.

Join us for this panel discussion and Q&A.
This event will be recorded. Joining instructions for Zoom will be sent 24 hours in advance.

Learning about Human Experiences with Machines
2020-11-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Co Antrim
More than half the people who take antidepressants for depression never get relief. You can find out the reason and how researchers are using computers to learn about the lived experiences of people in order to find a better solution and benefit the community struggling with depression, by visiting out YouTube channel from 7 November 2020: https://tinyurl.com/ycaa4jsl

Once you have watched, join Queen’s researcher Chandril Chandan Ghosh who will be available for a Q& A on how computers can help those with depression
Joining instructions for the Q&A will be sent 24 hours in advance.

The US Election and Foreign Policy: Implications for Northern Ireland, the UK, Ireland, and the EU
2020-12-02 17:00 - 18:00 | Online
A Panel Discussion hosted by Queen’s University Belfast and the UCL Centre on US Politics, with support from the US Department of State, as part of the series: DECISION 2020: Interpreting the US Elections.
Introduction: Dr Julie Norman (UCL)
Chair: Professor Richard English (Queen’s University Belfast)
Panel: Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau (US Consul General in Belfast), Rory Montgomery (Honorary Professor, Queen’s University Belfast), Jonathan Powell (Honorary Professor, Queen’s University Belfast)
How should we interpret the 2020 US Presidential Election and its legacies? What effect will it have on US influence and engagement in the wider world? What are the implications for Northern Ireland, for Ireland, for the UK, for Europe? This Panel Discussion is open to all, and is hosted at Queen’s University by the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice.
Panellists:
Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau took up her post as US Consul General in Belfast in 2018, having previously served as US Consul General in Pakistan and, before that, having worked for the State Department in Washington DC. Ms Kennedy Trudeau has also served as Counsellor for Public Affairs at the US Mission to NATO, Brussels, and at the US Mission to South Africa in Pretoria.
Rory Montgomery is an Honorary Professor in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast. In his career as an Irish diplomat, he served as Political Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Permanent Representative to the European Union, and Ambassador to France. During 2016-2019 he worked in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with responsibility for European issues, including Brexit. Between 1993 and 2001 he worked on Northern Ireland, including his role as part of the team which negotiated the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Jonathan Powell is CEO of Inter Mediate, the charity which he founded in 2011 to work on conflict resolution around the world. His work has involved negotiations with ETA in the Basque Country, and negotiations in Colombia with the FARC. Between 1995 and 2007 Jonathan Powell was Chief of Staff to Tony Blair, and during 1997-2007 he was Chief British Negotiator on Northern Ireland. He is an Honorary Professor at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at QUB. His books include Great Hatred, Little Room: Making Peace in Northern Ireland and Talking to Terrorists, How to End Armed Conflict.

Building Back Better: A Future for Geothermal Energy in Northern Ireland Conference
2020-12-11 09:00 - 13:30 | Zoom
This online conference is the first in a series considering the future for Geothermal Energy in Northern Ireland.
As we look toward our recovery from a global pandemic, we can take a fresh and renewed approach to build a fairer, greener and more resilient economy. Geothermal Energy can play a fundamental role in this as we build back better.
Hosted by the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action (SECA) at Queen’s University Belfast and the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI).
To view the agenda for the conference, please click here.

Why the Holocaust matters in today’s deeply divided world
2021-01-26 12:00 - 13:30 | Online
In the memory of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides, join Lord Mayor, Alderman Frank McCoubrey and Professor James Waller, Cohen Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College, New Hampshire, for a virtual talk exploring why the Holocaust matters in today’s deeply divided world.
As we commemorate the victims of the Holocaust, we are challenged to also recognise it as a historical event with contemporary lessons for today’s deeply divided world. Commemorating the Holocaust is to be reminded of the diligence necessary to promote and protect human rights, the deep commitment to nurture inclusive democratic institutions, and the willingness to see our neighbour in the face of ‘the other’, rather than as a threat. Commemoration of the past must be followed by responsibility to the present and our shared future.
Drawing on face-to-face interviews with over 225 perpetrators of genocide and mass atrocity, this event will explore the process by which ordinary people become capable of committing such extraordinary evil and will provide insights into the importance of challenging the hate that gives rise to division.
This free event will take place on Tuesday 26 January at 12 noon via Zoom, lasting approximately one and a half hours.
Please register through ND Events here.

Professor John Paul Lederach 'In Conversation' with Dr Gladys Ganiel
2021-02-03 17:00 - 18:30 | Online
The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University hosts Professor John Paul Lederach of the University of Notre Dame (USA) ‘In Conversation’ via Zoom with Dr Gladys Ganiel (QUB). Lederach, an internationally acclaimed expert in conflict transformation, will reflect on the most significant advances in conflict transformation over the course of his career; his own research and practice; religion and reconciliation; and the prospects for peacebuilding in Northern Ireland and further afield. Ganiel’s research specialises in religion, conflict and reconciliation.
This is an event related to the 4 Corners Festival organised in partnership with the Senator George J Mitchell Institute, QUB.

Teaching without God: The Retreat of Religion and the Rise of the Humanities in American Liberal Education
2021-02-25 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
The event is part of the Religion, Science and the Humanities Seminar Series 2021 and will feature keynote lecture from Professor James Turner, Cavanaugh Professor of Humanities Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, followed by a Q&A session.
For more information, and to view the event, please click HERE

Building Peace Across Religious Divides in Nigeria with Professor Darren Kew, University of Massachusetts, Boston
2021-03-11 17:00 - 18:15 | Online
Darren Kew is Professor of Conflict Resolution at UMass Boston and author of Civil Society, Conflict Resolution, and Democracy in Nigeria.
Nigeria is one of the few nations of the world that is divided evenly between Muslims and Christians, and violent conflicts frequently erupt across that divide. Many groups are working to build greater peace between Muslims and Christians, including the Interfaith Mediation Centre (IMC), which has gained global attention for its work across Nigeria and elsewhere.
Professor Darren Kew of UMass Boston has spent much of the last 15 years working with IMC and many other Nigerian groups like it, and will present some of his findings on 1) the model that IMC has developed for bridging religious divides, which relies heavily not only on religious conviction, but also the social status associated with religious leaders, and 2) the impacts this work has had on divided communities in Nigeria. Implications for religious peacebuilding in other societies like Northern Ireland will be discussed as well.
The seminar will be facilitated by Dr Gladys Ganiel, Reader in Sociology and Mitchell Institute Fellow.
To register before 12noon on Wednesday 10 March 2021, please click book now. A meeting link will be sent via email before this event.

Partition and the Limits of Irish Commemoration: Reflections on 1921
2021-03-31 16:00 - 17:00 | Online
Professor Ian McBride, Foster Professor of Irish History at University of Oxford, will deliver this keynote lecture on 31 March following which Professor Richard English, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Queen’s University Belfast will moderate a Question and Answer session.
Questions can be submitted during the live event.
To find out more, and to register for the event, please click HERE.

Event details:
16:00 Welcome and Introduction by Professor Richard English
16:05 Lecture by Professor Ian Moore
16:30 Q and A
16:55 Closing comments by Professor Richard English
Speaker Bio:
Ian McBride joined Hertford in 2016 as the Foster Professor of Irish History. The Foster chair is the only endowed chair of Irish History in Britain, and is attached to Hertford, the Oxford college with the strongest Irish associations. He has broad interests in Ireland between the seventeenth and twenty-first centuries, especially its politics, culture and intellectual life. He currently holds a Leverhulme Major Research Award which will enable him to spend two years researching and writing a study of the impact of the penal laws on eighteenth-century Ireland.
Professor McBride grew up in County Armagh, and his interest in History flowed naturally from the political instability and intensity of Northern Ireland in the late twentieth century. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford and University College London, and was awarded a research fellowship at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (1993-96). Between 2000 and 2016 he taught at King’s College London.
His books include The Siege of Derry in Ulster Protestant Mythology (1997) and Scripture Politics: Ulster Presbyterians and Irish Radicalism in the Late Eighteenth Century (1998), both short-listed for the Christopher Ewart-Biggs Literary Prize; and Eighteenth-Century Ireland: The Isle of Slaves (2009). His most recent publication is The Princeton History of Modern Ireland (2016), edited with Richard Bourke. Professor McBride is currently completing work on Irish Political Writings I, a volume for the new Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jonathan Swift.
Since 2004 Professor McBride has been convener of the Conference of Irish Historians in Britain which he now organises jointly with Dr Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid. This conference was founded by Marianne by Marianne Elliott and Roy Foster and has held biennial meetings for 40 years. It provides the main forum for Irish historians working on this island to present their work. Further details can be found on the conference website (http://irishhistoriansinbritain.org/), which also contains twenty-two short pieces written to commemorate the centenary of 1916.
Professor McBride has presented his research to a wide range of audiences, from the Presbyterian Historical Society in Belfast to Coiste na n-Iarchimí, an ex-prisoners organization consisting of former members of the Provisional IRA, in South Armagh. As part of Derry’s year as city of culture (2013) he organized a conference on the history and legacy of the Siege of Derry in collaboration with the Apprentice Boys. He has been interviewed for a variety of BBC Northern Ireland programmes, and was presenter and consultant on a one-hour documentary entitled Forgotten Revolutionary: Francis Hutcheson, first broadcast on BBC2 on 25 July 2012; he was also a panelist on the In Our Time episode on A Modest Proposal.

Post-Brexit Clinic April 2021
2021-04-21 12:30 - 13:45 | Online
Following on from our long-running series of Brexit Clinics at Queen’s, this new series of public engagement events will look at latest developments in the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU and at the implementation of the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland.
Many of the immediate consequences of Brexit, such as new formalities and disruptions and delays to supplies, have received a lot of press since January. But looking beyond those headlines, is the Protocol working or indeed workable in practice, and what is on the horizon for post-Brexit Northern Ireland as the UK’s new relationship with the EU takes shape?
With Professor David Phinnemore, Dr Viviane Gravey, Professor Katy Hayward, Dr Billy Melo Araujo and Lisa Whitten.
