Queen's Policy Engagement

The McCosh Lecture Annual Religious Studies Lecture at Queen’s with Baroness Onora O;Neill
2019-05-10 14:00 - 16:30 (Europe/London) | Great Hall, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Baroness Onora O’Neill will deliver this year’s McCosh Lecture at Queen’s University Belfast on Friday 10 May from 2pm. This is a free event and requires no registration.
WHAT OUGHT WE DO?
Ethical inquiry in Western traditions traditionally asked what we should do, and offered accounts of various types of required action or duty. However, since the early twentieth century concern with duty has often been seen as problematic and rejected. Subsequent normative inquiry has typically addressed narrower questions. A great deal of writing in political and legal philosophy focuses on rights and entitlements, while construing the rest of ethics as a ‘merely’ personal matter. A great deal of writing in ethics either focuses on subjective conceptions of virtue and preference, or addresses aspects of ‘applied’ ethics that assume
institutional preconditions. Baroness O’Neill shall argue that this narrowing of horizons is unnecessary and can be reversed.

PROGRAMME
2.00 pm Welcome by Professor David Livingstone (Chair, Religious Studies Forum)
2.05 pm Introduction by Professor Richard English,(Pro-Vice Chancellor for Internationalisation and Engagement)
2.10 pm Lecture – What Ought We Do?
3.00 pm Discussion and Open Forum
3.45 pm Refreshments

History in the Making: The Ulster Museum and the ‘Troubles and Beyond’ with BBC’s Marie-Louise Muir
2019-05-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Crescent Arts Centre, 2-4 University Road, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NH, United Kingdom
The Centre for Public History, Queen’s University Belfast, invites you to join us for
HISTORY IN THE MAKING: A MASTERCLASS IN DIALOGUE
On Good Friday 2018, the Ulster Museum opened its doors, and its collections, to a new commemorative exhibition ‘The Troubles and Beyond’. Displayed across hundreds of objects and images, the gallery documents social, political, and cultural changes in Northern Ireland from the civil rights era to today’s post-conflict society.
But what influenced the curators’ interpretations of the Troubles? And what historical and curatorial challenges did they encounter as they brought the realities of that past from collection to final exhibition?
Join BBC NI’s Marie-Louise Muir as she asks these and other revealing questions in an exclusive interview with the creators of the Ulster Museum’s ‘The Troubles and Beyond’ exhibition, William Blair and Karen Logan.
Refreshments served on arrival.
The Centre for Public History at Queen’s. Putting history to work @qubpublichist

Reflections on Policing with the Community: people, partnerships and public confidence with George Hamilton QPM
2019-05-07 18:00 - 19:30 | Co Antrim
Queen’s University is delighted to welcome George Hamilton QPM, Chief Constable Police Service of Northern Ireland, to deliver a public lecture at the University. The event will be hosted by Professor Kieran McEvoy, Queen’s University Belfast.
About the speaker
George Hamilton was appointed Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on 30 June 2014.
Chief Constable Hamilton’s policing experience started in 1985 when he joined the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Since then he has gained a wide range of experience in a variety of operational roles.
In 2009 he was appointed as an Assistant Chief Constable in Strathclyde Police in Scotland, with responsibility for serious and organised crime, public protection and counter terrorism investigations.
Prior to his appointment in Strathclyde he had been Chief Superintendent and District Commander in ‘B’ District (South and East Belfast).
He also served as a Detective Chief Inspector and Detective Superintendent in the PSNI where he was involved in a number of high profile and complex investigations. During a three secondment in England he worked on a range of training and organisational development projects.
Chief Constable Hamilton holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Politics and Economics and a Masters in Business Administration. He is a member of the Institute of Directors and the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Leadership Association.
In 2015 he was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in the Her Majesty’s Birthday Honours list.
In January 2019 he announced his intention to retire from policing in June 2019.

Imagine: The UK's Future Relationship with the EU
2019-03-27 13:00 - 17:00 | Canada Room and Council Chamber, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
As the date for the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union draws ever closer, EU leaders have agreed the political declaration that sets out the broad aspirations for the kind of relationship the UK and the EU envisage having after Brexit. But what will this so-called ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership actually look like? And how will it and more immediately UK withdrawal from the EU impact on the many areas of collaboration that have been built up over 45 years of UK membership of the EU?
Join us at Queen’s University Belfast on Wednesday 27 March from 1pm as academics from across the University share their thoughts on the ever-shifting dynamics of Brexit and its impact on key areas. Whether your interest is in human rights or public health, borders or business, this is a great opportunity to hear from, and engage with senior researchers and academics from Queen’s as they discuss what has been called the greatest constitutional challenge the UK has faced in generations and explore “what next?” with Brexit.
This special event will take place from 1pm-5pm on Wednesday 27 March in the Canada Room and Council Chamber at Queen’s University Belfast and is part of the Imagine Belfast Festival of Ideas and Politics 2019.
Further information on the Festival can be found at imaginebelfast.com

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

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

Judging Carson and Redmond
2019-02-25 16:30 - 18:15 | Canada Room and Council Chamber, Queen's University Belfast, University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
Queen’s University Belfast, in partnership with the Royal Irish Academy, is delighted to welcome Professor Alvin Jackson for this special public debate.
100 years ago the balance of power in Westminster was held by Northern Irish politicians. John Redmond and Edward Carson remain two of the biggest names in modern Irish history. At the peak of their careers as senior members of the British parliament, they were locked together in combat over Home Rule. Divided by the union with Britain, they had surprisingly much in common. Contemporaries saw them together, and routinely judged them in comparative contexts.
But with the partition of Ireland and independence, they have been disconnected, viewed wholly apart, and seen in political contexts scarcely imagined by people at the time. This event is the first to assess them as contemporaries would have done. It uses both new approaches and much new evidence to shed fresh light on their sometimes fraught private lives, their professional and political achievements, and their stands on violence and war. The result will be a strikingly original reassessment of the two men and their legacies.
About the Speaker
Alvin Jackson is one of the most prominent historians of modern Ireland. He is Richard Lodge Professor of History at the University of Edinburgh, and has been lecturer in history at University College Dublin and Queen’s University Belfast. He is the author of seven books, including Judging Redmond and Carson (2018), The Two Unions (2013), and he has also recently edited the Oxford Handbook of Modern Irish History (2017). Among his awards, he is an honorary member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Registration is not required and seats will be issued on a first come, first served basis. Refreshments will be served in the Canada Room following the debate.

Queen's Policy Engagement Brexit Clinic February 2019
2019-02-22 12:30 - 14:00 | Moot Court Room, School of Law, Tower Building, Belfast, Antrim , BT7 1NN, United Kingdom
The next Brexit Clinic from Queen’s Policy Engagement will take place on the following date:

Friday 22 February at 12.30pm in the Moot Court Room, Main Site Tower, Main Campus, Queen’s University Belfast.

To register, please click here.
Since our last Clinic, Theresa May’s deal has been voted down in Parliament, she has survived a vote of no confidence and been given a mandate by Parliament to seek alternative arrangements from the EU with particular reference to the backstop.
Will a deal be secured before 29 March? Will there be an extension to Article 50, or will the UK fall over the cliff edge of a no-deal Brexit? And what are the implications for the Good Friday Agreement?
Join our panel from Queen’s as they talk through the latest developments in the Brexit process which, given what has been happening to date, will no doubt be changing by the day!
Chaired by Professor Lee McGowan, with Professor David Phinnemore, Dr Viviane Gravey and Dr Katy Hayward.
We look forward to welcoming you then.

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

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

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

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

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

Queen's Policy Engagement Christmas Brexit Clinic
2018-12-12 12:30 - 14:00 | LAN 01/052, Lanyon Building, QUB, Belfast, Antrim, BT7 1NF, United Kingdom
The next Brexit Clinic will take place on the following date:
Wednesday 12 December at 12.30pm in Room 01/052, above the Senate Room, Main Campus, Queen’s University Belfast.
The Clinic will take place just before the December meeting of the European Council and it will be an opportunity to reflect on where we will be by that stage in the Brexit process. Will Theresa May have managed to make any final changes to the draft Withdrawal Agreement? What about Parliament’s reaction to the deal? What are the EU Member States thinking about it?
Chaired by Professor Lee McGowan, Professor David Phinnemore, Dr Viviane Gravey and Dr Katy Hayward will present their analysis on the Withdrawal Agreement and the likely implications for Northern Ireland. And seeing as it’s Christmas, we’ll even throw in a mince pie or two!
We look forward to welcoming you then. To register, please click here.

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

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

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

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

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

Where are the ethics in business?
2018-11-06 14:00 - 16:30 | Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road , Belfast, Co Antrim , BT9 5EE, United Kingdom
The news is full of examples of businesses behaving badly. Construction giant Carillion built up huge debts, Cambridge Analytica hoovered up personal data without consent, and Facebook and Apple have dodged taxes. Reading about these scandals may well make you ask the question: Can a business ever be ethical? Does succeeding in business mean ‘survival of the fittest’ and making a profit at any cost?
This interactive workshop will explore what ethics can and does mean in a business environment. What is the relationship between ethics, integrity, trust, and business sustainability and competitiveness? Drawing on local, national and international examples of both best practice and very poor behaviour, this interactive workshop will explore these themes. There will be short interactive lectures, group discussions, mini-case studies and videos. The workshop will conclude with an analysis of the role and purpose of ethics in business, and how businesses can ‘do well by doing good’.
This event is for young people, schools and colleges and is invitation only.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments

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

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

2.55pm – RaISe – Closing Remarks

3.00pm – Networking and Refreshments
