The Queen's University of Belfast Foundation

Public benefits

Education–Scholarships/postdoctoral/fellowships Through the Queen’s Foundation, a number of scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate level are supported. Scholarships provide students with the necessary financial support to enable them to advance their education at University level. At postgraduate level, scholarships enable the pursuit of

specialist knowledge which often leads to postdoctoral/fellowship study. It is difficult to accurately measure the benefit of educational advancement, but statistics show 1 in 12 people in Northern Ireland over the age of 21 is a Queen’s graduate and they are found in every constituency. It is worth noting that Queen’s graduates are much sought after by local and international business sectors and their calibre attract global companies to invest in Northern Ireland which impacts the local economy. The benefit of advancing education is therefore far reaching. Research The Queen’s Foundation supports research which benefits the public in Northern Ireland and internationally. It is likely that the public will benefit directly and/or indirectly from research across a range of disciplines. Areas of core research have seen huge advancements in the development of innovative and effective treatments for a wide range of diseases such as cystic fibrosis; vision and vascular diseases and cancer, improving prognoses and survival rates and thus improving social welfare. Through research we promote evidence-based policy making and influence public policies by engaging with politicians and political parties. An example of this is The Shared Education Programme (SEP) initiated in 2007. The ongoing research and development of shared education has informed models of best practice, which has been disseminated locally and internationally. At local level an evaluation of SEP has enabled a key piece of legislation to be passed to inform the Education Authority to promote, support and facilitate Shared Education. Internationally, links have been established by the local research team at Queen’s working with educational partners in Israel and USA. The evaluation and outcomes of SEP will continue to impact on society and the Northern Ireland economy. Physical and Public space, facilities and outreach Through the work of the Queen’s Foundation the physical and academic environment of Queen’s University Belfast is improved for the benefit of its enrolled student population, graduates, local community, international student summer schools and conferences. The Queen’s campus is one of Northern Ireland’s top tourist attractions. The ongoing improvement of facilities available to the student population such as the McClay Library, opened in 2009 enriches the overall student experience. The state-of-the art facilities attract international students to Queen’s. This helps raise the profile of Northern Ireland locally and supports the economy. The development of facilities enables Queen’s University to compete globally to secure professorships, fellowships and chairs ensuring high standards of innovative teaching and research. In addition, Queen’s students are encouraged to participate in a range of outreach activities with local community groups. For example student volunteers are building on the good work of the Queen’s Students’ Union award-winning Homework Clubs which support children in areas of Belfast facing significant educational and social challenges. Support has been secured via the Queen’s Foundation to expand on the scheme which will enable local volunteer groups and Queen’s students to work together and participate in training seminars on campus. The focus is to support local groups in disadvantaged areas to encourage young people to aspire to further their education or attend University. The Queen’s Foundation continues to be closely aligned to the strategic goals and objectives of Queen’s University Belfast which impacts on the public in Northern Ireland and beyond these shores.

What your organisation does

The Queen's Foundation advances the strategic goals and objectives of Queen's University Belfast. The Foundation's primary function is to generate financial support for the University's agreed priorities.