Queen's Policy Engagement

KESS Seminar - Using Technology in Social Care
2018-03-14 13:30 - 15:20 (Europe/London) | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome and Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Prof Shailey Minocha and Dr Ana-Despina Tudor (OU) – Role of digital health wearables in the well-being and quality of life of older people and carers

The number of adults aged 65 and over has increased by 2% across Europe in the past 15 years, and in Northern Ireland by 22% between 2003-2013. The proportion of the population in this age group is projected to increase by 63% to just under 0.5 million by 2033 – which will be a quarter of the population in Northern Ireland. Given Northern Ireland’s Active Ageing Strategy (2015-2021), there is an increasing focus on encouraging physical activity as we get older to preserve mobility and motor skills, and to enjoy the benefits of living longer and to minimise health problems associated with ageing. Over the last two years, we have been investigating the role of wearable activity tracking technologies in self-monitoring of activity by people aged over 55. Example technologies include activity trackers from Fitbit, Garmin and Samsung, and smart watches. Typically, these devices record steps walked, sleep patterns, calories expended and heart rate.
Based on empirical investigations, this presentation describes the benefits of activity monitors for people aged over 55 for self-monitoring of physical activity, for adopting healthy lifestyles, and for increasing or maintaining physical activity as a way to avoid high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and other medical conditions associated with weight or lower physical activity. It outlines the role of activity trackers in post-operative monitoring of mobility during rehabilitation, in caring, and for possible use of the data for diagnosis and medical interventions. It then discusses the challenges for adoption of these technologies, given currently, off-the-shelf devices are designed and calibrated for use by physically fit (typically young active people) with unrealistic fitness targets for the older generation.

2.05pm – Dr Hannah R. Marston (OU), Dr Shannon Freeman (University of Northern British Columbia, Canada), Dr Rebecca Genoe (University of Regina, Canada), Dr Cory Kulcyzki (University of Regina, Canada) and Dr Charles Musselwhite (Swansea University) – The Cohesiveness of Technology in Later Life: Findings from the Technology In Later Life (TILL) Project

Statistics show Northern Ireland (NI) ageing population (65+ years) has increased between 1974 (11.2%) to 2014 (15.5%). Estimated projections suggest this will reach 24.7% by 2039. Currently, 35,500 people are aged 85+ years, 12,200 (90-99 years) and it is estimated there are 280 centenarians (NISRA, 2016). The use and deployment of technology can assist in social connectedness reducing isolation, online shopping/bills, information acquisition, physical activity and maintaining intergenerational relationships. Between 2014/15, 69% of adults (60-69 years) had access to the Internet, unlike 40% of adults aged 70+ years; moreover, 82% of adults 60+ years owned a mobile phone. Understanding how technology can play an integral role in the lives of older adults has demonstrated the positive perceptions and behaviour to independent living. Literature, focusing on adults aged >70 years living in rural and urban areas, relating to technology use, behaviour and perception is limited.
This presentation concerns the international, multi-centred Technology In Later Life (TILL) study derived from the paucity of literature and studies focusing on technology use and behaviour by adults aged >70 years, employed a multi-methods approach. Its findings suggest participants were open to using and accessing different types of digital devices and technologies to enhance wellbeing and social connectedness which included sharing information with family members, communicating with grand/children living long distance and communicating news via the community. Its recommendations propose reducing privacy issues; while providing practical approaches and insights to technology use by older adults. The presentation adds to the paucity of work in the area of technology use in later life and could inform NI policy makers, health/NHS, communities, families and support networks, helping them to understand the barriers and enablers to technology use in later life. It also highlights that further work is needed to explore perceptual and behavioural concepts across these groups, to ensure ageing populations are confident in integrating technology into their lives.

2.25pm – Dr Verina Waights (OU), Prof Panos Bamidis (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece) and Ms Rosa Almeida (Fundacion Intras, Spain) – Technologies for care – the imperative for upskilling carers
Ageing populations, coupled with increasing retirement ages and lower ratios of workers to retirees, are negatively impacting health and social care. Currently, 11.8% of Northern Ireland (NI) residents are carers, but it is predicted that by 2025 the number of people aged over 65 will increase by 42%, with the number of people aged over 80 doubling by 2027. These projections place increasing demands on carers, especially when considered within the ‘changing ethos of health care in NI’ towards a self-management model. Carers increasingly use the internet to find health information, yet worldwide a significant number of people lack health literacy skills and/or digital skills. The EU-funded DISCOVER project involved over 650 carers, care workers and stakeholders in co-designing and co-producing an online learning platform to enhance carers’ and care workers’ health literacy, digital skills and caring skills. Engaging with DISCOVER also enabled carers to share concerns and supportive practices with other carers to help reduce social isolation. This presentation draws on research undertaken for this project and makes recommendations highlighting to policy makers, health care professionals, care agencies and technologists how the lives of carers, care workers and care–recipients could be enhanced in terms of improving their quality of life and reducing their social isolation.
2.45pm – Discussion

3.15pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.20pm – Networking and Refreshments
Tea/coffee is provided following presentations and discussion. Free parking is available to all. Kindly allow time to pass through Assembly Security upon entry to Parliament Buildings; and ensure that you specify your special needs (for example, wheelchair accessibility) when registering. The Assembly is committed to fulfilling its equality-related roles and responsibilities and will take reasonable efforts to meet requests relating to them.
To view the programme, please refer to: https://kess.org.uk/series-7/
If you wish to reserve your place at a seminar, please register at: https://kess.org.uk/register/

A Duty to be Beautiful
2018-03-16 15:00 - 16:00 | Old Staff Common Room, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
With Heather Widdows, John Ferguson Professor of Global Ethics, University of Birmingham.
The beauty ideal is changing, it is becoming more important and, in so doing, it is being transforming into an ethical ideal. Yet the extent to which beauty defines our identities, constructs the self, structures daily practices, creates meaning and against which individuals are valued (or not) is not well recognised.
This talk will explore beauty as an ethical ideal, a shared value framework against which individuals judge themselves and others. This framework sets aspirational standards that we are required to work towards. Meeting, or striving to meet, such standards has the character of a (moral) duty, where failure to confirm is a moral vice, engendering shame and disgust, whilst being beautiful is seen as a sign of virtue. Praise, blame and reward are apportioned in accordance with the norms of beauty. Understanding the ethical nature of the ideal changes the power of what it means when we say “I let myself go!” or “I’ve been good and stuck to my diet”. It also makes sense of other features of beauty, such as why we ‘choose’ to engage in painful or harmful practices, like waxing and cosmetic surgery, and why criticisms about appearance can be so damaging.

KESS Seminar - Parents/Mothers and Children
2018-03-21 13:30 - 16:00 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome and Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Dr Mark McGovern (QUB), Dr Giampiero Marra (University College London), Dr Rosalba Radice (University of London) and Dr Slawa Rokicki (University College Dublin) – Breastfeeding Promotion as an Economic Investment
Not only are rates of breastfeeding low in Northern Ireland compared to the rest of the UK, but there are substantial inequalities with mothers living in the least deprived wards twice as likely to breastfeed as those living in the most deprived wards. Previous evidence demonstrates that children who are breastfed are healthier and have better educational outcomes, however it is important to assess whether these benefits persist into adulthood. This presentation demonstrates the impact of being breastfed as a child on adult economic and cognitive outcomes. Using data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS), a nationally representative sample of British infants born in one week in 1958, it shows that cohort members who were breastfed for a month or more (compared to not being breastfed) score substantially higher on memory tests at age 50, and their household income is 8 percentage points higher: therefore, differential rates of breastfeeding by parental socioeconomic status perpetuates intergenerational transmission of disadvantage. The presentation discusses how increasing rates of breastfeeding in Northern Ireland provides a low-cost means of investing in the futures of mothers and children and improving inequalities, and illustrates why breastfeeding promotion strategies are likely to have substantial economic benefits in the long-run.
2.05pm – Mr Iain McGowan (QUB), Dr Lucy Thompson and Prof Phil Wilson (University of Aberdeen) – Mellow Parenting: Caring for vulnerable mothers
Pregnancy and childbirth are traditionally recognised as life events that are to be cherished and celebrated. However, recent official reports of deaths by suicide, including a recent report of the Confidential Enquiry on Maternal and Child Health have raised awareness of the potential dangers of mental health problems to mothers during pregnancy and in the first year after giving birth. The long-term impact of maternal ill-health has negative impacts on the emotional, social, educational and physical development of the child. A number of programmes are in existence to support mothers, however these have been criticised for being too expensive, too narrow in focus and not effective. Mellow Parenting, as an intervention, has been delivered in both the Southern & South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust. The Public Health Agency has funded these programmes. This presentation focuses on the role that the Mellow Parenting intervention has on the emotional and mental well-being of vulnerable mothers. To contextualise, it draws on data from a recent systematic review, highlighting the findings from local evaluations of the programme. The presentation aims to help inform social, health, mental health and other polices that are relevant to mental health in this group of people
2.25pm – Discussion
2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks
3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments
Tea/coffee is provided following presentations and discussion. Free parking is available to all. Kindly allow time to pass through Assembly Security upon entry to Parliament Buildings; and ensure that you specify your special needs (for example, wheelchair accessibility) when registering. The Assembly is committed to fulfilling its equality-related roles and responsibilities and will take reasonable efforts to meet requests relating to them.
To view the programme, please refer to: https://kess.org.uk/series-7
If you wish to reserve your place at a seminar, please register at: https://kess.org.uk/register

Brexit: Challenges and Opportunities with Mary Lou McDonald
2018-03-26 19:30 - 20:30 | Room PFC/0G/007, Peter Froggatt Centre, Queen's University, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Mary Lou McDonald TD, President of Sinn Féin, will deliver an address entitled “Brexit: Challenges and Opportunities” at Queen’s University Belfast on Monday 26th March at 7.30pm. The event will take place in the Peter Froggatt Centre, Room PFC 0G/007.
The address will be followed by a question and answer session moderated by Professor Richard English CBE, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation and Engagement at Queen’s University.
To reserve your free ticket for this special event, please register here.

About Mary Lou McDonald
Mary Lou McDonald became President of Sinn Féin in February this year and is TD for the Dublin Central constituency. She is also the party’s spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform.
Ms McDonald was MEP for Dublin from 2004 until 2009 and during her time in the European Parliament, she was a prominent member of the Employment/Social Affairs and Civil Liberties Committees.

Running Order
7.15pm Guests arrive: tea and coffee served
7.30pm Welcome by Professor Richard English
7.40pm Address by Mary Lou McDonald TD
8.00pm Question and Answer Session
8.25pm Closing Remarks by Professor Richard English

The Independent Commission on Referendums: who, what, why and how - Belfast Seminar
2018-04-26 13:00 - 15:00 | The Senate Room, Lanyon Building, QUB, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
In October the Constitution Unit launched an Independent Commission on Referendums, to review the role of referendums in British democracy and consider how their rules and practice could be improved. The Commission is meeting monthly, and intends to report in the summer of 2018. At this seminar the chair and members of the Commission will discuss their task, how they are setting about it, and the input they need from other experts and the public to ensure the Commission draws on the widest possible evidence base. They will make particular reference to recent Irish experience of referendums.
The speakers are:
Chair: Dr Paul Nolan, Independent researcher, author of Northern Ireland Peace Monitoring Reports, a recent study of loyalist flag protest and member of Northern Ireland Policing Board
Ann Watt, Head of Electoral Commission, Northern Ireland
Sir Joe Pilling, Chair of the Independent Commission on Referendums
Dr Alan Renwick, Research Director for the Independent Commission on Referendums
The Rt Rev. the Lord Eames OM, member of the Independent Commission on Referendums, former Anglican Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland and crossbench peer in the House of Lords.
To register for this event, please click here.

Queen’s Public Lecture: Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party
2018-05-24 11:00 - 12:30 | Whitla Hall, University Road, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Queen’s University Belfast is delighted to annouce that the Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party will visit the university on Thursday 24 May ay 11am.
This special event will be hosted by Professor Richard English, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation and Engagement at Queen’s University.
Unfortunately all available tickets for this event have now been allocated. Those on the waiting list will be automatically allocated tickets, if they become available, on a first-come first-served basis.

QPol Brexit Clinic May 2018
2018-05-30 12:15 - 15:45
QPol Policy Engagement at Queen’s invites you to the latest in its series of ‘Brexit Clinics’ bringing together academic experts and stakeholders to discuss the issues facing the UK, to consider the particular challenges the process poses for Northern Ireland and to provide informed insights into the process.
Whatever your particular interest is in Brexit and the EU, come along to the next Clinic on Wednesday 30 May at 12.15pm. The Clinic, led by Professor David Phinnemore, will consist of introductory comments on the process by senior Queen’s academics Dr Katy Hayward and Dr Viviane Gravey and will be followed by a Q+A session and discussion addressing issues raised by participants.
Places are limited so please register early here.

KESS Seminar - Business of Sport
2018-05-30 13:30 - 15:00 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome and Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Dr Damian Gallagher (Ulster), Dr Ann Pegoraro (Laurentian University, Canada), Prof Audrey Gilmore (Ulster) and Mr Ryan Bell (Ulster) – Government Policy & the Business of Sport in Northern Ireland.
The principal aim of this presentation is to highlight a current gap in the government policy of Northern Ireland in relation to the business of sport. It seeks to stimulate debate and aid understanding of how greater attention to this additional strategic priority at a local-domestic level has the potential to realise self-sustaining economic benefits – beyond the existing £867 million per annum that sport in Northern Ireland currently generates.
As government spending faces increasing pressures and monies to government departments are being reduced, it is imperative that greater attention is paid by sports teams and bodies to developing their own self-sustaining revenue streams. However, with limited resources, and much of the existing government funding dependent on fulfilling the 3 existing strategic priorities of Participation, Performance and Places, it is difficult to envisage how the local domestic sports teams and bodies in Northern Ireland will develop the alternative revenue streams that will help them become less reliant on government funding.
Social media (SM) provides opportunities that are crucial for the survival of many sports teams and bodies. SM use by sport organisations has been recognised to be largely driven by two key factors: the relatively inexpensive cost of SM when compared to traditional marketing tools and the ability to connect with millions of fans with ease. SM is a unique marketing communications tool that sport organisations can use to attempt to overcome the challenges related to budgets, media coverage, and fan interaction all while providing the means to increase the key revenues of match day and non-match day revenues and realising the activation needs of sponsors.
This presentation reports the findings of an investigation into the social media activities of football clubs within the Northern Irish Football League, highlighting the findings of a multimethod study that employed a netnography study, in-depth interviews with key sector informants and a wide ranging fan survey (n=1049). It provides support for growing calls that greater attention be paid to the strategic development of local domestic sports teams and bodies via the increased prioritisation of the business of sport at a policy level.
2.05pm – Discussion
2.35pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks
2.40pm – Networking and Refreshments

KESS Seminar - Social Welfare Issues Relating to Poverty
2018-06-06 13:30 - 15:00 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome and Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Dr Mark Simpson (Ulster) – Protecting dignity, fighting poverty and promoting social inclusion in devolved social security
The protection of human dignity and poverty reduction are core functions of social security. Changes to working age benefits since 2010 have reduced claimants’ incomes, putting more people at risk of poverty and arguably reducing the ability of the system to support a dignified standard of living. Human rights law has been used to challenge key policies and pressure has grown for a different approach in Scotland and Northern Ireland, resulting in Northern Ireland’s mitigations programme and the devolution of new powers to Scotland. The Scottish Government has given a commitment to develop a devolved system on the basis of a distinctive set of principles, notably respect for the dignity of claimants, and plans to reinstate statutory targets for the reduction of child poverty. The Northern Ireland Executive has a legal duty to publish a strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion. There are also proposals for enhanced protection of social and economic rights in both regions. These objectives could be undermined by benefit cuts. Limiting the child element of universal credit to two children per household is projected to increase child poverty and merits particularly close attention. Recent judicial reviews show senior judges are increasingly prepared to hold governments accountable for the impact of social security regulations on children’s rights. It is therefore likely that this change will be challenged in the courts. However, the devolved regions need not wait for legal action. The two-child limit works against Scottish policy on child poverty, while Northern Ireland’s larger average family size and higher rates of socio-economic disadvantage mean it will be among the most affected United Kingdom (UK) regions: parity in social security provision does not mean parity of living standards. Drawing on research for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the seminar examines how social security system can protect dignity. It then assesses the impact of recent reforms in the UK, with a focus on child-related benefits. Finally, it suggests that dignity and child poverty can help devolved administrations identify priority areas where limited resources can be targeted to improve social security at the regional level.
2.05pm – Dr Paul McKenzie (Ulster) – Mapping Fuel Poverty Across Northern Ireland
Fuel poverty is a significant issue across Europe and a particular problem within the UK and Ireland. Fuel poverty occurs when insufficient funds are available to pay for a warm and comfortable home. Households affected by fuel poverty are at risk of physical and mental health difficulties and are linked with excess winter mortality. While strategies exist to reduce fuel poverty, there is a pressing need to allocate assistance to those most in need. As fuel poverty is influenced by various socio-economic indicators, an area-based targeting approach was developed to identify households most at risk of fuel poverty.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used to integrate variables that are key determinants of fuel poverty including temperature, the price of home heating oil, data on benefits (e.g. Disability Living Allowance) and deprivation. GIS enabled variables to be combined and weighted for each Census Output Area (COA) to create a fuel poverty risk score for every household in Northern Ireland.
This presentation highlights findings of research undertaken in relation to fuel poverty risk model, which received further funding from OFMDFM and the Department for Social Development (DSD) to liaise with local councils to determine the efficiency of the area-based model to identify those households most at risk. Questionnaires were conducted in partnership with 18 District Councils to identify the extent of fuel poverty within targeted COAs. The area-based approach proved very successful in identifying households at risk of fuel poverty.
The research found that the ability to combine, analyse and visualise many socio-economic datasets means that this technique is transferable to many other areas of application. This presentation explains that the approach enables planners and policy makers to visualise “at-risk” groups which in turn facilitates targeting of resources and assistance of those most in need. It also explains that the approach developed for fuel poverty has considerable potential for wider poverty mapping and research is currently underway at Ulster University on an area-based algorithm for mapping food poverty in Northern Ireland.
2.25pm – Discussion

2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments

Human Rights in a Changing Europe – Colliding Spheres of Justice
2018-06-15 10:00 - 16:30 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Join key note speakers Dr. Evelyn Collins (NI Equality Commission, EQUINET) and Dr. Daniel Sarmiento (Universidad Complutense Madrid), in panels on “Equality and Social Justice” and “Human Rights versus Criminal Justice?”.
Using the image of colliding spheres, this day conference (10 am – 4.20 pm) at the School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast, invites debate on the state of human rights protection in Europe under the legal regimes of the European Union and the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
Registration now open.
To view the programme, click here.

KESS Seminar - Enabling Society through Interaction
2018-06-20 13:30 - 15:00 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome and Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Prof Roger Austin (Ulster) and Prof Rhiannon Turner (QUB) – New evidence and new approaches for shared education
This presentation focuses on how new research evidence can be used to make shared education more sustainable and more accessible for more children. Shared education has been adopted as policy by the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive. It is based on the hope that the sharing of resources and expertise between schools can improve community relations and raise educational outcomes (DE 2016). Most of the 300 schools currently involved in shared education projects (25% of the total number of schools) do so through the Shared Education Signature Programme. Children meet face to face and spend time together on joint curricular projects either in neutral venues or in each other’s schools.
The presentation considers new research evidence on a different approach to shared education – blended contact – a combination of online interaction and face to face work which can inform future policy development. It includes findings of a study with 28 primary schools in Northern Ireland with marked socio-economic and educational disadvantage, which suggest that blended contact has striking advantages, not just in terms of children’s better understanding of each other, but also in the skills of teachers with regard to use of ICT communication tools, such as Virtual Learning Environments and video-conferencing. Since the online element of the contact is already available in schools in Northern Ireland there would be no additional cost to schools or to government. Making better use of existing technology resources in schools for shared education has the added advantage that it helps teachers meet the new statutory requirements for the assessment of Using Information Communication Technology. This presentation explains how this kind of alignment, between two different policy areas in schools, is likely to make shared education more sustainable. Moreover, it explains that the use of online contact provides a better chance to include ALL schools, irrespective of their geographical location and in this sense makes shared education more accessible by more schools.
2.05pm – Mr David Coyles, Prof Brandon Hamber and Dr Adrian Grant (Ulster) – Hidden barriers and divisive architecture: the case of Belfast
The “peace-walls” are particularly symbolic of the role that architecture plays in separating residential communities and a comprehensive scholarship continues to assess their effects. This presentation outlines original findings from a three-year multi-disciplinary academic research project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, which extends this current understanding of physical and social division. It reveals new evidence of a distinct and important, yet largely unrecognised, body of divisive architecture; an extensive range of ‘hidden barriers’ embedded in various architectural forms across Belfast’s residential communities. The presentation draws on six distinctive case-study communities that have been subjected to the implementation of ‘hidden barriers’ during the comprehensive redevelopment of social-housing during the Troubles: all six communities fall within the top ten percentile of the most deprived electoral wards in Northern Ireland with comprehensive, evidence-based examples of less visible and undervalued forms of social and physical division. The case studies provide a rigorous and reliable evidence base drawn from qualitative fieldwork that includes architectural mapping, photography, community focus groups and in excess of 100 community interviews. This data is underpinned by new and extensive archival research and analysis of NINIS statistical data. The presentation explains how emerging findings from the research reveal complex and multi-layered impacts that these “hidden barriers” have on community relations and community regeneration policy aspirations that are central to the implementation of the Executive’s ‘Together: Building a United Community Strategy’. It concludes by outlining recommendations on how these issues could be addressed within current policy frameworks, presenting the case for the development of novel and bespoke approaches to issues of concern, with a focus on housing, tourist development, and infrastructural investment.
2.25pm – Discussion
2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments

QPol Brexit Clinic June 2018
2018-06-27 12:30 - 14:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
QPol Policy Engagement at Queen’s invites you to the latest in its series of ‘Brexit Clinics’ bringing together academic experts and stakeholders to discuss the issues facing the UK, to consider the particular challenges the process poses for Northern Ireland and to provide informed insights into the process.
Whatever your particular interest is in Brexit and the EU, come along to the next Clinic on Wednesday 27 June at 12.30pm. The Clinic, led by Professor David Phinnemore, will consist of introductory comments on the process by senior Queen’s academics Professor Dagmar Schiek, Dr Katy Hayward and Dr Viviane Gravey and will be followed by a Q+A session and discussion addressing issues raised by participants.
Places are limited so please register early here.

QPol Public Lecture: ‘The People's Vote: Why we must have a public vote on Brexit
2018-07-19 16:00 - 17:00
The Rt Hon. the Lord Andrew Adonis will be coming to Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday 19 July to deliver a lecture as part of the Queen’s University QPol Policy Engagement lecture series. The lecture is entitled The People’s Vote: Why we must have a public vote on the final Brexit deal.
Lord Adonis is a politician and former journalist who held several key roles in government during the Labour party’s time in government. He joined the Financial Times in 1991, before moving to the Observer as a political columnist.
Prime Minister Tony Blair appointed Lord Adonis to work with the Number 10 Special Policy Unit as an adviser, before later becoming head of the unit. Lord Adonis held further roles in government, including Minister for State Education, Minister of State for Transport, before joining Gordon Brown’s cabinet as Secretary of State for Transport.
Lord Adonis was an important figure for the Labour party in trying to broker a deal with the Liberal Democrats after the 2010 election. He later published the book 5 Days in May: The Coalition and Beyond, describing the period from an insider perspective.
Appointed to chair the new National Infrastructure Commission in 2015, Lord Adonis resigned in late 2017 protesting the manner of the management of Brexit by HM Government and at the re-negotiation of the Virgin Trains East Coast rail franchise.
You can register for this lecture here.
You can follow the conversation on Twitter at @QUBEngagement and @QPolAtQueens

The Future of Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland
2018-07-23 09:45 - 16:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Queen’s University Belfast in Association with Nature Matters NI
Moot Court Room, School of Law, QUB, 23rd July 2018
This workshop will discuss environmental governance in Northern Ireland in the context of the challenges and opportunities posed by Brexit. The aim of the workshop will be to gather views on the proposed environmental governance arrangements as set out by UK Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Perspectives are sought from all interested stakeholders, including eNGOs, academics, policy and decision makers.
Each topic’s discussion will start with a short presentation to set the scene (5-10 min), then opening up to round table discussion among all participants. Key points will be teased out and summarized at the end of each session – including areas of agreement, differences of opinion and where matters are left unresolved.
Discussions will be under Chatham House Rules in order to facilitate open discussions, whereby no comments will be attributable to any individual.
Discussions will inform the development of a sectoral position on environmental governance options for NI and the specific Defra consultation on environmental governance and principles (closing date: 2nd August), as well as the broader QUB Environment and Brexit research agenda. A workshop report will be created and made available online.
To register, please click here.

Public Seminar: The Future of UK Borders after Brexit
2018-08-31 13:30 - 15:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The Centre for International Borders Research at Queen’s University Belfast is delighted to host Shanker Singham (Institute of Economic Affairs) and Tony Smith (Fortinus Global) for a public seminar on The Future of UK Borders after Brexit on Friday 31 August 2018 at 1.30pm.
To register, please click here.
The event will begin with opening comments from Dr Katy Hayward (Queen’s University Belfast) followed by a presentation from our two guests. There will be substantial time for a Question and Answer session.
A sandwich lunch will be provided at 1.00pm.
Time: 1pm lunch for 1.30pm start. The event will conclude by 3pm.
Date: Friday 31st August 2018
Venue: Moot Law Court, 2nd floor, Main Tower, Queen’s University Belfast
The speakers:
Shanker Singham is the Director of the International Trade and Competition Unit (ITCU) of the Institute of Economic Affairs. The ITCU is focused on providing advice to the UK government, industry and media on the Brexit negotiations, among other trade policy issues. As one of the world’s leading trade and competition lawyers, he has worked on the privatisation of the UK electricity market, the transition of the Soviet, Central and Eastern European economies and the apertura in Latin America. He has worked on the accession of Poland and Hungary to the EU, the WTO accessions of a number of countries, including China and Russia. https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Shanker-Singham-about.pdf
Tony Smith CBE is the former Director General of UK Border Force. Tony has the unique distinction of having served as Head of Borders in two different countries – Citizenship and Immigration Canada (2000 – 2003) and the UK Immigration Service (2005 – 2007). He played a significant role in the operational response to the terrorist attacks in North America on 9/11 and in the UK on 7/7. Since retiring from government service, Tony has provided strategic and operational advice to senior officials and Ministers on modern border management techniques and immigration reform programmes and strategies in Australia, Malaysia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. https://www.fortinusglobal.com/our-team/
Katy Hayward is Reader in Sociology and a Fellow of the Senator George Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security & Justice at Queen’s University. She has 20 years’ research experience on the impact of the EU on the Irish border and peace process, including as a partner on the current Canadian SSHRC-funded ‘Borders in Globalization’ programme. She is the author of over 130 publications, including the most recent report Brexit at the Border: voices from local communities in the Central Border Region of Ireland/Northern Ireland (2018).
Queen’s is pleased to acknowledge funding support from the ESRC UK in a Changing Europe initiative.

QPol September Brexit Clinic
2018-09-20 12:30 - 14:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The next QPol Brexit Clinic will take place on Thursday 20 September at 12.30pm in the Moot Court Room, Main Site Tower, Queen’s University.
To register, please click here.

October Brexit Clinic
2018-10-17 12:30 - 14:00
Queen’s Policy Engagement (QPol ) invites you to the latest in its series of ‘Brexit Clinics’ bringing together academic experts and stakeholders to discuss the issues facing the UK, to consider the particular challenges the process poses for Northern Ireland and to provide informed insights into the process.
Whatever your particular interest is in Brexit and the EU, come along to the October Brexit Clinic on Wednesday 17 October at 12.30pm. The Clinic will consist of introductory comments on the process by senior Queen’s academics Professor David Phinnemore, Dr Viviane Gravey and Dr Mary Hobbs and will be followed by a Q+A session and discussion addressing issues raised by participants.
Places are limited so please register early. Coffee and sandwiches from 12 noon.

Exploring a "Blue" Brexit
2018-10-23 13:00 - 14:00 | The McClay Library, 10 College Park Avenue, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1LP, United Kingdom
What are the possible impacts of Brexit on the marine environment?
The McClay Library are hosting a lunchtime talk which looks to explore some of the known unknowns in a post Brexit world as well as highlighting the importance of international agreements and environmental targets.
Ellen MacMahon coordinates the Northern Ireland Marine Task Force (NIMTF), a coalition of 10 non-government environmental organisations with the support of approximately 100,000 local people. NIMTF are working towards healthy, productive and resilient seas for Northern Ireland.
The talk will take place in The Auditorium.
Tea and Coffee will be provided. To register, please click here.

Corporate social responsibility: A force for good
2018-11-06 10:00 - 12:30 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
Consumers consider more than just the quality of goods and services when choosing a brand. Many people also want to know that the company they are buying from is ethical, and take into account the social, human, economic and environmental impact of their business. In fact, some will even turn their back on their favourite companies if they believe they’re not taking a stand on societal and environmental issues.
This workshop looks at the issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is a way for companies to take responsibility for the social and environmental impacts of their business operations. The workshop will in particular explore the relationship between a business’s social responsibility and an individual’s personal responsibility. For example, if we want businesses to be a force for good, then we need to have a clearer understanding of the impact and influence of business leaders in shaping their organisation’s role in society.
At the session a panel of senior managers and business leaders will talk briefly about both corporate and personal responsibility. After this there will be a small group exercise relating to the panel discussion. The session will conclude with a question and answer session.
This event is for young people, schools and colleges and is invitation only.

November Brexit Clinic - Borders, Backstops and Brexit
2018-11-06 12:30 | LAN 01/052, Lanyon Building, QUB, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NF, United Kingdom
Not bored yet with Brexit? Then come along and join in the discussion around the issues facing the UK and the particular challenges that Brexit poses for Northern Ireland.
With academics from the Queen’s on Brexit initiative and part of the 2018 ESRC Festival of Social Science.
To register, please click here.

History counts: Using numbers to understand the past
2018-11-07 10:00 - 15:00 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
Ever wondered how data can shine a light on the past? Data is a very important part of studying history. For example, the UK census has been collected every 10 years since 1801, and reading it can tell us a huge amount about what life was like a hundred years ago. It can tell us how many people lived in different places, what jobs they did, how long they lived for and how cramped their houses were.
This workshop aims to introduce A-level history students to economics-based approaches to studying history, and show them how quantitative historical data can be used to shine a light on historical debates.
The event will consist of a one-day workshop divided into three sessions. The first session will introduce students to the field of economic history, and explain how it can improve our understanding of the past. The second session will talk about the power of numbers, and how data can be used to investigate historical phenomena and long-term trends. After lunch, the third session will focus on the economic history research conducted at Queen’s University Centre for Economic History (QUCEH). Academics will talk to students about their own research, and encourage them to comment and ask questions.
This event is for young people, schools and colleges and is invitation only.

Best practice in Arts Management and Cultural Policymaking
2018-11-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Brian Friel Theatre, 20 University Road, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Calling all arts and cultural professionals!
Join us as we showcase new research that questions the notion of ‘best practice’ in the arts and cultural sector.
With Dr Victoria Durrer. To register please click here,

Climate change: how do we respond?
2018-11-07 19:00 - 20:30 | Canada Room and Council Chamber, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Are you passionate about combatting climate change?
This public event offers a space for shared learning and dialogue around climate change and societal responses to the key challenges facing our society and planet.
With Dr Amanda Slevin. To register please click here.

Thinking in time: the developmental psychology of future-thinking
2018-11-09 14:30 - 15:30
Following a discussion about how future-related decision-making changes as children get older, we invite you to take part in a live experiment where you can try out a variety of the computer-based tasks used in our research.
With Professor Teresa McCormack from Queen’s University Belfast. To register please click here.

Lecture by Conor McGinn MP, Labour Party
2018-11-22 19:00 - 20:00
As part of Queen’s University Belfast’s Policy Engagement Lecture Series, Mr Conor McGinn MP will be visiting Queen’s on Thursday 22 November to deliver a lecture entitled “Rights, Responsibilities and Respect: Building the Common Good.”

Simon Coveney: 'Maintaining the habit of Co-operation'
2019-01-09 18:30 - 20:00
Queen’s University Policy Engagement Lecture Series provides a platform for meaningful discussion, engaged debate, and open dialogue on a range of today’s most pressing issues. It honours the commitments made in the University’s Social Charter to engage civic conversations, knowledge exchange and intercultural dialogue.

Public Event: ‘Brexit’ – Trade Union Perspectives
2019-01-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Canada Room and Council Chamber, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Trade Union panel and open floor discussion on the UK withdrawal from the EU. To register, click here.
(Tea/coffee served from 5.30pm – car parking available in the car park at the back of the QUB main building)
As part of the university’s ongoing contribution to the debates around UK withdrawal from the EU, there will be an event open to the public exploring the views within the trade union movement on how best to defend and advance the interests of their members in the present state of relations between the UK and the EU.
The event will be chaired by Merav Amir, President of the University & College Union at Queen’s.
Katy Hayward (leading Queen’s expert on ‘Brexit’) will start off the discussion by giving a brief ‘user friendly’ technical summary of where negotiations and future prospects are at the time of the event.
That will be followed by opening comments from a panel of leading trade union speakers representing a range of positions within the trade union movement on ‘Brexit’, including the Irish and GB dimensions alongside the focus on Northern Ireland:

Owen Reidy – Assistant General Secretary, Irish Congress of Trade Unions
Davy Thompson – Regional Coordinating Officer, Unite
Alex Gordon – Past President, RMT
Paddy Mackel – President, Belfast & District Trades Union Council

Speakers will give their views (10 minutes each) on how to protect and advance trade union interests in the coming year .
The discussion will then be opened up to the floor.

The Purpose of Universities Today - Public Lecture
2019-02-14 17:30 - 19:00 | Canada Room and Council Chamber, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Speaker:
Professor Shane O’Neill
Shane O’Neill is a Visiting Research Professor at the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast. He is a political philosopher and critical social theorist who worked at Queen’s from 1994 to 2016. He served for an extended term on the University Executive, as Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and he was instrumental in establishing the Institute. Since 2016 he has been Professor of Political Theory at Keele University in England, where he also serves as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Planning and Advancement and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
About the Lecture
Public debates about the role of universities have tended to be polarised in recent years. On the one hand neo-liberal views present universities as institutions with a singular focus, which is to compete with each other by demonstrating how effective they are at equipping students or research partners to succeed in market society. On the other hand, traditional accounts of the intrinsic value of university education and research that have challenged such neo-liberal thinking can often appear to be either nostalgic or elitist. We need to reconstruct the purpose of the university today by moving beyond this unhelpful debate. The argument presented here suggests that the most fruitful way to do this is to present universities as instruments of social freedom.
Tea and coffee will be served in the Canada Room from 5.00pm.
The lecture will take place in the Council Chamber at 5.30pm.

Enhancing the democratic debate in the era of fake news with Stephen Nolan
2019-02-26 18:00 - 19:30
Queen’s University Belfast is delighted to welcome Stephen Nolan, radio and television presenter, to deliver a public lecture at the University on 26 February at 6.00pm in the Emeleus Lecture Theatre.
To register, please click here.

"The Border: The Legacy of a Century of Anglo-Irish Politics" - A Public Talk by Professor Diarmaid Ferriter (UCD)
2019-03-11 17:45 - 19:00 | Bell Lecture Theatre, Lanyon Building, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Join us for the latest in our series of public talks, this time being given by Professor Diarmaid Ferriter from University College Dublin.
Diarmaid Ferriter is Professor of Modern Irish History at UCD. His books include The Transformation of Ireland 1900-2000 (2004), Judging Dev: A Reassessment of the life and legacy of Eamon de Valera (2007), Occasions of Sin: Sex and Society in Modern Ireland (2009) Ambiguous Republic: Ireland in the 1970s (2012) A Nation and not a Rabble: The Irish Revolution 1913-23 (2015) and On The Edge: Ireland’s Offshore Islands, A Modern History (2018).
His latest book is The Border: The Legacy of a Century of Anglo-Irish Politics (2019). He is a regular broadcaster on RTE television and radio and a weekly columnist with the Irish Times.
Registration is not required and seats will be issued on a first come, first served basis.
