Queen's Policy Engagement

The aftermath of migration on Kos
2017-11-04 09:00 - 2017-11-11 17:00 (Europe/London)
In the summer of 2015 the migration crisis hit the shores of the Greek island of Kos, with thousands of refugees given temporary accommodation in an abandoned hotel.
This powerful photographic exhibition shows images of the hotel and the many and various objects left behind, and gives us a snapshot of life as a refugee, as well as the aftermath of the migration crisis.
The exhibition will run throughout the Festival week. No registration required. Please just drop in!

Informing NI Brexit Considerations
2017-10-25 13:30 - 16:00 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
The first of this year’s KESS Seminars will take place on Wednesday 25 October from 1.30pm. The title of the seminar is Informing NI Brexit Considerations and will feature speakers from Queen’s University, Ulster University and the Open University.
To register please click here.

QPol Brexit Clinic
2017-10-25 12:30 - 14:00
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.
The European Council will meet on the 19-20 October, during which the EU 27 will review the latest developments in the negotiations following the UK’s notification of its intention to leave the EU. Will a decision be taken that the Brexit negotiations are progressing well enough to move to the next stage?
Whatever your particular interest is in Brexit and the EU, come along to the next Clinic on Wednesday 25 October at 12.30pm. The Clinic will consist of introductory comments on the process by senior Queen’s academics, particularly in light of the outworkings of the European Council meeting, followed by a Q+A session and discussion addressing issues raised by participants.
To register please click here.

Brexit and the Japan-UK relationship
2017-09-29 12:00 - 13:00 | Canada Room and Council Chamber, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Mr Shinichi Iida, Minister for Public Diplomacy and Media at the Embassy of Japan in the UK will visit Queen’s University on 29 September to deliver a lecture entitled “Brexit and the Japan-UK relationship.”
Minister Iida will discuss Brexit and its impact on business in the light of Japan’s role as the second-largest non-EU investor in Britain, based upon a long-term and cooperative relationship. He will also refer to the core principles that Japan and the UK share, including adherence to the rule of law and respect for human rights, and to the two countries’ commitment to working together to tackle a range of weighty global issues.
Minister Iida will also touch upon the importance of cultural and people-to-people exchange between Japan and the UK as a springboard for advancing dynamic, forward-looking bilateral ties for the benefit of future generations.
About the Speaker
Mr Shinichi Iida, was born in 1967 in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture. He passed the diplomatic service examination in his third year at the Faculty of Law in University of Tokyo. After entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), he studied at Amherst College in Massachusetts, USA. After working for the Permanent Mission of Japan to the UN in New York from 2003 to 2006, he held positions as Director for Oceania Division, Director of Global Issues Cooperation Division, and Director of Consular Policy Division at MOFA. In July 2016, he was assigned to the Embassy of Japan in the United Kingdom as Minister for Public Diplomacy and Media.

BREXIT 15 months on – socio-legal perspectives for the EU and Europe
2017-09-23 09:00 - 17:15
15 months after the UK has lodged its intention to withdraw from the European Union (EU), there is limited information on what exactly the UK wishes to achieve. However, this does and should not prevent the EU from responding to this withdrawal with a programmatic renewal. Clearly, the EU’s social legitimacy is one of the areas where renewal is dearly needed – as is the question how the EU’s visions are communicated and realised at its new borders, especially to the West and the East.
Because the EU is and remains a Community of Law, new perspectives will impact on its legal nature, giving much food for thought to socio-legal academics.

Plenary Panel I: The EU’s social legitimacy after the UK’s withdrawal
Free Movement of People in the EU after “Brexit”
Prof. Catherine Barnard, University of Cambridge, UK
The implications of “Brexit” for EU Social Policy
Prof. Mary Daly, University of Oxford, UK
A European Social Union after the crisis
Prof. Frank Vandenbroucke , University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Plenary Panel II: Perspectives for the EUs Eastern and Western Fringes
The EU’s role in policing the rule of law: reflections on recent Polish experience
Prof. Robert Grzeszczak and Dr. Stephen Terrett, University of Warsaw, Poland
European solutions for the island of Ireland
Prof. Dagmar Schiek, Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland
The De-Europeanisation of border conflicts: the Brexit effect on UK territorial borders
Dr Nikos Skoutaris, University of East Anglia, UK
To view the full conference programme, click here.
To register, click here.

Feeding nine billion: the ultimate global challenge
2017-09-20 17:00 - 18:30 | Great Hall, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Join Queen’s University for the first in a major new series of Global Challenges Debates where a leading Queen’s academic engages in debate with a leading figure from another major institution, to consider an issue of global significance.
The first debate will feature:

Professor Chris Elliott, Queen’s University Belfast, Founder of the Institute for Global Food Security and Pro-Vice-Chancellor for the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Michelle Grant, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Executive Director of the World Food System Centre, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich)

Following the presentations, a debate will be chaired by Professor Nigel Scollan, Director of the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast
Doors open 4.30pm Seats will be issued on a first come first served basis (no registration required) Refreshments will be served following the debate.

The Annual Chief Executives’ Club Leadership Lecture - Navigating a World of Unprecedented Volatility
2017-09-12 17:30 - 19:30 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
The Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s and the Queen’s Management School, are delighted to welcome Mr Declan Kelly, Chairman & CEO, Teneo to deliver its inaugural Annual Leadership Lecture. Mr Kelly will discuss the unprecedented global environment companies must navigate today as well as his work personally advising the CEOs of many of the world’s largest companies at Teneo. He will also reflect on his term as US Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, appointed by then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2009.
An entrepreneur, Irish-American business executive, and philanthropist, Mr Kelly is widely known for his corporate problem solving skills, due to the impact he has had on the American corporate world.
His company, Teneo, provides services that span the range of strategic communications; government affairs, investment banking, cyber security and risk management, management consulting, investor relations, corporate governance, advisory and executive recruitment, amongst many others. The firm has nearly 700 employees and offices in 17 strategic markets around the world. Before founding Teneo in 2011, Mr Kelly acted as US Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland after being appointed to the post in 2009 by then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Today he advises several of the world’s most recognised CEOs and leaders of the world’s largest companies.
To register, please click here.

QPol Brexit Discussion: an update on key policy considerations
2017-08-30 12:30 - 14:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Having set in motion the formal process for leaving the EU, the UK government is almost six months into a two-year negotiation process that continues to take place in a context of political uncertainty within the UK and the EU. 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.
So whether your particular interest is the economy, borders, the enviroment or the Brexit process itself, why not come along to the next Clinic on Wednesday 30 August at 12.30pm. The Clinic will consist of introductory comments on the process by senior Queen’s academics, followed by a Q+A session and discussion addressing issues raised by participants. The panel members are:

Professor David Phinnemore
Professor Lee McGowan
Dr. Katy Hayward
Dr. Viviane Gravey
Dr Graham Brownlow

To this end, participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing qpol@qub.ac.uk
Places are limited so please register early.

One year on: what Brexit means for our environment
2017-06-23 17:00 - 18:30 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Environmental issues barely featured in the EU referendum campaign, yet over 40 years of membership of the European Union have profoundly shaped environmental, agri-food and energy systems both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland.
Join us at Queen’s University Belfast on the first anniversary of the UK referendum on exiting the EU for this public roundtable that brings together academics and practitioners to discuss what Brexit means for our environment North and South.
Issues for discussion include:

To what extent will Brexit impacts be felt beyond the UK?
How will Brexit, and the prospect of a harder border impact whole-island supply chains in energy and agri-food?
How should agricultural and environmental policies change after Brexit – and where should these decisions be made?

Organised by the Political Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI) Environmental Politics Specialist Group, confirmed speakers to date include Dr Viviane Gravey from Queen’s University and Dr Charlotte Burns from University of York.
To register, click here.

A Global City in a post-Brexit Era – A Case for a City Deal?
2017-05-30 10:30 - 12:00 | Belfast City Hall, Donegall Square, Belfast , Antrim, BT1 5GS, United Kingdom
Following Theresa May’s announcement on the 29 March this year, the UK government has set in motion the formal process for leaving the EU. This is expected to last two years and takes place in a context of political uncertainty within the UK and the EU.
QPOL Policy Engagement at Queen’s will bring together academic experts and stakeholders from across Belfast at a special “Brexit Clinic” to discuss the issues facing the UK as it negotiates its withdrawal from the EU. This event provides the opportunity to consider the particular challenges Brexit poses for the city of Belfast and to provide informed insights into the process, in light of the City Council’s aspirations for a City Deal.
Chaired by Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive of Belfast City Council, the Brexit Clinic will take place in Belfast City Hall on Tuesday 30 May with a panel consisting of:

Dr. Lee McGowan
Dr. Katy Hayward
Dr. Viviane Gravey

Dr Lee McGowan
Dr Lee McGowan holds a Jean Monnet Chair in European Integration and is Senior Lecturer in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s. Lee has led a number of EU and Brexit-related research projects at Queen’s and his areas of expertise fall under three headings: the impact of EU membership on Northern Ireland under devolution, EU competition policy, and political populism. Lee will address attitudes towards Brexit from the European perspective with specific reference to Northern Ireland.
Dr Katy Hayward
Katy Hayward is a Senior Lecturer and a Senior Research Fellow in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and her areas of interest include cross-border conflict and cooperation and EU integration including Brexit.
Katy’s current research aims to enhance knowledge and capacity for effective, creative and flexible solutions to UK/Ireland border management after Brexit and her presentation will outline the main areas of change for Northern Ireland arising from Brexit, most specifically as it relates to the movement of people and goods, while highlighting some of the direct implications it may have for the city of Belfast.
Dr Viviane Gravey
Viviane Gravey is a Lecturer in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s and her research interests include EU environmental and agricultural policy. Her presentation will look at how the EU has shaped UK and NI environmental and agricultural policy and governance, as well as the potential policy and governance changes following the repatriation of EU law to the UK and the devolved regions and cities such as Belfast post-Brexit.
Format
Each member of the panel will provide introductory remarks on their own areas of expertise with specific reference to the impact of Brexit on Northern Ireland and Belfast. This will be followed by a Q+A session and discussion addressing issues raised by participants.
Any preregistered participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing qpol@qub.ac.uk

A Giant’s Cause: Solutions for Brexit with Professor Carl Baudenbacher
2017-05-11 17:30 - 19:00 | Great Hall, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union remains open and one of the options floated has been for the UK to join the European Economic Area (EEA) on the EFTA side.
The EEA extends the EU’s Single Market to three EFTA countries: Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. These countries are simultaneously members of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). They are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union, but to that of the EFTA Court. While Prime Minister Theresa May has written that the UK does not seek to remain part of the Single Market, the UK Government’s position on the ‘fourth freedom,’ the free movement of persons, has softened.
Join QPol at Queen’s as we welcome Professor Carl Baudenbacher, President of the EFTA Court, who will explore whether the EEA model, or a bespoke variation of it, would be a suitable way forward for the UK, and ensure the harmony and soft-border between the isles’ two countries.
To register, click here.

About Professor Carl Baudenbacher, President of the EFTA Court
Professor Carl Baudenbacher has been the Liechtenstein Judge of the EFTA Court since 1995 and its President since 2003. From 1987 to 2013 he was the Chair of Private, Commercial and Economic Law and the Managing Director of the Institute of European and International Business Law at the University of St. Gallen HSG. From 1993 to 2004, he was a Permanent Visiting Professor at the University of Texas. He is now the Director of the Competence Center for European and International Law at the University of St Gallen HSG.

The McCosh Lecture - Is Religion Really Violent?
2017-05-03 14:00 - 17:00 | Great Hall, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Karen Armstrong, writer and commentator on religion, will deliver this year’s McCosh Lecture, the annual religious studies lecture at Queen’s University Belfast.
The lecture entitled “Is Religion Really Violent?” will take place in The Great Hall at Queen’s University on Wednesday 3 May from 2pm-4pm, followed by refreshments.
All welcome.

'Inside the Trump White House' with Niall Stanage, Associate Editor of The Hill
2017-04-27 18:30 - 20:00 | Room PFC/0G/007, Peter Froggatt Centre, Queen's University, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast is hosting the Annual Spring Festival guest lecture, ‘Inside the Trump White House’, with Niall Stanage, Associate Editor and White House columnist for The Hill.
Belfast-born journalist Niall is now based in Washington D.C where he has covered four presidential elections and is a frequent political commentator on both sides of the Atlantic.
Niall covered the 2016 presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, reporting first-hand from the first caucuses in Iowa, through the party conventions and presidential debates and on the Election Day itself.
The lecture will give insights from the 2016 presidential election campaign trail, what it’s like to report from inside the White House and will discuss the most controversial President of modern times.
The guest lecture will be chaired by Barry Turley.
To register, please click here.

The featured image has been used courtesy of a Creative Commons licence.

Farmers: bureaucracy and stress - KESS Seminar
2017-04-26 13:30 - 15:00 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
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 to register please email raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda
1.30pm – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Mrs Ursula Walsh (Ulster) – Regulation and bureaucracy – a significant source of Framers’ stress

Farming is a very stressful occupation and ranks in the top ten job groups with a high mortality from suicide. This presentation aims to highlight the results of recent research (involving over 90 Northern Ireland farmers) that found that bureaucracy remains a significant cause of stress to farmers. Farmers reported that particular issues, including inflexible deadlines and excessive paperwork, exacerbated the problem. The government’s policy of electronic by default, puts particular burdens on those farmers with limited IT skills and poor internet connections. The 2014 review of Northern Ireland business red tape ‘Making Life Simpler: Improving Business Regulation in NI’, made several recommendations including the implementation of the principles of regulatory reform such as proportionality, collaboration, support and regard for economic growth. Despite these recommendations, the farmers who participated in this research overwhelmingly reported that paperwork continued to be a considerable burden and cause of stress. These findings are not only concerning with regard to the mental health of individual farmers, but also within the context of adding to the pressures on these, mainly, small businesses.
2.05pm – Discussion

2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments

Women in the Workplace - KESS Seminar
2017-04-05 13:30 - 15:00 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
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 to register please email raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda

1.30pm – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks

1.45pm – Prof Joan Ballantine, Dr Graeme Banks, Prof Kathryn Haynes, Dr Melina Manochin and Mr Tony Wall (Ulster) – Gender Equality in the Northern Ireland Public Sector – a View from the Top

The highly contentious issue of gender equality with regard to executive and non-executive director positions has received considerable attention in the context of the private sector. However, substantially less is known about gender equality issues at the senior levels of the public sector, including that of NI. While the limited statistics available for NI indicate that males dominate senior positions, there is a lack of data which enable an understanding of why this is the case. In this presentation we report on the final stage of an OFMDFM funded research project which involved 107 in-depth interviews with male and female current and aspiring executives, employed across the NI public sector. We report on the findings with respect to a number of themes including, gender culture, work life balance and promoting gender equality at senior levels. The presentation will conclude with recommendations to improve gender equality within the NI public sector. The research is timely given the recently published draft Programme for Government Framework 2016-21, which was surprisingly silent on the issue of gender equality in the workplace

2.05pm – Dr Clem Herman, Dr Elaine Thomas and Dr Katie Chicot (OU) – Returning to STEM: interventions to support women returners after career breaks

The ratio of male to females employed in STEM-related industries in NI is 3 to 1, yet although the business case for gender equality in STEM has been well recognised in NI policy, little attention has been paid to date to the potential presented by women returning from career breaks. The persistence of normative gendered career pathways and gendered organisational cultures in STEM sectors present barriers to those who have non-linear or unconventional career trajectories. In this presentation we will showcase two new resources launched last year by The Open University (OU) – Reboot Your STEM Career and Returning to STEM – the latest in a succession of interventions by the OU to encourage and support women in their STEM careers. The resources were developed following a longitudinal research project that tracked women’s career progression over a five-year period and identified five key success strategies for returning to STEM work (foot in the door, networking, back to basics, retraining and helping hand). Case studies highlighted in the resources can be used by NI policy-makers to support women resuming and progressing their careers and interviews with STEM employers illustrate the benefits to companies of developing internships specifically aimed at returners.
2.25pm – Discussion

2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments

Addressing Autism - KESS Seminar
2017-03-29 13:30 - 16:10 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
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 to register please email mailto:raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda
1.30pm – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Prof Karola Dillenburger, Dr Lyn McKerr and Dr Julie-Ann Jordan (QUB) – Preventing poverty and social exclusion for those affected by autism and their families

Autism rates in Northern Ireland are rising by 0.2% annually and now stand at 2.3% in the school population. The cost to society for autism is £34billion in the UK, more than cancer, strokes, and heart disease combined; 36% of this cost is for adult services. The NI government has invested heavily in autism diagnosis and autism services. However, services are still not meeting the needs of those directly affected by autism and their families; and there is a feeling that the money is not always spent wisely. A major study was funded by OFMDFM (2012-2016) to explore poverty and social exclusion of children and adults affected by autism and their families, and to make policy and practice recommendations. In this presentation we will present data from all 4 phases of this study: (1) A thorough literature review exposed gaps in service provision; (2) An adult population survey (NILTS autism module) identified levels of autism awareness and attitudes; (3) A comprehensive secondary data analysis of existing data banks exposed levels of poverty and deprivation; and, (4) Detailed qualitative data analysis looked at staff training and gave voice to those on the autism spectrum and their families. Data from the research will be reported and recommendations outlined, including making cost-savings.

2.05pm – Prof Mickey Keenan (Ulster) – Evidence and Policy: How to help families of children diagnosed with autism in Northern Ireland
Currently in the USA, 44 States have introduced legislation to ensure that parents have access to Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) for the treatment of autism; hundreds of major companies have also made ABA available under their health insurance policies for workers. The supporting evidence to introduce this legislation will be outlined as well as the training standards for professionals trained in ABA. This information will provide a basis for contrasting how ABA is viewed in Northern Ireland and in the UK in general. I will show how misinformation by professionals with no training in ABA has resulted in misinformation influencing politicians charged with developing policy for helping families of children diagnosed with autism (http://theconversation.com/science-that-could-improve-the-lives-of-people-with-autism-is-being-ignored-39951).

2.25pm – Discussion

2.45pm – Comfort Break

2.55pm – Dr Ilona Roth (OU) – Autism: a cross-cultural perspective on service provision and capacity building

Prevalence estimates for autism in the western world have risen substantially over recent years, most probably reflecting a combination of increasing public awareness, wider inclusion criteria and improved diagnostic services. Many gaps and inequalities of services and support remain, especially in relation to adults and to deprived and ethnic minority communities. There is growing recognition of these needs and of the political, practical and educational initiatives necessary to address them. However, autism is now widely recognised to be a global problem. Many difficulties faced by individuals with autism and their families in Lower and Middle Income Countries (LAMIC) resemble those in the western world, but have strikingly greater scale and impact in these settings. Moreover, a western approach to resolving gaps in diagnosis, intervention and other forms of service provision often does not translate well to LAMIC situations and cultures. A recent collaboration between academics at The Open University and the University of Addis Ababa sheds light on the situation in Ethiopia, where poor awareness of autism, together with high levels of stigma and extremely limited service provision serve as a stark example of the challenges to be addressed worldwide. This presentation will discuss findings from this research, and outline some of the initiatives undertaken as first steps in seeking to address these problems.

3.15pm – Prof Jonathan Rix (OU) – Global Challenges for Inclusive and Special Education – Exploring solutions within a Community of Provision

This seminar builds upon a study undertaken for the National Council for Special Education in the Republic of Ireland, examining the continuum of special education globally (Rix, Sheehy, Fletcher-Campbell, Crisp & Harper, 2013). This involved a systematic literature review of the multitude of continua associated with special education, followed by a review of policy in 50 countries, and then a further detailed examination of 11 administrations. Although this review did not include Northern Ireland, the seminar will present findings and a framework of analysis which will have direct relevance to the experiences of Northern Ireland’s policy-makers and practitioners. The Community of Provision (CoPro) was developed to explore the challenges of the systems in the study. It is defined by the settings and services that work together to provide a service within a locality. The nature of the CoPro will vary nationally and locally and be dependent upon the individuals concerned. It is intended to encapsulate complex societal support systems, assisting the thinking of decision-makers and researchers and underlining the need to focus their efforts across all arenas of practice. (Rix, J., Sheehy, K., Fletcher-Campbell, F., Crisp, M. & Harper, A. (2013) Continuum of Education Provision for Children with Special Educational Needs: Review of International Policies and Practices. (Volumes 1&2.) National Council for Special Education, Trim.)

3.35pm – Discussion

4.05pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

4.10pm – Networking and Refreshments

QPOL Brexit Discussion: Triggering Article 50 - What Next?
2017-03-29 12:30 - 14:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
With its imminent notification of the UK’s intention to withdraw from the EU, the UK government will set in motion the formal process for leaving the EU. This is expected to last two years and will take place in a context of political uncertainty within the UK and the EU.
QPOL Policy Engagement at Queen’s will be hosting a series of ‘Brexit Clinics’ bringing together academic experts and stakeholders to discuss the issues facing the UK as it negotiates its withdrawal from the EU, to consider the particular challenges the process poses for Northern Ireland and to provide informed insights into the process.
The first of these will be on 29 March 2017 – the day PM Theresa May is due to trigger Article 50 and following the informal gathering of EU-27 leaders in Rome on 25 March 2017 to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties of Rome.
The Clinic will involve 3-4 short introductory comments on the process by senior Queen’s academics, followed by a Q+A session and discussion addressing issues raised by participants. The panel will consist of:

Professor David Phinnemore
Dr. Lee McGowan
Dr. Katy Hayward
Dr. Viviane Gravey

To this end, participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing qpol@qub.ac.uk
This event is mainly aimed at representatives from political parties, community and business organisations, the civil service, the Media and other stakeholders.
Places are limited so please register early.

Sounding out on Brexit
2017-03-25 14:00 - 17:00 | Sonic Arts Research Centre, Cloreen Park , Belfast, Antrim, BT9 5HN, United Kingdom
The Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) at Queen’s University Belfast is organising this event which will record sound bites / interviews on the topic of Brexit.
Participants will interview the public on how their lives might change in a post-Brexit UK. In this hands-on workshop, led by led by Franziska Schroeder, attendees will learn to use basic recording technologies (microphones, audio recorders etc). They will then edit the sound recordings on state of the art computer editing suites and compile sound bites into a short piece which will be played back at the end of the workshop. Professional sound artists and engineers will be on hand to support participants and no previous experience is required.
Garret Carr of the Seamus Heaney Centre and the author of The Rule of the Land: Walking Ireland’s Border – a recent BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week – will be helping to facilitate the event. The Irish Independent recently said of Garrett: “he has the eye of a scientist, and a poet’s facility with words.”
To register click here.

The 2017 Eaton Lecture - Universities and Urban Regions: A Partnership for Prosperity
2017-03-23 17:30 - 19:45 | Great Hall, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The Eaton Lecture will take place at Queen’s University (on the Lanyon campus) on Thursday 23 March 2017.
Organised by the Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s and The Centre of Canadian Studies (within the Queen’s School of Natural and Built Environment), guest speaker Professor Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto, will give the lecture, exploring: “Universities and Urban Regions: A Partnership for Prosperity”.
In his address, Professor Gertler will cite a range of successful partnerships across the world.
A panel discussion, compèred by BBC presenter William Crawley, will further explore the topic, from national, European and local perspectives, following Professor Gertler’s presentation. The panel will comprise:

Professor Björn Asheim, Lund University, Sweden
Dr Linda Fox-Rogers, Queen’s University Belfast
Professor Kevin Morgan, Cardiff University
Dr Joanne Stuart, Catalyst NI, and
Ms Suzanne Wylie, Belfast City Council.

Pre-lecture refreshments will be served from 5.30pm in The Canada Room, and the lecture and discussion will take place in The Great Hall, beginning at 6pm.
For further information and to register please click here.

Machines, morality and the future of medical care
2017-03-23 12:30 - 13:30 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Surgical robots have made hospital debuts, while prototypes of robotic caregivers continue to evolve. Yet as the technology advances, concerns about ethics and privacy become more pressing.
Will sensitive patient data be handled securely? Can we trust robots to care for vulnerable adults? And how can patients be assured that technology won’t encourage them to take medications they don’t want – or need? Join a panel of experts as they discuss these issues.
Speakers include Dr Tom Walker, Senior Lecturer in Ethics at Queen’s University, Professor Noel Sharkey, Emeritus Professor of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, University of Sheffield and Dr Charlotte Blease, Research Fellow at Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies and School of Philosophy, University College Dublin
The event will be chaired by Professor Hastings Donnan, Director of The Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University Belfast.
This event is free to attend. To register, click here.

Language in education - KESS Seminar
2017-03-22 13:30 - 15:20 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
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 to attend. To register email raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda
1.30pm – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Dr Sharon Jones (Stranmillis University College) – Languages in Primary Schools in Northern Ireland

The current deficit in skills in modern languages is economically detrimental (Foreman-Peck and Wang, 2013), not least to the growth of the export base (Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, 2014). Evidence suggests that learning a modern language should begin at primary school (Lenneberg, 1967; Jones and Coffey, 2006) as this increases self-esteem, enthusiasm, and positive attitudes to later learning (Hawkins, 1974, 1999; DfES, 2002; Jones and Coffey, 2013). As Northern Ireland’s primary schools become increasingly multicultural (Kernaghan, 2015), intercultural education facilitated by modern language learning is increasingly relevant (Richardson and Gallagher, 2011; Purdy and Ferguson, 2012; Jones, 2015), addressing racial prejudice early (Sharpe, 2001, p. 35). While primary school children in Scotland and England will learn at least one additional language, Northern Ireland has ‘the shortest period of compulsory foreign language learning in Europe’ (British Council, 2015). This presentation draws on recent research into current practice and teacher and pupil views in primary schools across Northern
Ireland (Jones et al, 2016), to conclude that foreign language learning should be made a statutory part of the Northern Ireland Curriculum, thus affording the opportunities of modern language learning to our young people, and its economic and cultural benefits to our region.
2.05pm – Mr Ian Collen (QUB) – Transition from Primary Language Programmes to Post-Primary Language Provision

As in England, entries for GCSE and A-level languages in Northern Ireland have declined annually since 2004 (CCEA/JCQ). To redress this decline, languages are now compulsory from Primary 5 to Primary 7 in England. In Scotland, two languages will be compulsory at primary level from 2020. This has led to a focus in educational research on transition in modern languages (Chambers, 2014; Courtney, 2014). In Northern Ireland, there is a patchwork of schools offering various modern languages at primary level (Purdy, Siberry & Beale, 2010), but recent research (Collen, McKendry & Henderson, 2016) indicates that primary pupils perceive modern languages to have a low status, that there is no evidence of effective transition in modern languages between primary and post-primary schools and that there is a need to make language learning statutory at primary level, if our pupils are to be afforded the same opportunities as pupils in England and Scotland, and be prepared to compete in a globalised employment market. This presentation draws on recent research into models of delivery of primary languages, taking
cognisance of the need for effective transition to post-primary education, and suggests ways in which statutory modern languages should be introduced in Northern Ireland.

2.25pm – Prof Kieron Sheehy (OU) – Inclusive Practice through Keyword Signing – Addressing barriers to accessible classrooms

This seminar will present evidence that having an accessible communicative environment is the core of inclusive educational practice, facilitating positive outcomes for diverse groups of learners (Sheehy et al. 2009). One effective communicate approach is keyword signing (KWS), which typically samples the manual signs of a country’s Deaf community. For example, British Sign Language is the basis of the Makaton vocabulary used in Northern Ireland. KWS signs accompany only the key word(s) in spoken sentences and so provides sign-supported communication, rather than a sign language. There is extensive evidence of the educational and social benefits to support using KWS. It has also been seen as a potential way to give some children a voice within the criminal justice and safeguarding system (Bunting et al. 2015), addressing the mental health needs of people with learning difficulties (Devine & Taggart 2008) and a professional training need for school staff (McConkey & Abbott 2011). However, there are significant barriers which impede its use in schools and communities. This seminar will illustrate the nature of these barriers through our research in developing of KWS Signalong Indonesia (Sheehy & Budiyanto 2014). It will discuss how these difficult barriers might be tackled and the challenges this presents for policy makers with an inclusive agenda.

2.45pm – Discussion

3.15pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.20pm – Networking and Refreshments

Bioethical utopias: what the future of medicine says about our present
2017-03-22 13:00 - 14:00 | Old Staff Common Room, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
With Professor Richard Ashcroft.
At a time of social and political uncertainty many people are choosing to focus their dreams and aspirations on their mental and bodily health. We may not be able to have better societies, but perhaps we can have better minds and bodies. Taking up the hopes held out by biomedicine and biotechnology, bioethicists have given further voice to these aspirations. In ideas of human enhancement and ‘the post human’ we find them projected into our collective future. Here, it seems, society will achieve Utopia, one body at a time. In this talk Professor Ashcroft will explore the place of science, medicine, and technology in the way we imagine our collective and individual futures and what this might tell us about ourselves in the present moment.
Professor Richard Ashcroft is a member of the School of Law, Queen Mary University of London.
This event is organised be the NI Ethics Forum which organises talks like this throughout the year.
To register click here.

Modern medical ethics: moral support or professional challenge
2017-03-21 17:00 - 18:00 | The Senate Room, Lanyon Building, QUB, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
With Dr Duncan Wilson.
Recent decades have seen profound changes in our understanding of the ethics of medicine. Whilst the subject was previously discussed by medical doctors alone, the topic is now discussed publicly and several academic disciplines, including law, philosophy and the social sciences, make substantive contributions to the field. In the UK this change could be attributed to the development of bioethics. However, a historically accurate picture highlights how the changing political context ultimately determined whether this interdisciplinary field represented a challenge or support for doctors. Illuminated in this way, we can consider the politics of medical ethics anew.
Dr Duncan Wilson is a member of the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine at the University of Manchester and the author of The Making of British Bioethics (MUP 2014).
This event is organised be the NI Ethics Forum which organises talks like this throughout the year. To register, click here.

How good are we at understanding the value of arts and culture?
2017-03-21 12:30 - 14:00 | Old Staff Common Room, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
This talk poses a fundamental question: how good are we at understanding the difference that arts and culture makes to individuals and to society?
We’ve become accustomed to presenting it in terms of benefits that are supposed to persuade the government of the day, because the aim is usually to make the case for public funding. So, we point to benefits to the economy or cities or health or education.
Some of these stand up to investigation but by no means all, but in any case is there a danger that in doing this we neglect some of the more fundamental benefits that matter to us all?
This is not a question of claiming art for arts sake, but of identifying the most compelling ways in which arts and cultural engagement make a difference to individuals and make a difference to society.
This event is free to attend. To register, click here.

Mental health: treatments and interventions - KESS Seminar
2017-03-08 13:30 - 16:10 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
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 to attend. To register email raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda
1.30pm – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks

1.45pm – Dr Karen Kirby, Ms Orla Mc Devitt-Petrovic, Dr Orla McBride, Prof Mark Shevlin, Dr Donal McAteer, Dr Colin Gorman and Dr Jamie Murphy (Ulster) – A New Mental Health Service Model for NI: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Low Intensity CBT (LI-CBT)

In 2010, the Strategy for the Development of Psychological Therapy Services in NI proposed a step care framework (SCF) as the most efficient model of mental health service delivery. A core feature of the SCF was that those with anxiety and depression would receive early interventions with a treatment that was shown to work. Despite the fact that early interventions such as LI-CBT are the most strongly evidenced interventions for depression and anxiety (NICE, 2009), and are shown to save money in the long term (London School of Economics, 2012), we do not currently have a service framework that formally applies this evidence, by training and employing specialist therapists to work in early intervention. Those with mild to moderate depression and anxiety who would greatly benefit from this service are thus missing out. At Ulster University we have therefore trained approximately 30 LI-CBT therapists to meet the developing service demands (treating approximately 500 clients), and while they are on placement, we are routinely monitoring their effectiveness on a session by session basis. The researchers at Ulster aim to evaluate the efficacy of this service model, based on the criteria of reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms below a clinical threshold, while being standardised against national rates for recovery, are thus demonstrated.

2.05pm – Dr Claire McCauley, Prof Hugh Mc Kenna, Dr Sinead Keeney and Dr Derek McLaughlin (Ulster) – ‘Surviving out of the Ashes’: An exploration of Mental Health Recovery in Young Adulthood in Northern Ireland

In response to the Bamford Review (2005) recommendations, the Service Framework for Mental Health and Well-being (DHSSPS 2010) indicated mental health recovery must be at the heart of all service and strategy development. This, the first study of its kind, explored young adult service user’s perspectives on mental health recovery in NI. This research identifies the factors that most impact on recovery. It proposes that there must be a definition of mental health recovery, personalised for young people here, and that their experiences must be used to inform decisions on service provision. It finds that the considerable risks to young adult’s lives of a generic and service orientated understanding of mental health recovery must be understood by legislators and policy-makers. The research findings make an important, positive contribution to our understanding of mental health recovery, and to the policy changes and service developments that are ultimately required to help service users. For example, findings indicate specific and targetable barriers, the removal of which would significantly improve a young adult’s perception of the achievability of mental health recovery in their life. Findings also identify specific areas in which tailored information, education and service provision are able to significantly promote the process of mental health recovering in the young adult demographic. The briefing will identify the actions policy-makers can take to ensure mental health recovery is understood and articulated by young adults to provide them with an effective wellness strategy for life.

2.25pm – Discussion

2.45pm – Comfort Break

2.55pm – Prof Chris Nugent, Prof Sally McClean and Dr Ian Cleland (Ulster) – The empowering role of smartphones in behaviour change interventions: The Gray Matters Study

The use of mobile apps are being claimed to have the ability to support a range of health and social care problems. Their use is, however, surrounded by widespread scepticism due to the lack of clinical evidence of their effectiveness which subsequently hinders their widespread use. This seminar will provide clinical evidence on the positive effects of mobile apps as a means of delivering behaviour change and reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. The Gray Matters Study, a 6-month pilot study with 104 participants using the Gray Matters app, aimed to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, whilst in the short-term promoting vascular health. The Gray Matters app was designed to facilitate the delivery of intervention material, recording of user behaviours and presentation of performance feedback. Results indicated that recording behaviours and achievement of daily targets were correlated to favourable improvements in biological and clinical markers, with significance in reducing BMI and correlation with cholesterol levels. Further analysis indicated that 69.2% of those who achieved more than 60% of their daily targets reduced their BMI during the study. In summary, the Gray Matters app excelled as a method to deliver intervention material, and simultaneously encourage and monitor behaviour change.

3.15pm – Prof Owen Barr, Dr Elizabeth Gallagher, Dr Laurence Taggart, Prof Siobhan O’Neill and Prof Angela Hassiotis (University College Limerick), Mr Paul Webb (Praxis) – Examining the difference in how residential facilities support people with intellectual disabilities with challenging behaviour and/or mental health problems live in the community

Over the last 30 years’ services for people with learning disabilities in NI have been transformed with community services. The ‘Equal Live’ Report (2005) and Learning Disability Service Framework document (2012) strongly emphasise supporting people with learning disabilities to be supported in the community. Although, this has generally been quite successful, the development of community living has not been without its challenges as some people can present with challenging behaviours and/or mental health problems. The present study was a 3-year project funded by the HSC R&D Division. It was carried out with the aim to investigate potential differences between two groupings of residential facilities for people with learning disabilities and/or challenging behaviours, one of which has experienced higher rates of hospital admissions, and one of which has successfully maintained people in the community. Staff from across the five HSCTs in NI participated by completing a number of standardised questionnaires and interviews, as well as family members and service users in both groups. Key findings highlight differences in terms of approaches of support, leadership and managerial structure across these two settings. The findings will be discussed and implications/recommendations for both policy and practice will be highlighted.
3.35pm – Discussion

4.05pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

4.10pm – Networking and Refreshments

Sir Bernard Crossland Annual Lecture - Universities, Innovation and Growth
2017-02-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
This year, Engineers Ireland and Queen’s University are delighted to welcome Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FRS FREng, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge, to give the 16th Sir Bernard Crossland Annual Lecture.
Dame Ann will be discussing the role of universities in stimulating growth through the people they educate and through their research and enterprise activities.
She will be placing particular emphasis on the importance of partnership between universities and businesses to ensure that these benefits are realised.
Queen’s University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Patrick Johnston, will give the welcome address at this prestigious event.
This event is free but pre-registration is required.

Pioneering Research at Queen's
2017-02-16 16:00 - 19:00 | Whitla Hall, University Road, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Come and meet some of our global leaders and research pioneers! This exciting showcase is an excellent opportunity to meet and talk with many of the inspiring researchers at Queen’s University.
The sixth volume in the DNA of Innovation series will also be launched at the showcase. Global leaders, Research Pioneers profiles 29 of our researchers and their work within the new Global Research Institutes (GRIs) and Pioneer Research Programmes (PRPs) at Queen’s.
These academics will have stands at the showcase and copies of the new publication will be available free of charge.

The practical implications of the UK Supreme Court´s “Brexit” decision for Northern Ireland
2017-01-30 10:00 - 13:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The School of Law at QUB, together with the Centre for Transnational and European Studies, is delighted to host a round-table discussion about the “Brexit” decisions of the UK Supreme Court, released on Tuesday, 24th January, concerning the constitutional requirements to trigger Art. 50 TEU.
A number of experts will introduce different perspectives about the practical implications of this critically important case and, in particular, what it means for devolved government in Northern Ireland now and in the future, relations with the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, the implications for human rights and the Peace Process, and the role of Northern Ireland in the “Brexit” negotiations.
Speakers include:

Professor Stephen Tierney (Edinburgh)
Professor Brendan O’Leary (U. Penn)
Professor John Temple-Lang (TCD)
Professor Daniel Halberstam (Michigan)
Professor Gordon Anthony (QUB)
Professor Christopher McCrudden (QUB),
Professor Dagmar Schiek (QUB).

These interventions will be followed by an extensive period for Questions and Answers, and discussion. This event is sponsored by the British Academy, the QUB School of Law, the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “Tensions at the Fringes of the European Union” and the Human Rights Centre at the School of Law.

Government Communications in the 21st Century with Alex Aiken
2017-01-26 18:30 - 19:45 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Alex Aiken, Executive Director for Government Communications at the Cabinet Office will deliver an address entitled “Government Communications in the 21st Century” in the Moot Court Room, Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday 26th January 2017 at 6.30pm.
Mr Aiken’s address will look at the function and importance of Government communications and he will take part in a question and answer session.
To register, click here.

Running Order
6.30pm Welcome
6.35pm Introduction by Professor David Phinnemore, Dean of Education, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast
6.45pm Address by Alex Aiken
7.10pm Question and Answer Session with Alex Aiken
7.40pm Closing Remarks by Professor David Phinnemore

Labour market and employment: current trends
2017-01-25 13:30 - 15:30 | Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast, BT4 3XX, United Kingdom
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 to attend. To register email raise@niassembly.gov.uk

Agenda
1.30pm – RaISe – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Dr John Moriarty, Dr David Wright, Dr Dermot O’Reilly and Professor Allen Thurston (QUB) – Social Mobility in Northern Ireland

Both the 2008 and 2011 Programmes for Government placed economic growth and creation of enhanced high skill labour market opportunities to the fore among the strategic priorities for Northern Ireland. Intertwined with these objectives is an emphasis on the key role of improved educational attainment in driving opportunities for social mobility. Unfortunately, social mobility has been difficult to quantify satisfactorily, due to a lack of suitable datasets. However, data linking successive Census returns have recently become available, allowing for comparison of labour market progression between persons from different socioeconomic backgrounds. This seminar will demonstrate how such linked longitudinal data can be used as evidence of:
a. The extent of both absolute mobility (i.e. changes to occupational socioeconomic structures over time, both upwards and downwards) and of relative mobility (rates of movement between socioeconomic classes);
b. The extent to which key factors such as an individual’s gender, education attainment or history of disability may affect their opportunities for socioeconomic progression; and,
c. The relative importance of macro-level socioeconomic structures versus individual-level opportunities for upward mobility.
The seminar will conclude with an overview of how further linkage with administrative records around education are enabling us to further disentangle the routes to greater economic opportunity.

2.05pm – Prof Duncan McVicar (QUB) – Zero Hours Contracts, Job Quality and Impacts on Workers

Seven years on from the Great Recession, survey data suggest that the use of zero hours contracts (ZHCs) in the UK labour market continues to grow rapidly. In some sectors, such as care working, incidence may be over 50%. This seminar will begin by summarising what we know from existing studies on the prevalence of ZHCs across recent years and across industries and socio-demographic groups at the UK level. We will then consider what we can learn about the prevalence of ZHCs in Northern Ireland from existing survey data. Finally, we will consider the impact of ZHCs on worker outcomes such as wages and job satisfaction.

2.25pm – Dr Matt Jennings (Ulster) – ‘Quality of Life’: inclusion and resilience in community cultural development

Work within the arts sector is often precarious, inequitable and underpaid. Yet policy bodies increasingly recognise the social and economic benefits of the creative industries and cultural development. Management research has identified the flexible approach of arts organisations as a model for workplace relations everywhere. Yet the resilience of cultural workers can be tested when their livelihood is threatened. This can have serious implications for the communities with whom they work. This presentation will examine working conditions within the community arts sector of Northern Ireland, drawing on interviews with 20 experienced artists from a range of disciplines and backgrounds. All helped to deliver the Derry/Londonderry City of Culture 2013 and continue to provide vital support for: the wellbeing of older people, people with mental health issues and disabilities; the education of young people and children; and peacebuilding and social development. The findings demonstrate the complexity, commitment and resourcefulness of their working lives. However, increasingly they are working outside of the region or leaving the community sector. This presentation raises concerns for cultural inclusion within the new Department of Communities, but will also suggest innovative measures that could allow the sector to thrive, drawing on international examples of policy and practice.
2.45pm – Discussion

3.15pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.20pm – Networking and Refreshments
