Queen's Policy Engagement

QPol Brexit Clinic February 2018
2018-02-20 12:15 - 13:45 (Europe/London) | The Senate Room, Lanyon Building, QUB, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
QPol Policy Engagement at Queen’s invites you to the latest in its series of ‘Brexit Clinics’ bringing together academic experts and stakeholders to discuss the issues facing the UK, to consider the particular challenges the process poses for Northern Ireland and to provide informed insights into the process.
Whatever your particular interest is in Brexit and the EU, come along to the next Clinic on Tuesday 20 February at 12.15pm. The Clinic, led by Professor David Phinnemore, 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.
To this end, participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing qpol@qub.ac.uk
Places are limited so please register early by clicking here.

2018 Eaton Lecture
2018-02-16 09:45 - 11:00 | Antrim
Queen’s University Belfast is pleased to invite you to attend the 2018 Eaton Lecture. It will take place on Friday 16 February, 9.45-11am, in The South Dining Hall, on the main Queen’s University Lanyon site. The Guest speaker will be The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Canada, who will address ‘Sustainability and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’.

About the speaker:
The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell was invested as Ontario’s 29th Lieutenant Governor on September 23, 2014. Her eclectic public service career has spanned provincial, federal, and international borders, and has transcended disciplinary and sectoral lines.
Ms. Dowdeswell began her professional career as a teacher and university lecturer. After serving as the Deputy Minister of Culture and Youth for the Government of Saskatchewan, she held increasingly senior positions in the Canadian public service, most notably as head of the Atmospheric Environment Service. Throughout this period, she managed several public inquiries and royal commissions.
Her international negotiating experiences prefaced her election in 1992 as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. Upon returning to Canada in 1998, she established an international consulting practice and became the founding President and CEO of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. Immediately prior to her appointment as Lieutenant Governor, Ms. Dowdeswell was the President and CEO of the Council of Canadian Academies. She has also served on numerous boards of corporate and non-profit organizations.
Ms. Dowdeswell was born in Northern Ireland and immigrated to rural Saskatchewan with her parents in 1947. She earned a Bachelor of Science in home economics and teaching certificate from the University of Saskatchewan (1966) and a Master of Science in behavioural sciences from Utah State University (1972). An Officer of the Order of Canada, Ms. Dowdeswell holds 11 honorary degrees.
In the 2018 Eaton Lecture Ms Dowdeswell will emphasize the imperative of sustainability and its three interrelated components: inclusive economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and social cohesion. She is currently focused on drawing attention to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for encouraging people to think globally while acting locally.

About the Eaton Lecture Series:
The Eaton Lecture Series at Queen’s was established in 1994 and is intended to cement connections between the University and Canada, by bringing eminent Canadians to Queen’s. The Eaton Foundation was set up by the family of Timothy Eaton, a native of Ballymena who, upon emigrating to Canada in the nineteenth century, founded the T. Eaton & Co. Limited (Toronto) chain of department stores.

To register to attend please click here.

The Implications of Brexit for Migrant Workers: What to watch out for
2018-02-13 09:30 - 15:30 | Antrim
The Implications of Brexit for Migrant Workers: What to watch out for” takes place on 13th February from 9.30am-3.30pm, in The Junction, Dungannon and will address the concerns of migrant communities in Northern Ireland. It is held in partnership with STEP, the Stronger Together Network and the Equality Coalition and will look at the disproportionate impact that Brexit is going to have on migrant workers from the EU and beyond.
The exact implications of Brexit are difficult to determine: precise government policy is yet to be decided in many areas and the positions and proposals set out to date can be subject to change. This event is interested in hearing how Brexit is already impacting on migrant worker communities in Northern Ireland and will share information as to what is known of governments’ intentions to date as well as being a listening exercise on current experiences, views and concerns on the implications for migrants in the future.

EMU, New Economic Governance & Social Justice Research Seminar
2018-01-26 13:00 - 16:30 | The Senate Room, Lanyon Building, QUB, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
This interdisciplinary research seminar addresses whether the legal frame of Economic and Monetary Union is in irreconcilable tension with the EU’s renewed social agenda, also questioning whether the recently proclaimed European Pillar of Social Rights is sufficient to revive the EU’s original socio-economic model in the face of ongoing global economic distortions.
Speakers include Prof Ulla Neergaard (Professor of Law at University of Copenhagen), , Dr Bart Vanhercke (OSE – European Social Observatory) and Prof Fabian Amtenbrink (Professor of Law, University of Rotterdam and convenor of EURO-CEFG).
To register, please click here.

Programme
1pm-1.30pm Welcome lunch
1.30pm-1.40pm Introduction by Prof. Dagmar Schiek, Queen’s University Belfast
1.40pm-2.40pm Session 1

The impact of eurozone reforms on the EU social dimension – Prof. Ulla Neergaard, University of Copenhagen
Macroeconomic supervision and social policy concerns in the EU: A view from Portugal – Martinho Lucas Pires, Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Discussant: Prof. Dagmar Schiek, Queen’s University Belfast

2.40pm-3.25pm Session 2

Socialising the EMU through the European Semester – Dr. Bart Vanhercke, OSE-European Social Observatory
Discussant: Dr. Sara Clavero, Queen’s University Belfast

3.25pm-4.25pm Session 3

New Economic Governance and the EMU – A critical legal analysis – Prof. Fabian Amtenbrink, Erasmus University of Rotterdam
Rethinking policy-making in the EMU: Institutional social responsibility and the Fiscal Reform Act – Matteo Laruffa, LUISS Guido Carli University (Rome)
Discussant: Dr. Dieter Pesendorfer, Queen’s University Belfast

4.25pm-4.30 pm Close

NERI Seminar BELFAST: Bordering on Brexit: Local communities' views and the response so far
2018-01-25 15:30 - 16:45 | Antrim
Dr Katy Hayward is a political sociologist with a particular focus on conflict/post-conflict transitions. Her research is actively interdisciplinary, traversing fields of border studies, conflict studies, European studies, and Irish studies. This means that she is particularly well-placed to speak to the implications of Brexit for the island of Ireland, and Northern Ireland in particular. Indeed, she has written and presented widely on this matter, and has given evidence before parliamentary committees in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland. She is one of the leading political sociologists of the island of Ireland (e.g. co-ed. Dynamics of Political Change in Ireland , 2017), with a high profile in relation to European integration (e.g. co-ed. The Europeanization of Party Politics in Ireland , 2010), political violence (e.g. co-ed. Nationalism and Organised Violence , 2013), and the application of discourse analysis (e.g. co-ed. Political Discourse of Peace and Conflict , 2009).

Abstract:
This paper presents the findings from the ‘Bordering on Brexit study’ led by Dr Hayward on behalf of the Irish Central Border Area Network, which gathered the views of those on both sides of the border regarding Brexit. The paper considers the degree to which these perspectives have been taken into account in the approach taken to Brexit by policymakers at local and national levels. It looks in particular at the Joint Report agreed by the EU and UK negotiators on 8th December and assesses whether it constitutes firm reassurance on Ireland/Northern Ireland issues, especially for those living and working in the border region.

Christmas Brexit Clinic at Queen's
2017-12-20 12:00 - 13:30 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The European Council is due to meet on the 14-15 December, 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 there have been any progress since the disappointing outcome for the UK at the October meeting?
QPol Policy Engagement at Queen’s invites you to the latest in its series of ‘Brexit Clinics’ bringing together academic experts and stakeholders to discuss the issues facing the UK, to consider the particular challenges the process poses for Northern Ireland and to provide informed insights into the process.
Whatever your particular interest is in Brexit and the EU, come along to the next Clinic on Wednesday 20 December at 12.00 noon. 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 this end, participants are encouraged to submit questions in advance by emailing qpol@qub.ac.uk
Places are limited so please register early.

The good, the bad and the ugly
2017-11-10 10:00 - 13:00 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
When it comes to the world of business, it’s not enough anymore for businesses just to make a profit. There is an expectation on them to play a wider role in society and to engage in a much more positive way. So what exactly should the relationship be between the business world and the wider society?
Join Dr Shirley-Ann Hazlett to discuss the role of business in society and to find out why some businesses are better at it than others.
This event is aimed at young people aged 16-18 years.

Social science meets arts and culture in Northern Ireland
2017-11-09 17:00 - 19:00 | Brian Friel Theatre, 20 University Road, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Join us for an evening of sharing and discussion about new research on arts management and cultural policy from students of the MA in Arts Management at Queen’s University Belfast and guest speaker Katherine Bond, Director of the Cultural Institute at King’s College London.
Presentations and discussion will include research on understanding how NI entrepreneurs are developing sustainable creative businesses, the protection of cultural heritage, and addressing emotional dynamics in the film industry’s work culture. A reception will follow.
Katherine Bond will reflect on The Creative Role of Research and share the Cultural Institute’s report of the same name, which reviews the impact of the strong relationship King’s College has had with the arts and cultural sector.
This event is hosted by the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with Arts Council Northern Ireland.

Police stop and search in Northern Ireland
2017-11-08 18:30 - 20:00 | The Black Box (Main Room), 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT1 2LA, United Kingdom
The use of stop and search powers by the Police Service of Northern Ireland remains a relatively unchallenged policing tactic, but is being used at a higher level than any other police service in the UK.
Evidence shows that stop and search has little impact on overall crime figures. So why has this police power become the norm?
Join Dr John Topping as he examines the impacts on crime and the social costs of police stop and search powers in Northern Ireland.

History by numbers
2017-11-08 10:00 - 15:30 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
Ever wondered how the economics of the past can shed light on how our world has been shaped and continues to develop? Queen’s University’s Centre for Economic History is at the forefront of exploring the economics of the past.
This closed workshop is aimed at invited A-level students who are interested in learning more about the crossover between economics and history and the tools of the economic historian.

Economics as story telling?
2017-11-07 18:30 - 20:00 | Canada Room and Council Chamber, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Do your eyes glaze over whenever you hear the word ‘economics’? Are you intimidated or impressed by economists commenting about the state of the economy and the prospects of economic growth? Is there a ‘magic money tree’?
Join Professor John Barry from Queen’s University as he lifts the veil on economics with his entertaining and critical account of economics as a form of storytelling.

Can we improve wellbeing for pupils?
2017-11-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Antrim
A lot of research looking at young people’s wellbeing has been carried out in schools but little is known of what impact this research has had in terms of informing policy.
This closed session will bring together researchers, pupils and teachers to discuss what we can learn from research and each other about pupil wellbeing. We’ll also share our findings from the Wellbeing in Schools study.

Brexit clinic: Northern Ireland in a changing Europe
2017-11-06 19:30 - 21:00 | Antrim
With the imminent UK withdrawal from the EU, there has never been a bigger appetite for information on how negotiations are progressing and what the implications are for every aspect of our lives.
So if you want to know what the Great Repeal Bill is or what’s going to happen to such things as our borders and the environment, then come along to our Brexit clinic for a consultation with a difference.
Panel members include:

Prof David Phinnemore
Prof Lee McGowan
Dr Viviane Gravey
Dr Graham Brownlow

Beyond Hillsborough: Researching social justice
2017-11-04 11:00 - 18:00 | Antrim
Professor Phil Scraton, widely recognised for his in-depth research with families and survivors on the Hillsborough disaster and principal author of the Hillsborough independent Panel’s ground-breaking report, will lead a seminar exploring the significance of critical research in securing institutional changes and social justice. He will also discuss his most recent work on the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
Other contributions will focus on investigative research in prisons and with children and young people.
This interactive seminar will be followed by a screening of the BAFTA award-winning documentary, Hillsborough, followed by a discussion on inquiries, inquests and legal reform.

The aftermath of migration on Kos
2017-11-04 09:00 - 2017-11-11 17:00 | Antrim
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 | Antrim
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 | Antrim
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
