Queen's Policy Engagement

A Giant’s Cause: Solutions for Brexit with Professor Carl Baudenbacher
2017-05-11 17:30 - 19:00 (Europe/London) | 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

Slugger Session in association with QPol – The Review of the Year SO FAR!
2017-01-19 19:30 - 21:30 | The Dark Horse, Hill Street , Belfast, Antrim, BT1 2LB, United Kingdom
We are less than two weeks into the new year and already it seems like we have a whole year’s worth of news stories behind us.
RHI, the collapse of the Assembly, potential elections and much more!
Join us next Thursday 19th of January for a Slugger Session as we explore all these issues with our panel of experts:

Allison Morris – Irish News Journalist
Dawn Purvis – Former MLA
Dr Margaret O’Callaghan – Historian and political analyst at Queen’s University
Prof Rick Wilford – Professor of Politics at Queen’s University
Alan Meban – Slugger Contributor and Political Commentator

Host for the evening is Slugger Deputy Editor David McCann.
To register please click here.

Prison reform - KESS Seminar
2017-01-18 13:30 - 14:45 | 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 Michelle Butler (QUB) – The Northern Ireland Prison Reform Programme: Progress Made and Challenges Remaining

With the devolution of justice powers to the Stormont Assembly following the Hillsborough Agreement (2010), a commitment was given to undertake a review of prison conditions, management and oversight. The findings emerging from this review fed into a significant penal reform programme which was launched in 2011 (DOJNI, 2011).
In the final report emerging from this review, 40 recommendations were put forward, outlining “the kind of prison system that could and should be constructed” (Prison Review Team, 2011: 5). The achievement of these 40 recommendations have been used by many as a barometer to judge the success of these reforms. Drawing on publically available administrative data, this presentation will reflect on the reform journey so far. Key achievements will be reviewed before moving on to discuss some of the main challenges remaining. Comparisons will be drawn with other jurisdictions and insights from academia will be put forward to demonstrate how evidence-based research can be used to inform policy development, practice and reform.
2.05pm – Discussion

2.35pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

2.40pm – Networking and Refreshments

Children and young persons' attitudes and experiences - KESS seminar
2016-12-14 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 – Welcome

1.35pm – Assembly Committee Chair – Opening Remarks
1.45pm – Dr Stefanie Doebler (University of Liverpool), Dr Ruth McAreavey, Prof Sally Shortall and Dr Ian Shuttleworth (QUB) – Negativity toward immigrant out-groups among Northern Ireland’s Youth – are younger cohorts becoming more tolerant?

Negativity toward immigrants is a known problem in Northern Ireland. Media reports of racist hate crimes have been so frequent that Northern Ireland was famously dubbed the ‘race hate capital of Europe’. There exist several accounts on this, but the current knowledge-base has gaps regarding young people’s attitudes, and there is a lack of cohort comparisons. This paper examines cohort differences in, and predictors of negativity toward immigrant out-groups in Northern Ireland using data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) and Young Life and Times (YLT) surveys 2004 to 2013. The main focus is on young people aged 16 and 18 to 24 years. Findings: Negativity toward immigrants has increased in recent years across all, but the youngest cohort. Segregation, sectarian attitudes and type of school are important predictors. Living in segregated areas and preference for a segregated neighbourhood are positively and social contacts and (religiously) mixed schooling negatively related to negativity toward immigrants. However, for the 16 year olds, not mixed schooling, but other school characteristics are statistically associated with lower levels of outgroup negativity.

2.05pm – Dr Gemma M. Carney and Dr Paula Devine (QUB) – Children’s attitudes towards old age: findings from the Kids Life and Times Survey 2015

Mindful of Northern Ireland’s history of religious and ethnic segregation, this paper investigates another, more prevalent form of segregation: age segregation. Public policy tends to divide people into age groups by virtue of the ‘natural’ association of childhood with schooling, middle age with work and old age with retirement. Leading scholars have argued that this age segregation can lead to absence of mutual understanding between generations, arguing that age segregation is a root cause of ageist social attitudes (Hagestad and Uhlenberg, 2006). This contention has not been tested, and as a result, little is known about what children think about ageing and older people. For these reasons, questions about ageing and older people were included in the 2014 Kids’ Life and Times (KLT) Survey, exploring the opinions of 10 and 11 years olds to ageing and ageism. We report the views of 4,757 10 and 11-year-old children, living in Northern Ireland. We present some timely and significant results which offer new research questions for policy-makers interested in how population ageing affects all age groups, particularly when societies are segregated along age lines.

2.25pm – Dr Dirk Schubotz, Dr Katrina Lloyd and Dr Martina McKnight (QUB) – A Question of Sport: Perspectives of Children and Young People

In 2015 ARK surveyed children and young people, who were at the end of their primary and post-primary education respectively, about their experiences of sport and physical activity. A module of questions on sport was included in the Kids Life and Times (KLT) survey of P7 children and the Young Life and Times (YLT) survey of 16-year olds. Approximately 5,200 10 and 11 year olds and 1,200 16-year olds responded. The survey included questions about the extent of regular physical activity and sport undertaken both inside and outside of school; about encouraging and prohibiting factors in relation to taking part in sport; self-assessed health; the role of sports idols; and enjoyment of sports. At this seminar we will present the key findings from this research. We will discuss how experience of, and access to, sport varies by gender, socio-economic background and rurality. We will also report on what type of physical activities children and young people most enjoy, and how the available infrastructure meets their needs.
2.45pm – Discussion

3.15pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.20pm – Networking and Refreshments

Seminar on Article 50 litigation: UK, Northern Ireland and EU perspectives
2016-11-29 17:00 - 19:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The aim of the seminar is to discuss the recent rulings delivered by the High Courts in Northern Ireland (McCord, Re Judicial) and England and Wales (in R (Miller) v Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union) concerning the constitutional requirements to trigger Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, in order to kick-start the process of negotiating the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Topics of discussion will include:

whether the triggering of Article 50 TEU can take place under the royal prerogative or requires an Act of Parliament
the legislative consent of the devolved nations and the possible involvement of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Brexit disputes

As the Article 50 disputes have now made their way up to the Supreme Court, the seminar participants will also discuss the key issues and arguments that may arise in the context of these proceedings.
The seminar will be chaired by Billy Melo Araujo from Queen’s University and the speakers from Queen’s are:

Professor Chris McCrudden
Dr Alex Schwartz 
Professor John Morrison
Professor Dagmar Schiek

This event is sponsored by Queen’s School of Law, the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence “Tensions at the Fringes of the European Union” project, and the Human Rights Centre.

Brexit: Challenges and Opportunities with Micheál Martin TD
2016-11-24 18:30 - 20:00 | Great Hall, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Micheál Martin TD, Leader of Fianna Fáil will make an address entitled “Brexit: Challenges and Opportunities” in the Great Hall, Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday 24th November at 6.30pm.
The address will be followed by a question and answer session moderated by William Crawley, BBC NI Journalist and Broadcaster.

Running Order
6.30pm Welcome by William Crawley
6.35pm Introduction by Professor Richard English, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation and Engagement, Queen’s University Belfast
6.45pm Address by Micheál Martin TD
7.15pm Question and Answer Session with Micheál Martin moderated by William Crawley
7.55pm Closing Remarks by Professor Richard English

Telling stories of hope and fear at ‘year’s end’
2016-11-23 19:00 - 21:00 | Down
Since time immemorial the season to huddle by the fireside and to shiver at tales of the supernatural is ‘year’s end’. Join us beneath the Gothic vaults of the Queen’s University Graduate School to exhume this history and bring forth fresh tales of terror from your own nightmares.

The evening will begin with a brief talk on how supernatural stories look backwards and forwards as tales of caution, horrors of the past and hopes for the future. Afterwards you can join a discussion featuring readings from ghostly stories led by seasonal horror expert Dr Derek Johnston. Or you can develop your own tale of the uncanny in a structured creative writing workshop with novelist and playwright Dr Darran McCann.
Free admission | Booking required
Event enquiries: derek.johnston@qub.ac.uk
Led by: Queen’s University Belfast
In partnership with: British Academy

Economy: incentivising investment and competitiveness and managing public debt - KESS Seminar
2016-11-23 13:30 - 16:30 | 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 Gareth Campbell (QUB) – How should NI respond to Corporation Tax cuts in ROI and GB?

The Fresh Start Agreement committed the NI Executive to reducing the corporation tax rate in Northern Ireland to 12.5% from 2018. The intention was to make the tax rate in NI the same as in ROI, and lower than in GB. However, within the past year the Irish government has cut its tax rate on certain types of profits to just 6.25%. Meanwhile, the British government has promised to cut its tax on profits to 17%. Further corporation tax rate cuts in ROI are possible, and in GB are very likely. This research analyses how the NI Executive should respond. It argues that simply maintaining the 12.5% rate, the default approach, would be the worst possible option. Matching cuts on an ad hoc basis would be unlikely, and suboptimal even if it happened. A much better approach would be to publicly commit now to match any cuts in the GB rate, reducing the NI rate to 11.5% by 2020, and possibly to 7% by 2025 if the GB rate is cut further. The best approach would be to commit to more than match any cuts in the main rate of corporation tax, but leave the small profits tax rate unchanged.

2.05pm – Mr Richard Johnston and Miss Laura Heery (Ulster) – Competitiveness Scorecard for NI

Competitiveness is a key driver in the rate of economic growth and living standards. Ulster University’s Economic Policy Centre (UUEPC) developed the Competitiveness Scorecard on behalf of the Economic Advisory Group, taking a similar approach to the Republic of Ireland’s National Competitiveness Council. The Scorecard benchmarks NI’s relative competitiveness against a range of competitor nations over a five-year period in more than 150 indicators. There are eleven pillars that make up the Scorecard, including macroeconomic and fiscal sustainability, quality of life, environmental sustainability, business environment, business performance, education and skills and innovation, research and development. The presentation will focus on outcomes (economic, quality of life and environmental), the economic environment (labour supply, productivity etc.) and policy drivers (Education and skills, Innovation R&D etc.)
In overall terms, NI’s competitiveness performance has improved marginally over the last 5 years, but remains below average for the countries analysed within the Scorecard. In terms of individual pillars, NI performs well in the business environment, quality of life and business performance elements of the Scorecard. In contrast, NI’s performs less well in terms of productivity, employment & labour supply and macro and fiscal sustainability elements. The Competitiveness Scorecard acts as a barometer of relative competitiveness, acts as a useful tool to direct policy-makers towards the key issues that require intervention and also provides an indication of the scale of the challenge facing NI.
2.25pm – Discussion
2.45pm – Comfort Break

2.55pm – Dr Sharon McClements, Prof Martin Haran and Mr Andrew McErlane (Ulster) – Unlocking Benefits and Opportunities through Social Infrastructure

Research has established that social infrastructure provision positively influences economic growth and social development, and a review of historical spending in NI indicates an identified need to upgrade and replace social infrastructure. Yet, as the UK Government continues to implement its austerity policies, the NI Executive has been subject to imposed budgetary cuts and as a result, capital budgets have been restrained. Against this backdrop, there is a necessity to review social infrastructure provision policies and the mechanisms by which it is provided in NI.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) have been the predominant mechanism for large social infrastructure provision in the UK and will continue to be utilised through the new Private Finance 2 (PF2) model, introduced in 2013. Similarly, in the Scotland, the Scottish Futures Trust approach to infrastructure investment is based on joint ventures between the Scottish Territories and private sector partners. In providing the new NI Executive solution-based recommendations, this presentation deliberates on the application and compatibility of the strategic infrastructure investment approaches adopted by both UK and Scottish Governments as potential strategies for increased social infrastructure investment and the opportunity to enhance economic growth and social development in Northern Ireland.

3.15pm – Dr Dimitris P. Sotiropoulos (OU) – Options for public debt management

Austerity policies in the wake of the 2008 global financial meltdown have left a host of developed capitalist economies struggling with very high levels of sovereign indebtedness. Given that prospects for economic growth still remain anaemic, and that financial risks have not been completely eliminated, the recovery process is slow and fragile. Contemporary policy-making thus encounters an unusual debt overhang puzzle. How important is this issue for the European economies? Is there an easy way out? Should policy-makers continue to rely on ‘business as usual’, or should they seek answers in the unchartered waters of unorthodox solutions? How important is central banking to tackling the problem? Drawing on my policy proposal for the resolution to the European sovereign debt overhang and my book on the political economy of contemporary financialised capitalism, the seminar will discuss a number of policy options in relation to how public debt can be managed in a sustainable way. The key lessons to policy-makers are that economies with weak currencies are better off within monetary unions and that unorthodox central bank policies are the only means to overcome the contradictions of a monetary union in the absence of fiscal integration.
3.35pm – Discussion

4.05pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

4.10pm – Networking and Refreshments

Abortion Policy and Law: key considerations - KESS Seminar
2016-11-16 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 Kathryn McNeilly (QUB) – Beyond Article 8: The European Convention on Human Rights and Abortion in Cases of Fatal Foetal Abnormality and Sexual Crime

In November 2015 the Northern Ireland High Court determined prohibition of abortion in Northern Ireland in cases of fatal foetal abnormality and sexual crime incompatible with Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This Article upholds the right to private and family life. While this was the only Article found to be violated by the High Court, submissions were also made to the Court on two other Articles of the Convention, namely the Article 3 right to be free from torture or inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment and the Article 14 right to non-discrimination. This presentation will outline in an accessible way the legal background and reasoning for the Northern Ireland High Court’s determination on Article 8, but will also return to case law of the European Court of Human Rights to explain why further incompatibility may be found under Article 3. This is significant in understanding not only the potential for this case on appeal, but also for future development and discussion of domestic law in this area.

2.05pm – Dr Fiona Bloomer (Ulster) and Dr Claire Pierson (Manchester Metropolitan University) – Morality policy under the lens – evidence based policy making on abortion versus myth-usage

This paper considers global trends in abortion policy using the framework of morality policy. The authors will explain how the controversy over abortion policy restricts legal reform, resulting in legislative lacunae and non-decision making. Using evidence from a British Academy funded analysis of debates in the Northern Ireland Assembly during the period 1998 to 2016, the authors demonstrate how such trends are visible in the Northern Ireland context. The authors present examples of myths used in political debate in Northern Ireland and counter these myths with academic evidence drawn from systematic scientific reviews to illustrate the problematic nature of basing policy on morality rather than fact.

2.25pm – Dr Lesley Hoggart, (OU) and Prof Sally Sheldon (Kent University) – Tensions in Abortion law and policy, and effects on women

This presentation will focus on the tensions between the legal and policy framework for abortion, and women’s abortion experiences, throughout the UK. First, we will report on a mixed methods study into different aspects of young women’s experiences (aged 16-24) of one or more unintended pregnancies ending in abortion in England and Wales. One key finding was that despite most abortions following contraceptive failures, women still internalised shame and blame. This reflects the continued stigmatisation of abortion. We then draw on a recently completed study of the home use of abortion pills in Northern Ireland (and elsewhere), highlighting some of the ways in which the current law fails either to prevent abortion or to protect women’s health. At a time when it is possible to end a pregnancy using pills that are readily available on line, it assesses some of the challenges for effective regulation and poses some fundamental questions regarding the need for legal reform.
2.45pm – Discussion

3.15pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.20pm – Networking and Refreshments

History by Numbers
2016-11-09 10:30 - 16:00 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
This workshop will introduce A-level students to economics-based approaches to studying history, and show how quantitative historical data and economic theory can shed light on existing historical debates. The aim of this event is to get students to look at history from beyond specific times or places: to look at the economic forces that have shaped our world in the past and will continue to shape our world in the future.
Over the course of the day, students will be introduced to the field of economic history and the tools of the economic historian. Students will be given an introduction to historical data through the use of graphs, charts and tables, and will be encouraged to get to grips with historical data through interactive games and activities. Students will also be introduced to the research carried out by staff at Queen’s University Centre for Economic History (QUCEH).
Schools interested in participating in this event should contact Dr Alan de Bromhead at Queen’s Management School.

Waiting for a transplant on dialysis: living while dying with kidney disease
2016-11-07 16:00 - 19:00 | The Black Box (Main Room), 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT1 2LA, United Kingdom
The event will include a presentation centred on facing mortality with chronic disease, by Dr Jimmy McAleavey, currently a Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Centre/School of English, Queens University Belfast. Jimmy is an acclaimed scriptwriter and has written for feature films, written and directed short films, scripted TV drama and produced and directed factual TV.
We also plan a film viewing of a piece created by our newly established Renal Arts Group in collaboration with patients, academics and healthcare staff. The film portrays the devastating diagnosis of renal disease, with no cure, and the demanding treatments to be endured as health deteriorates whilst waiting for the elusive kidney transplant, not always available and in short supply.
A debate around improving knowledge of kidney disease and how we might improve the kidney donor rate will be held. This will be co-facilitated by a kidney surgeon and a patient.
For further information or to register for this event, please contact Dr Helen Noble at Queen’s University Belfast.
