24/05/2011: CEC hosts Kennedy Memorial Lecture
06/07/2010: Vice-Chancellor addresses Chief Executives' Club
05/07/2010: US experts receives honour from Queen's
26/06/2010: Northern Ireland now a seat of summer learning for leading US law students
25/03/2010: Jordan shines as Northern Ireland's International Student of the Year
30/03/2010: School builds relationship with leading US university
24/02/2010: US Economic Envoy in high level meetings at Queen's
Northern Ireland and Queen’s University Belfast are fast becoming a destination of choice for summer study for students from one of America’s leading law schools.
Almost 60 students and professors from New York’s Fordham Law School have arrived at Queen's for an intensive summer study programme in conflict resolution and international law.
Over the last decade, the programme, which is highly regarded by the US legal profession, has welcomed over 500 Fordham students to Queen’s, many of whom have gone on to pursue distinguished careers with top US law firms.
The students and staff from New York’s Fordham Law School will take classes taught by Fordham and Queen’s staff, visit Parliament Buildings at Stormont and meet MLAs from all the major political parties. Their busy programme also includes visits to the courts, the Bar Library, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland; discussions with legal practitioners, a presentation by the Historical Enquiries Team, and a tour of the North Coast – one of the world’s most scenic coastal routes.
Some of the students have chosen to extend their stay to complete summer internships in the Northern Ireland legal sector, allowing them to apply what they have learned in the lecture hall to real life legal situations.
Igor Rogovoy from Brooklyn, New York, a second year student at Fordham, will stay in Belfast to complete an internship with the Northern Ireland Law Centre. He said: “Queen’s has a reputation for excellence in legal teaching and research and the Queen’s/Fordham partnership is very highly regarded. Queen’s central role in the life of Belfast – a city that has moved away from conflict towards a shared future – means the University is ideally placed to learn about the complexities of conflict resolution and international law, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to study here.”
Jane Pakenham, who is also from New York, said: “This programme has given me a unique insight into the Northern Ireland legal profession, and I hope to put this to good use during my summer internship with the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast. Outside the lecture hall and the workplace, this is a wonderful opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of Belfast and experience at first hand Northern Ireland’s rich culture and world-famous hospitality.”
Professor Colin Harvey, Head of the Law School at Queen’s commented: “We are delighted to welcome our friends from Fordham Law School for what is one of the highlights of our academic year.
“This programme is a leading international example of co-operation and partnership between law schools, and further evidence of the strong connections between the US and universities on the island of Ireland. We look forward to building further on the established connections and wish the programme continued success.”
Professor Michael W. Martin from Fordham Law School said: "This programme was inspired by the 1998 Belfast Agreement's cross-Atlantic and cross-border co-operation, which we are proud and fortunate to continue to nurture.
"Fordham Law students leave Belfast with rich memories of this beautiful city and a significantly deeper understanding of Northern Ireland’s progress and the challenges to come."
After their two week stay in Belfast, the group will travel to Dublin to conclude the summer programme. Fordham's programme is officially sponsored by Queen’s, along with University College Dublin. For more information on the School of Law at Queen’s visit www.law.qub.ac.uk
Ends
Media inquiries to Anne-Marie Clarke at Queen’s Press and PR Unit on 00 44 (0)28 9097 5320 or anne-marie.clarke@qub.ac.uk Photos available on request from Anne-Marie Clarke on 00 44 (0)28 9097 5320 or anne-marie.clarke@qub.ac.uk
The students will leave Belfast on Friday 17 June to travel to Dublin for the second part of their study programme.
Renowned presidential historian, Robert Dallek will deliver a talk entitled ‘The Presidency of John F Kennedy’ on Thursday 26 May, marking the 50th anniversary of his inauguration.
In 1961 John F Kennedy became President of the USA. He stepped into leadership and asked his country to do the same. The Kennedy Memorial Lecture Series at Queen’s looks back on the life of the youngest man elected President of the United States of America.
Kennedy’s words have inspired people around the world, with his inaugural address offering the memorable line: "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."
Robert Dallek, author of international best seller An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, will share insights into the leadership qualities of President Kennedy and his lasting legacy.
To attend this free event please RSVP to: Brenda Carabine Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s, email: Brenda.Carabine@qub.ac.uk Tel: (028) 9097 1153.
Students who are taking part in the Institute of Irish Studies international summer school
The summer school, which is in its 10th year, welcomes people from home and around the world who want to explore Irish culture, politics, literature and language.
The School offers learning opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. During their visit, participants meet with MLAs at Stormont and local church and community group leaders. They also visit the PSNI to learn about community policing in post-conflict Northern Ireland.
Internationally acclaimed scholars deliver lectures on everything from history and politics to music, film, theatre, literature and the Irish language and Ulster-Scots. There will be a visit to the North Coast and the Giant’s Causeway, a tour of Belfast, Derry/Londonderry and a ceilidh in the University’s Great Hall.
The International Summer School runs until 6 August 2010 and is open to anyone over the age of 18. For more information visit www.qub.ac.uk/schools/IrishStudiesGateway/InternationalSummerSchool
At the Chief Executives' Club event were (from left): John Simpson, economist; Joanne Stuart, Chair of Institute of Directors; Professor Peter Gregson, Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s; Lady Rana and Kamala Lakhdhir, American Consul General in Belfast
Professor Gregson outlined how Queen’s has strengthened its position as a global university , offering an outstanding education experience and undertaking research which continually pushes the boundaries.
In today’s global economy, universities play a crucial role in supporting and raising the profile of local economies. He described how the research and development activities at Queen’s provide local companies with access to cutting edge research, while the partnerships with multi-national companies and international universities ensure that Northern Ireland is firmly on the map as a innovative and entrepreneurial region.
Professor Gregson also outlined recent developments at Queen’s which ensure an outstanding student experience and how investing in students is an investment in Northern Ireland’s future in the global market place.
Professor Gregson has spoken repeatedly of the unique position of Queen’s within higher education in the UK and Ireland. He is committed to seeing Queen’s develop as a broadly-based research-driven University and in 2006 he led Queen’s to membership of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK universities. Queen’s is the only university to join the Group since its foundation in 1994. He has made internationalisation a key priority for the University, and has led the establishment of key strategic partnerships including those with Georgetown University, University of Malaya and Petronas.
Professor Kevin Cahill receives his honorary degree from Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson
Professor John Chowning is congratulated by Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson
Two leading Americans were honoured by Queen's University during summer graduation this week.
Professor Kevin Cahill received his degree in front of graduates from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences.
Recognised as one of the leading health and humanitarian experts in the United States, Professor Cahill is Chief Medical Advisor for Counter-Terrorism in the New York Police Department.
He first began to study tropical disease in Calcutta beside Mother Teresa, and since then his relief efforts have spanned the globe to include treating refugees in Sudan and Somalia.
He is now President of the Centre for Humanitarian Health and Cooperation, Director of the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs at Fordham University and Director of the Tropical Diseases Centre at Lennox Hill Hospital.
Professor of International Humanitarian Affairs at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Professor Cahill has written and edited 29 books and more than 200 articles on subjects ranging from tropical disease to humanitarian and foreign affairs, Irish Literature and public health.
Professor Cahill also holds the post of Senior President-General of the American-Irish Historical Society.
Watch Professor Cahill receive his honorary degree
Meanwhile, Professor John M Chowning was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Literature in Music (DLit(Mus)) in recognition of his work as a composer and for his contribution to research in audio technology.
Born in Salem, New Jersey, Professor Chowning studied music in Wittenberg University. He secured a doctorate in composition from Stanford University in 1966, having used its Artificial Intelligence Laboratory to implement the first ever on-line computer music system. Professor Chowning worked closely with Stanford and Yamaha in Japan to develop highly successful synthesiser technology. He was also founder and director of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) at Stanford, one of the world’s leading centres for computer music and related research.
Professor Chowning’s computer music compositions, particularly Turanus (1972) and Stria (1977), have become seminal works in the field.
In addition to his outstanding creative work, he has also made highly significant contributions to research in audio and signal processing technologies. Many of today’s audio technologies can be traced back to the important research that Professor Chowning undertook at Stanford.
Watch Professor Chowning receive his honorary degree
Vanderbilt University
A Queen’s delegation, led by Vice-Chancellor Peter Gregson, visited Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, in late May to further the ongoing partnerships between the two universities.
Accompanying VC Gregson was Trevor Newsom, Director of Research and Regional Services, Professor John Thompson, Head of the School of English, and Professor Stephen Smartt from the School of Mathematics and Physics. The visit included all-day meetings at Vanderbilt, including a welcome breakfast with Vanderbilt’s Provost and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Richard McCarty, and a dinner, graciously hosted by Queen’s alumnus and Nashville resident, Ian Brick.
Vanderbilt and Queen’s have developed significant collaborations over the last five years, following an initial visit by VC Gregson in 2006. Successful collaborations in English/Humanities and Astronomy have led the universities to pursue other areas of mutual research interest, including pediatric pharmacology (spearheaded by Pro-VC James McElnay), information systems (Engineering), and possible collaborations in education. In addition to the universities’ on-going academic relationship, Belfast and Nashville have been sister cities since 1995, taking turns hosting the annual Belfast/Nashville Songwriters Festival.
Prof. John Thompson, Head of the School of English, accompanied Professor Gregson to continue the collaboration he helped develop with Vanderbilt’s English Department and the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities. The Warren Center currently has a three-year agreement with Queen's to host one graduate student from Queen’s in connection with the Vanderbilt Graduate Student Fellows Program. Vanderbilt hosted the first Queen’s RPW Humanities Center graduate student fellow in English in 2009-2010 (see http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/NewsandEvents/FileStorenewsandevents/Filetoupload,195478,en.pdf )..
A Queen’s - Vanderbilt collaboration in astronomy is also developing in a significant way. Queen’s has committed two four-year PhD student fellowships to enable two students to work on joint projects with the Vanderbilt astronomy group. One of these students will work jointly with Smartt and Vanderbilt Prof. Keivan Stassun on an Astro-Informatics initiative to mine the petascale datasets emerging from their partnerships in the Pan-STARRS and LSST telescope consortia. During the recent visit, Smartt and Stassun developed concrete plans for the joint PhD student's work on this project. The Stassun team plans to visit Belfast in October. The Vanderbilt group has also committed two full-time postdoctoral researchers starting this fall to work jointly on the above two projects, supporting the two joint PhD students.
A meeting with Vanderbilt’s Dean of Engineering was instrumental in laying the foundation for a Vanderbilt engineering service – learning program, which will be held in Belfast during the summer 2011. Discussions also centered about research overlap and possible areas of collaboration. Other meetings included Pediatric Pharmacology with Prof. Louis Muglia (VU) and with administrators and faculty from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of Education, which is currently ranked number one in the country for graduate schools of education.
Professor Colin Harvey, head of the School of Law at Queen's University, addresses Fordham students
Northern Ireland is fast becoming a destination of choice for summer study by US law students.
Almost 60 students and professors from one of America’s leading law schools have opted to study at Queen's University Belfast this summer for an intensive programme in conflict resolution and international law.
The students and staff from Fordham Law School in New York have just arrived at the University, where in addition to taking courses taught by both Fordham and Queen’s staff, they will visit Stormont and meet with MLAs from all the major political parties.
The students will also visit the courts and the Bar Library, hold discussions with legal practitioners, meet with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, and tour the North Coast – one of the world’s most scenic coastal routes.
Many of the students have chosen to extend their stay in Belfast and the invaluable opportunities available to them, by interning with the courts, the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, the Commission for Victims and Survivors, and the Committee on the Administration of Justice, before returning to their studies in the autumn.
After their study in Belfast, the group will travel to Dublin to conclude the summer programme. Fordham's programme is officially sponsored by Queen’s, along with University College Dublin.
Professor Michael W. Martin from Fordham Law School said: "This programme was inspired by the 1998 Belfast Agreement's cross-Atlantic and cross-border co-operation, which we are proud and fortunate to continue to nurture.
"Fordham Law students leave Belfast with rich memories of this beautiful city and a significantly deeper understanding of Northern Ireland’s progress and the challenges to come."
Professor Colin Harvey, Head of the Law School at Queen’s commented: “We are delighted to welcome our friends from Fordham Law School for what is one of the highlights of our academic year.
“This programme is a leading international example of co-operation and partnership between law schools, and further evidence of the strong connections between the US and universities on the island of Ireland. We look forward to building further on the established connections and wish the program continued success."
For more information on the School of Law at Queen’s visit www.law.qub.ac.uk
Declan Kelly and Queen's Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Gregson
Declan Kelly and Professor Richard Harrison address Queen’s University Management School
The United States Special Economic Envoy to Northern Ireland, Declan Kelly, today visited Queen’s University – the UK’s Entrepreneurial University of the Year – to meet with business students studying entrepreneurship and visit the University's Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology.
Mr Kelly, who accompanied US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on her visit to the University in October, returned to the campus to learn more about Queen’s commitment to entrepreneurship education, and how its graduates contribute to the economic viability of the region.
He also shared his own experiences of entrepreneurialism and his perspectives on the future development of the Northern Ireland private sector with 90 students of the Queen’s University Management School.
Welcoming Mr Kelly, Queen’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson said: “During her recent visit to Northern Ireland, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton learned first-hand from US companies who had invested here of the importance of the high quality and loyalty of graduates to inward investment.
“This view was reinforced just two weeks after her visit when Queen’s became the UK’s Entrepreneurial University of the Year. This was excellent news for Queen’s and excellent news for Northern Ireland, recognizing our ongoing work in ensuring that tomorrow’s business leaders have the necessary skills to contribute to the region’s future prosperity in an increasingly competitive world.
“Mr Kelly’s visit today will enable us to take this process a step further, by sharing insights into entrepreneurship and how we can further enhance our impact on Northern Ireland through wealth creation, cutting-edge research and productive global connections.“
Mr Kelly said: “Investment commitments in Northern Ireland from world-leading companies such as the recent announcement by NYSE Technologies, part of NYSE Euronext, are underpinned by a confidence in the region’s skills base. As I continue to work to try to bring Northern Ireland to the attention of the US business community, I am helped by the academic and research excellence that is very evident at Queen’s University.
“Its commitment to entrepreneurialism education and its strategic commercial linkages, such as its collaboration in the life sciences field with the Almac Group, can greatly assist Northern Ireland’s competitive advantage in attracting more high-value, wealth-creating jobs.”
During the Special Envoy’s visit, he met senior representatives from leading Northern Ireland company Almac and Invest Northern Ireland to finalise plans for their visit to the United States next month as part of the NI trade mission during St. Patrick's week.
Colin Hayburn, Executive Director at Almac, said: “Northern Ireland has a long tradition of entrepreneurship and innovation and is now an established international centre of excellence in a number of fields, including life sciences. We welcome Declan’s presence here today and look forward to working closely with him on a number of initiatives in the near future.”
Mr Kelly also visited the University’s world-leading Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology. The Centre’s pioneering reputation has attracted high quality clinicians and scientists from around the world and led to the creation of unique international partnerships with leading global institutions, in particular the US National Cancer Institute in Maryland.
The Centre is the role model for the development of an Institute of Health Sciences which will play a major part in Queen’s aim to become a Global Top 100 university within five years.
Another priority is the establishment of a multi-million pound Executive Education Centre which will make a direct impact on the further development of core skills in the Northern Ireland economy.
For media enquiries please contact: Anne Langford, Press and PR Unit,+44 (0)28 90 97 5310, Mob 07815 871997,
a.langford@qub.ac.uk
A group of 20 students from the University of Maryland visited the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy (PISP) in January for a talk by Dr John Garry on the subject of ‘Deeply Divided Societies, Consociationalism and Contemporary Northern Ireland Politics’. The students come from a range of social science and liberal arts programmes and all share an interest in the academic study of deeply divided societies. The students were led by Dr Sue Briggs from the College of Behavioural and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland.
Dr Briggs stated: "This visit was a great success. It was extremely enjoyable and informative. The students learned a lot about attempts to generate a stable government in Northern Ireland and how lessons for the wider world can be drawn from the Northern Ireland case."
The QUB-Maryland link will be developed further in coming years. Dr Briggs and Dr Garry are already planning a second visit in two years time when a new group of Maryland students will visit QUB to learn about conflict resolution and a series of lectures and events will be held.
Given the academic expertise in QUB and Maryland on the subject of conflict resolution, research collaboration and academic exchange opportunities are being actively explored. Dr Briggs said: "I very much hope that the emerging QUB-Maryland relationship is firmly established and developed in the coming years."
The University of Maryland is the second university in the Washington DC area that PISP is actively linked with. It already has firm ties with Georgetown University to which a number of PISP academics have had research visits. Professor Richard English, Head of the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, said: "Our School is keenly developing its links with prestigous leading US universities. We plan that this emerging QUB-Washington connection will facilitate very fruitful student and academic collaboration in the coming years.”
Jordan Junge, from Denver, Colorado.is one of 12 regional winners of the British Council Shine! Awards . She will challenge for the title of UK International Student of the Year 2010 at the national finals in London on 20 and 21 April.
Over 1,300 students from 118 nationalities countries entered the awards which highlight the unique contributions of international students to life in the United Kingdom. Entrants were asked to write 'letters home' in English, describing their experiences, the challenges they have faced, and what they have achieved.
Jordan is in the second year of her BA course in International Studies in Queen’s School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy. In her letter, she highlighted how coming to Queen’s has enriched her studies in international affairs.
She said: “The ability to uproot your life and completely immerse yourself in another culture is an amazing experience that I would recommend to anyone. My beliefs, perceptions and hopes have all been altered during my time abroad. I came to Queen’s University in Belfast in hopes of gaining a new global perspective and enriching my studies in international politics.
“I have learned that you can never fully understand a conflict from textbooks, but that it is necessary to live and interact with people who have survived conflict. Sensitivity and knowledge are instrumental in conflict negotiations and it is important to understand the powerful role of emotions. I never would have learned this if I would have stayed in Denver and am forever grateful that I came to Belfast.”
Jordan said that she came to Queen’s because of its academic reputation and found that the University more than met her expectations.
“The course content is brilliant. All the lectures are extremely interesting and the lecturers are amazing. Some are the top in their field of research, but they are always willing to chat further about the topics discussed that morning in lectures.”
In her 18 months at Queen’s, Jordan has thrown herself fully into student life. She is a member of the Student Council, sits on the Students’ Union Committee for Equality and Diversity, and is an active member of RAG, Raise and Give, which raises money for local charities.
She is also Women's Officer for the National Student Union of Northern Ireland, NUS-USI, Secretary of the Politics Society and a member of the School of Politics Student Staff Consultative Committee. She also serves as Queen’s Vice President of Talent and Management for AIESEC, the world’s largest student organisation, which aims to help young people develop their potential.
Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council, said, “Studying overseas is an incredibly exciting and rewarding experience, building life-long international friendships, understanding and trust. International students make a huge contribution to life here because they create a greater understanding of the world in the UK and they help create a greater understanding of the UK throughout the world. This competition is a fantastic opportunity for them to show the world what they’ve achieved and learnt while studying in the UK.”
The two Northern Ireland regional runners-up are also studying at Queen's. Svetislav Zavic from Serbia and Luke Simon from India are both PhD students in the University’s School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences.
For media enquiries please contact: Anne Langford, 028 9097 5310, Mob 07815 871 997, a.langford@qub.ac.uk