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Northern Ireland’s first ever financial trading room is set to open at Queen’s University Belfast. The First Derivatives Trading Room, supported by Invest NI, will provide a dynamic learning environment for students hoping to embark in a career in financial services or technology.

Based at Queen’s University Management School, Riddel Hall, Stranmillis, the facility, which will replicate New York and London trading rooms, will give students a real-life experience of a busy stock exchange with the capacity to deal in equities, bonds, foreign exchange and derivative instruments. It will transform a corner of the Management School into a financial hub reminiscent of Wall Street or Canary Wharf, and prepare future graduates to make their mark in the world.

Funded by First Derivatives, a leading provider of products and consulting services to the capital markets industry, the trading room is also backed by Invest NI.

First Derivatives offers one of the largest graduate training programmes in Northern Ireland with up to 30 Queen’s graduates employed annually by the company.

And Chief Executive, Brian Conlon, sees the trading room as a platform for closer engagement between the company and Queen’s students and staff.

He said: “As one of Northern Ireland’s key graduate recruiters we recognise the value of working closely with Universities. From our perspective this is an opportunity to collaborate with Queen’s on projects and develop courses in Computational Finance which align more closely with our company’s requirements.

“At First Derivatives we are recognised in global financial centres for the quality of our people. Taking in graduates who have practical experience of the trading floor as well accessing the facility will allow our in-house training to build upon this knowledge and provide more rounded consultants to market.

“Partnerships like First Derivatives, Queen’s and Invest NI create synergies between the world of business, government and academia and drive the development of Northern Ireland’s knowledge economy.”

The trading room has the potential to make Northern Ireland a more interesting proposition to international companies and investors keen to set up where there is a pool of highly skilled graduates who blend theory with practice. And it should also make the Queen’s University Management School more attractive to international students.

Alastair Hamilton, CEO, Invest Northern Ireland believes the facility can help leverage significant investment into Northern Ireland. “Northern Ireland is already among the top global destinations for financial technology investments and Belfast is the number one city for attracting research and development in financial services software. Our impressive track record is based on the quality of talent we have in the region and on the fact that our world-class universities continue to mould programmes to meet the needs of industry.

“We know the financial services sector offers further opportunity to create high value employment in Northern Ireland. Developing the skills to make this happen is crucial to growing the sector so we are delighted to support the First Derivatives Trading Room.”

And Professor Donal McKillop from Queen’s University Management School is looking forward to providing a more sophisticated package to students.

He said: “The First Derivatives Trading Room, supported by Invest NI, is an interactive virtual environment where students learn to trade financial instruments and manage financial portfolios using live prices and the latest investment and trading technology. They will have the opportunity to think and learn on their feet, building up the skills needed in the high-pressure world of the trading room.

 “Having these practical skills in today’s competitive and uncertain environment will undoubtedly give Queen’s finance students a competitive edge in the jobs market. The trading room will also enable the Management School to provide new bespoke postgraduate programs in Computational Finance. There is no doubt that Queen’s is taking teaching to the next level and enhancing the University’s reputation as a global leader in financial education.”

 

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The latest edition of the Donor Newsletter has just been published by The Development and Alumni Relations Office at Queen’s.

This publication gives us the opportunity to highlight some major projects we have been involved in during 2011 - and it’s also a chance to say an enormous ‘thank-you’ to our entire donor community.

Norma Sinte, DARO Director explains: “Gifts from our donors enhance capital and academic initiatives across the University. Whether this support comes as a small regular gift, or a larger contribution, it is equally important and equally valued. 

“The funding makes a real difference: it provides cash for bursaries and scholarships; support for groundbreaking research, and funds the building of our world-class facilities.”

In the magazine you can read how leading companies from across Northern Ireland have pledged more than £1m to the new Graduate and Executive Education Centre which has opened for business at Riddel Hall on Belfast’s Stranmillis Road.

You can learn what personally motivates donors such as Professor Jim Dornan and Professor James Caldwell to generously support scholarships and bursaries, and why they hope others will follow their example.

And, as usual there is a round-up of projects that have been given a boost by the Annual Fund – projects which directly enhance the student experience at Queen’s.

Our donors are making a real and lasting impact on the work and reputation of Queen’s University.

Click here to read the publication and if you have any feed back or suggestions for future issues email Donna McCullough on d.mccullough@qub.ac.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Portadown-based company Ulster Carpets has donated £10,000 of top quality floor coverings to Queen’s University Belfast’s new Graduate and Executive Education Centre at Riddel Hall.

This generous support, from what is one of the most significant forces in the international carpet market, is evidence of the confidence major local businesses have shown in this exceptional Stranmillis-based business campus.

Three years ago Ulster Carpets presented the Aslan carpet to Queen’s for the University’s new McClay Library. This remarkable carpet depicts the face of The Lion from the famous Belfast-born author C S Lewis’s book, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Ulster Carpets’ Chief Executive Nick Coburn is, once again, delighted to be supporting Queen’s University.

Mr Coburn said: “The Riddel Hall business campus fills a gap in the market for quality business and leadership education and will be critical to the economic future of Northern Ireland plc. Our company has been involved right from the start.

“The facilities at Riddel Hall are first-rate. The lecture rooms, syndicate rooms, executive lounges and covered courtyard make Riddel Hall an excellent place to do business.”

He added: “We are convinced that Ulster Carpets’ input has enhanced what has been a very successful restoration of one of the city’s landmark buildings. And we hope that in some way this support will help Northern Ireland on its journey to become the economic powerhouse it deserves to be.”

Eighteen other leading Northern Ireland companies are supporting the project over the next five years through the Riddel Hall Founders’ Club. And the Institute of Directors has already moved to this new campus – further evidence of the support and commitment this project has inspired.

 

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 U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, Louis Susman, has called on Northern Ireland students to think as global citizens, emphasising the influence that young people have made around the world in building democracies.

In a keynote address to students, academics, and business leaders at Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday 19 January, the Ambassador said that the need for young people to express their hopes and aspirations was “more important than ever”.

The Ambassador also stressed the importance of being global citizens and challenged students not just to think about the world and where they see their place in it, but to actively engage and help make a difference to society: “Our complex and interrelated world means that we all share an interest in overcoming the global challenges that face us”, he said.

Delighted to be welcoming the U.S. Ambassador back to Queen’s, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson said: “At Queen’s we very aware of the importance of global citizenship and the need for our students to develop a skill-base to support their future career. This is reflected in our curriculum and the wider student experience which offers a range of international opportunities through our global partnerships, work placement and internship schemes, and student exchange programs.

“It is critical for Queen’s graduates to have the knowledge, skills and international experiences that will enable them to become future leaders in their chosen careers. Queen’s strong links with the United States underpin the outstanding opportunities available to our students, and they, in turn, are enriched by their experiences.”

 

 

 

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Research into a ground-breaking treatment for bowel cancer at Queen’s University Belfast has received a massive funding boost from Cancer Research UK.

Dr Sandra Van Schaeybroeck, whose research aims to identify ways to increase survival from bowel cancer, has received a prestigious £688,000 Cancer Research UK Clinical Scientist Fellowship.

The award, which is one of only four fellowships awarded to UK clinical investigators, renews Dr Schaeybroeck’s current funding from the charity for another three years.  

Her research aims to develop new treatment strategies to improve bowel cancer patients’ response to treatment and increase survival of particular groups of patients with bowel cancer.

Dr Van Schaeybroeck, from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s, said: “Bowel cancer affects more that 35,000 people a year in the UK.  A major barrier in the treatment of bowel cancer is drug resistance with more than half of patients not responding to standard chemotherapy treatment.  I’m specifically aiming to identify the molecular reasons this happens in cells with specific gene faults.  My ultimate goal is to increase survival in particular groups of patients with bowel cancer.

“I’m delighted to have received the renewal of the Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist Fellowship. It is a major recognition of my research so far and the world-class cancer research ongoing at Queen’s University.

Speaking about the selection process, Professor Philip Johnson, Chair of the clinical interview panel and a world leader in cancer trials at the University of Birmingham, said: “We saw oncologists, surgeons, haematologists, public health specialists and more. It was a tough decision, but we have found five great post-doc clinicians. These are people who see clinical problems that need solving, and then do research to find solutions. They have an exciting and rewarding career ahead of them.”

Dr David Scott, Cancer Research UK’s Director of Science Funding, said: “The doctors receiving this funding are carrying out world-class research to develop new ways to diagnose and treat patients more effectively. We hope this funding will be an important boost to develop new approaches which we hope will ultimately increase survival from cancer.

”The funding is part of a total three million pound funding pot awarded to the five UK researchers - an important investment from Cancer Research UK, with the aim of identifying the next generation of clinical research leaders in the UK."

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A final-year student from Queen’s University Belfast has outshone more than 3,000 competitors to be crowned the UK’s Universities Brightest Business Brain.

David Galbraith, from east Belfast, a final year student in Computing Information Technology, topped the leaderboard to take the title and the £1,000 prize in the grand final at Cass Business School in London.

Launched in September, the competition saw more than 3,000 students register and take four online exercises designed to assess their competencies, traits and aptitudes, and identify their commercial awareness. The 60 highest scorers were invited to the Grand Final where their challenges including teamworking and communication exercises and a business case study.

A former pupil of Wellington College, David said: “The exercises ranged from having to construct a LEGO tower to taking part in a debate about positive action. They were undoubtedly challenging and I had to think on my feet, but I also found them quite good fun!

“Obviously I’m delighted to have won, and I’m very grateful to the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Enterprise SU at Queen’s for their support. The experience was really worthwhile. It not only opened up potential job opportunities for me after graduation, but also led to my acceptance by the Brightest Minds organisation, which is quite an honour.”

The competition was sponsored by a number of partners, including Target Events, Brightest Minds, Cass Business School, CIMA, National Grid and RBS.

 

 

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What better way to judge the restoration of Queen’s Riddel Hall in Stranmills than to bring back the women who used to live there when it was a Hall of Residence?

That was exactly what happened on December 19 when a group of women known as ‘The Riddel Hall Old Scholars’ got together to inspect the building which has been restored to a state-of-the art Graduate Executive Education Centre.

The women, who resided there at various times from the 1960s to the mid-70s, gave the fabulous renovated Riddel Hall their seal of approval at an event which was organised by Moria Hopkins, a former resident.

All the ladies were impressed with the excellent refurbishment of this magnificent listed building that holds so many memories.

The event was also an opportunity for everyone to take a trip down memory lane and remember, with fondness, their Riddel days.

But where once there were draughty corridors, there is now plush carpets and central heating! And whilst the memories of just how cold this old building gets in the winter months may have faded, some of the ladies admitted that they still have clear memories of the  dreaded ‘Riddel Hall House Rules’ that forbade ‘baths between 8.30am or 2.30pm’ and stated that ‘Students may receive men visitors in the drawing-room. Fathers and brothers may be taken to the student’s rooms up to 6.30pm only, and permission must be obtained from the warden or matron’!

Riddel Hall was originally set up as a residence for women students in 1913 by Eliza and Isabella Riddel, who never had the opportunity to embark on third-level education but were passionate about women’s education. The sturdy old front doors finally creaked closed to female residents in the 1970s and since then, still under Queen’s University ownership, it has been used by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and by various university staff as office accommodation.

The facility will now provide world-class graduate and executive education and create more synergy between the academic and business communities.

The event was attended by Diana Hadden who worked with Gillian McClelland on the fascinating book ‘Pioneering Women: Riddel Hall and Queen’s University Belfast’. Diana presented a beautiful drawing of the Riddel Hall gate lodge to Norma Sinte, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Queen’s. The painting will take pride of place in the new Riddel Hall.

The event, which included an informal tour of the building and a light lunch, was enjoyed by all and was a wonderful opportunity for all the former room mates to get together.

 

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International equality expert, Belfast-born Christopher McCrudden, has been appointed to the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast. A Fellow of the British Academy, he will spearhead the University’s world-leading work on human rights and equality law.

A Queen’s graduate, Christopher McCrudden, has joined Queen’s from the University of Oxford to take up the post of Professor of Human Rights and Equality Law.

Welcoming his appointment, Head of the School of Law Professor Colin Harvey said: “This is a warm welcome home to a graduate of Queen’s who, through decades of research, education and community engagement, is recognised internationally as a world-leading scholar.

“Professor McCrudden’s work on human rights and equality continues to have a positive impact and makes a real difference. He has had a lasting and profound influence on generations of legal scholars, and his generosity towards colleagues is well known. Professor McCrudden joins a group of distinguished scholars here at Queen’s who are all engaged with global and local questions relating to human rights, equality and social justice; all concerned to reflect critically on the role of law, and the rule of law in modern society.”

Commenting on his appointment, Professor McCrudden said: “I am absolutely delighted to be rejoining Queen’s at this exciting time. The production of world-leading research across a range of subjects explains why the School of Law is now regarded as one of the leading centres of legal research in the UK. It also helps shape global and local debates in all areas of legal scholarship. I am looking forward to working alongside Queen’s exciting and vibrant intellectual community.”

Law has been taught at Queen’s for over 150 years. Today the University’s School of Law is one of the most eminent centres for legal research and education in the UK and Ireland. This was confirmed in the 2008 national Research Assessment Exercise when it was ranked joint seventh out of 67 Law Schools in the UK.

 

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Scores of entries were received for the caption competition in the recent issue of The Graduate. Highly witty and devilishly creative suggestions were received from all over the UK and Ireland – and from as far away as Canada and the USA.

Readers of the annual alumni publication were asked to come up with a humorous caption for the 1895 Rag Day image which is one of the earliest depicting student life at Queen’s. While many focused on a medical theme, the eventual winner (Leslie Davis from Annalong) came up with: 'I’m not sure this is what the VC meant when he urged the Faculty to ‘go on the wagon’ Dean'

The runner-up, Graeme Maneely (from Newtownards) – clearly a fan of Harry Potter – offered: 'Things were never the same after the class of 1895 visited Hogwarts!'

The competition was generously supported by Perks (the exclusive association membership discount scheme) and in particular by Jury’s Inn Belfast (1st prize) and the Station House Hotel in Letterkenny (runners-up).

Thank you to all who entered the competition – look out for more Perks promotions in 2012.

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The City Leadership Group held a very successful launch event on 10 November at The Library, JP Morgan, Victoria Embankment, London.

Attended by over 60 people from across the City, the event was an opportunity to forge closer links between Queen’s and the City, and build an active and beneficial network of like-minded friends and alumni.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Peter Gregson, kicked-off the event by updating everyone on the University’s impressive status and credentials, including membership of the Russell Group, and spoke about the importance of Queen’s in a Northern Ireland context.

Dr Alan Gillespie, Honorary Patron of the Queen’s Foundation Board, who is well-known for his outstanding career in global finance, then addressed the audience on "Queen's University and the City of London....Perspectives on the Future". This was followed by a lively Question and Answer session.

The City Leadership Group’s aim is to leverage the support of individuals who are willing to share their expertise and advocacy to benefit Queen’s and Northern Ireland.

Indeed, over the last few years it has become clear that Queen’s has a number of very successful alumni and friends in London who are supportive of the University.

There is a great willingness amongst these mostly City-based individuals to help the University achieve its aims of being a truly global institution.  

The City Leadership Group is chaired by Declan Tiernan and the members are: Patrick Magee, Garrett Curran, Michael Doran, Jeremy Eakin, Eamonn Flanagan, Michael Gibbons, Mary Heaney, Sean Hunt, Patrick Magee, Jonathan McCormick and James Rutherford.

If you are interested in finding out more about City Leadership Group and future events please contact Marcus Ward marcus.ward@qub.ac.uk

 

 

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Queen’s graduate Brian Caul is organising a reunion dinner for Queen’s Soccer Club members who were at the University between the years of 1960 to 1965.

The reunion will celebrate the successful Collingwood Cup years when the team managed to win the trophy on four occasions!

The event, which promises to be a great opportunity to renew old friendships, has been pencilled in for June 1, 2012 in the Canada Room. Everyone associated with the Club as a player or friend during those years is most welcome to attend.

For more information please contact Brian on brian.caul1@btinternet.com or Tel +44 (0)28 70 823540

 

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Dick Scott Kerr, who succeeded Terry Bates as President of the Queen’s University Association, London (QUAL) earlier this year, was Master of Ceremonies for the annual QUAL Gala Dinner in early November in the RAF Club, Piccadilly.

Following a most convivial pre-dinner drinks reception, supported by Tourism Ireland, the highlights of the evening were addresses from the keynote guest speakers - the Ambassador of Ireland, His Excellency Bobby McDonagh and Professor Patrick Johnston, Dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen's.

The annual black tie affair attracted around 90 members and guests who heard the Ambassador talk about the huge and symbolic significance of the visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to Ireland in May where she was welcomed by Irish President Mary McAleese.

Professor Johnston, who the previous week had addressed Queen’s alumni and friends at a major fundraising dinner in New York, updated London guests on the University’s exciting plans for a new Institute of Health Sciences.

Afterwards, members and guests reflected on another busy year for the Association and caught up on the latest alumni news over a nightcap in the bar.

 

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On 4 November the 50th anniversary of the Queen’s University Golfing Society’s first committee meeting, which marked its birth, was celebrated in fine style in the Lanyon Building. After a well supported 9 hole foursomes competition played in the blazingly colourful autumn setting of Malone Golf Club, members and guests assembled in the Canada Suite for a formal reception and Book Launch.

A warm welcome was extended by Sir Peter Gregson, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s, and the Society President, Brendan Cashell, spoke entertainingly about the book, Queen’s Men with a Common Interest in Golf, which he had written jointly with fellow members John Hanna and John Neill.

Sir Peter was presented with the first copy, and another special guest, Mrs Margaret Stewart, sister of the late Max McCready, Queen’s man and British Amateur golf Champion 1949, was presented with a bouquet. A further copy of the book has been eagerly received by Max McCready’s widow Joan, who lives in South Africa and who celebrated her 106th birthday on 11 November, 2011.

Following the Book Launch the party proceeded through the Naughton Gallery to the Great Hall, where 90 members and guests sat down to a wonderful meal, with a musical contribution from a string quartet from the Ulster Youth Orchestra. The Society’s guests included the Captains of Dublin University Golfing society, The Scottish Universities Golfing Society, University College Dublin Golfing Society, the Queen’s University (undergraduate) Golf Club, and Captains of local clubs where the Society has been welcomed for outings and matches.

The Captain, John Neill, a founder committee member of the Society, welcomed and toasted the guests, and Andrew Biggart, Captain of the Scottish Society, responded with a very witty speech.

The Jubilee celebrations will continue with a gala golf event and dinner at Royal County Down Golf Club on Friday 20 April next, which will be the 50th anniversary of the Society’s first Captain’s day, held at Belvoir Park.

Copies of the book can be purchased at £25 plus postage from Ian Young, Hon Sec QUGS, who can be contacted at irw.young@btinternet.com

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The Queen’s University of Belfast Foundation held a dinner in support of the Institute of Health Sciences on 25 October in New York. The event was successful in raising the profile of Queen’s and funding for the new Institute of Health Sciences.

The dinner was hosted by the President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Peter Gregson with Senator George Mitchell as guest of honour. Professor Patrick Johnston, Dean of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, outlined his impressive vision for the new Institute of Health Sciences at Queen’s.

The Dinner Committee was co-chaired by John Fitzpatrick  and Sheila O'Malley and the committee comprised Teo Forcht-Dagi;  Michael George;  Ali Hanna; Gary Hanley; Tom Lynch; Tom Moran; John O'Donoghue; Tony Russell and Mark Tuohey.

Invest Northern Ireland (US) sponsored the drinks reception and auction prizes were generously donated by Tourism Ireland New York, United Airlines (formerly Continental), Fitzpatrick Hotels New York and Ardtara Country House Hotel.  The main auction prize from Tourism Ireland/United Airlines comprised return flights for two from Newark to Belfast with a six-night luxury golfing holiday in Northern Ireland. 

Mr Pat Tully of the American Ireland Funds provided his services as auctioneer.  With support from Invest Northern Ireland, Tourism Ireland and the Northern Ireland Bureau, the event showcased Northern Ireland

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This year’s Charter Day Dinner at Queen’s was a resounding success.

The Right Hon the Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, a well-known figure in the legal world and eminent Queen’s alumnus, was the keynote speaker at the glamorous black tie dinner on 25 November.

This annual event, which is organised by The Queen’s Graduates’ Association (QGA), is an excellent opportunity for Association members and other guests to get together.

The dinner, which marks the granting of the Royal Charter to the University in 1908, is now regarded as one of the best social events in Queen’s University’s Alumni calendar.

Jonathan Hill, President of the QGA at Queen’s, was delighted Lord Kerr agreed to attend the event. Along with other guests, he enjoyed hearing this leading light in the legal world describe the influence Queen’s has had on his career, and how networking with other graduates has helped him.

The President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson spoke to guests about recent exciting developments across the campus and how Queen’s is working towards its goal of becoming a leading global University.

After a wonderful dinner guests were serenaded by Spark Opera – a wonderful end to an exceptional evening!

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One of Europe’s most successful private equity investors, Tim Pryce, CEO of Terra Firma, will pass on the secrets of his success to Northern Ireland business leaders at an event at Queen’s University’s new Executive Education Centre, Riddel Hall, Stranmillis.

The event, on Wednesday 30 November, is the first official meeting of the Riddel Hall Founders’ Club, the group of 20 leading companies from across Northern Ireland who together have pledged more than £1m to the new Centre at Queen’s.

Tim Pryce has had an exceptional career to date. He was a founder member of Terra Firma in 2002 and has overseen the group’s multi-million pound investment into a broad portfolio of businesses including Odeon Cinemas, William Hill bookmakers, Le Meridien hotels, Phoenix Natural Gas and many more.

At the event, up to 40 business leaders will hear Tim’s unique perspective on the world’s changing economic climate. They will also have the opportunity to meet with Queen’s business academics to help create more synergy between the business and academic communities in Northern Ireland.

Entrepreneur Ed Vernon, Chief Executive of local private equity firm Synetecs, and Chair of Riddel Hall Founders’ Club, said: “The Founders’ Club is honoured that Tim has agreed to be its first guest speaker and address head-on some of today’s key challenges for local business leaders. Whilst established economies in the US and Europe are struggling, many countries are enjoying growth. Tim’s insight into developing successful international businesses during these difficult economic times will be invaluable.”

Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson, who will host the event, said: “Terra Firma creates value for businesses and investors by delivering improved strategy, operations and management. That’s precisely the sort of thing Northern Ireland needs to hear more about - especially in the current economic climate. This event, the first of many, is all about learning from others so that Northern Ireland companies, and those that have invested here, can make informed choices concerning the future direction of Northern Ireland plc.”

Riddel Hall Founders’ Club meetings will become regular slots in the business calendar with at least two meetings of senior executives per year. The programme of events over the next five years will focus on enhancing and building Northern Ireland as a powerhouse for economic growth, combining the best of what our top academic and business leaders can offer, and driving this strategy forward.

 

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Northern Ireland’s Comprehensive Cancer Services programme – a major partnership between Queen’s University and Health and Social Care services, which has led to improved survival rates for patients – is to be honoured by Her Majesty the Queen.

 Queen’s, in partnership with the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and other Trusts providing cancer services in Northern Ireland, has led the way in significantly reorganising cancer services across Northern Ireland. The University and its health partners have invested over £200 million in infrastructure and personnel for cancer treatment and research in Northern Ireland over the past 10 years. During the same period, the survival rates for cancer patients have improved year on year, despite the increasing incidence of cancer.

 At a special ceremony in St James’s Palace, the programme was announced as one of the winners of the Queen's Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education. The awards – part of the national honours system – recognise and honour outstanding achievement by universities and colleges in the United Kingdom.

Welcoming the announcement, Queen's Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson said: “We are delighted to learn of the award of a Queen's Anniversary Prize for Northern Ireland’s Comprehensive Cancer Services programme, and I congratulate all those involved.

“This recognition of Northern Ireland’s Comprehensive Cancer Services reflects the excellent partnership between Queen’s, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety , Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and the other Trusts providing cancer services in Northern Ireland. The University’s commitment to high quality translational research has led to new techniques for early detection, diagnosis and therapy, and improved outcomes for cancer patients.

“It has already produced life-saving and life-enhancing results, reflecting the drive by Queen’s and Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care services to become a global force in the worldwide fight against cancer.”

Health Minister Edwin Poots said: "I would like to congratulate Queen’s on receiving this prestigious award and I am delighted that patients in Northern Ireland are benefiting from innovative approaches to delivering cancer services. This longstanding partnership between my Department, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and Queen’s illustrates the importance of investing in research and development and the contribution that translational clinical research can make to our health and to our local economy.

“As well as honouring Queen’s, this prize honours all the people, in the University and the Belfast Trust, who have worked so hard over so many years to improve the outcomes for cancer patients through research. Our cancer research network, based in the Comprehensive Cancer Centre, offers cancer patients across Northern Ireland the opportunity to participate in clinical trials of novel treatments. I am personally committed to encouraging innovation, research and development as part of the wider knowledge economy and my Department will continue to invest in cancer research and to encourage the NHS to collaborate with our local universities to deliver future improvements in cancer care."

Jennifer Welsh, Director of Cancer and Specialist Services for Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, said: “Our Trust has valued the importance of research in enhancing standards of care and outcomes in the management of patients with cancer. We have worked with our colleagues in Queen's University to make the support of research a key goal of our service development in Oncology. We look forward to continued collaboration with our University colleagues to keep this momentum and achieve greater benefits in the years to come.”

The University-led Comprehensive Cancer Centre (CCC), based on the United States National Cancer Institute model, is recognised nationally and internationally for its excellence and is seen as a flagship for health research in Northern Ireland. It comprises the Clinical Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital, and the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology and Northern Ireland Cancer Registry at Queen’s.

Professor Patrick Johnston, Dean of the University’s School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, said: “The CCC’s strength lies in its multidisciplinary ethos, through teams of scientists and clinicians working together across academic and NHS boundaries on behalf of cancer patients and their families.

“In research terms the CCC has pioneered the concept of developing personalised therapeutic approaches for patients, an approach which has revolutionised cancer care. Queen’s Medical School is honoured to be part of this initiative which has led, and continues to lead, to direct benefits for the cancer patient population in Northern Ireland and around the world. It has partnered with local companies such as Almac, as well as with the international pharmaceutical and biotech industry, in delivering new drugs and diagnostics for cancer treatment.”

Queen’s has won an award in five rounds of the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes. The University was previously honoured for world-class excellence in law, environmental research, palaeoecology and green chemistry. The Queen's Anniversary Prizes will be presented at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace in February.

 

 

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An enterprising academic from Queen’s University Management School, whose work has inspired 30,000 students across Europe, has won a prestigious national award.

At the Times Higher Education (THE) awards ceremony in London, David Gibson, a Senior Teaching Fellow in the Queen’s University Management School, received the Most Innovative Teacher of the Year title. 

The award recognises the academic whose imagination and passion have transformed a course and inspired students. This is the fourth consecutive year that Queen’s University has been recognised at the THE Awards. 

The University received the Times Higher Excellence and Innovation in the Arts in 2008, THE Entrepreneurial University of the Year in 2009, and THE Outstanding Engineering Research Team of the Year in 2010. 

David Gibson’s award of the Most Innovative Teacher of the Year is further recognition of the spirit of innovation and enterprise at Queen’s that underpins its exceptional research and teaching.

Congratulating Mr Gibson, Queen’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson said: “This honour recognises the vital work which David and his colleagues carry out to nurture entrepreneurial skills among all our students, and builds upon his award earlier in the year as Global Entrepreneurship Educator.

 “The development of our pioneering model of entrepreneurship education was a crucial factor in Queen’s receiving the Times Higher Education Entrepreneurial University of the Year title in 2009. Enterprise education is now embedded in 116 pathways across all academic disciplines, reaching 11,000 students across the University, and has led to over 1,100 students directly engaging in business activity.”

In their citation, the judges said: “David has made enterprise studies into a reality to over 30,000 students in subjects as diverse as history and physics. “His strong focus on student engagement, his genuine cross-discipline approach and his ground-breaking model of venture-based learning have had an impact not only locally but also in universities across the world.''

In 2003 David Gibson introduced a new curriculum-based Certificate in Entrepreneurship Studies at Queen’s University Belfast. The aims were to embed entrepreneurship skills into the curriculum of all non-business students throughout the University, and for students to develop “enterprise for life” skills. His unique teaching model, called “venture-based learning”, allowed students to develop real-life business and social enterprises, and to reflect and learn from their success or failure.In 2010-11, Mr Gibson’s teaching model was adopted by the European Training Foundation to enhance the employability of graduates across the EU by providing them with enterprise, business and entrepreneurial skills.

The award is the latest accolade for David Gibson. Earlier this year he was named the world’s ‘number one’ enterprise educator by the United States Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

 

 

 

 

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Scientists at Queen’s University are embarking on a promising study that could improve the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, thanks to a £30,000 grant from Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity. It’s hoped the study could also uncover new clues about the causes of the disease.

For Dr Stewart Graham, who will lead the study in the Institute of Agri-Food and Land Use (IAFLU), the research also has personal meaning, as his grandmother died after a ten-year struggle with Alzheimer’s.

Researchers at the University will use cutting-edge techniques to study metabolites – tiny molecules that are the end products of reactions between different proteins in the body. These molecules act as ‘chemical fingerprints’, offering clues about what has happened inside our cells. As part of the one-year pilot study, the team will use a range of techniques to extract the molecules from brain samples, enabling them to see a detailed picture of metabolites within the brain.

The scientists will compare samples from Alzheimer’s patients and healthy people to identify complex changes in metabolites that occur in Alzheimer’s disease. Positive results could then be used to study metabolites in blood samples, allowing the researchers to develop a simple blood test to diagnose the disease in its early stages. It’s hoped the study will also improve our understanding of the causes of Alzheimer’s, by shedding light on the cellular processes that are involved in the disease.

Dr Graham was inspired to focus his research on Alzheimer’s disease after his grandmother, Bridget Duncan, died with the disease in 2004, having been diagnosed ten years before. He said: “Seeing my grandmother’s decline was incredibly difficult for my family, and having seen first-hand the impact that Alzheimer’s can have, it gives me another reason to go into the lab every day.

“I’m thrilled to have secured this funding, which could help us find a way to detect Alzheimer’s disease in its earliest stages. By building a picture of what happens in the brain during Alzheimer’s, we also hope to uncover clues about the causes of the disease, which is vital for developing new treatments. Dementia can only be beaten through research, and I’m optimistic that this study will yield results that could really benefit people like my grandmother.”

Dr Simon Ridley, Head of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re delighted to be backing this promising research, which should help us improve the way Alzheimer’s is diagnosed. The ability to detect Alzheimer’s earlier would allow new treatments to be tested in the early stages of the disease, when they are likely to be most effective.

“More than 15,000 people in Northern Ireland are currently affected by dementia, and with a rapidly ageing population that number is expected to soar. We urgently need to improve diagnosis and find new treatments, yet dementia research is still desperately underfunded. If we are to make a real difference for the future, we must invest in research now.”

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The Queen’s Annual Fund was established in May 1999 to support and enhance all aspects of the Queen’s student experience.

The application process for funding is now open.  If you wish to apply for project funding, please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/QAFfunding.

If you would like further information on the projects previously supported by the Queen’s Annual Fund, please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/QAFprojects.

If you have any queries, please contact Natasha Sharma, Annual Fund Manager,   E-mail: natasha.sharma@qub.ac.uk

Please note, the closing date for applications is 12 noon, Friday 2 December 2011.

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High-flying Queen’s graduates, working in financial sectors around the world, will be in Belfast today (October 24) to share the secrets of their success with aspiring students from the Queen’s University Management School.

This year’s event - ‘What it takes to succeed in global finance’ – will provide Queen’s students with a unique insight into how to make it big in the ‘cut-throat’ financial sector.  It will also allow students, through one-to-one sessions with some of the world’s leading business people, to get practical advice on how they can gain a competitive edge in the graduate jobs market.

Offering support will be New York based financier Declan Breslin, who graduated from Queen’s University in 1998 with a 1st Class Honours Degree in Finance.  Declan joined Lehman Brothers in 2003 where he led the European Prime Brokerage Client Service Team, facing off to some of the largest hedge funds in the world.  He worked with them through their bankruptcy and joined Nomura Securities in 2008.

Also sharing the secrets of their success will be Queen’s graduates Carole Machell who is currently Chief Operating Officer of Barclays Corporate and a member of the Operating Committee of Barclays Capital; and award-winning financier Brian Conlon who graduated from Queen’s with a BSc Accounting degree in 1987.

He is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of First Derivatives, having established the company with a starting capital of just £5,000 in 1996. And in 2010 Brian was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year award.All the guest speakers will provide an insight into the factors that led to their successful careers, and give advice and guidance on the job-related skills and abilities required to succeed in the corporate financial world.

Most of those attending will be Management students and the evening will chaired by Professor Donal McKillop, Head of Financial Services at Queen’s University Management School.

Following the main panel event, 30 attendees will be given the opportunity to network personally with a panel member of their choice to find out how they developed their career to get where they are today.

Students will also have the chance to get some insider hints and tips on living and working in London.

Jean Stirrup, Head of Careers, Employability and Skills, said: “The City Event, which was a great success last year, provides a unique opportunity for Queen’s students to learn from high-achievers who will share their experience of working in the financial world. “The marketplace for graduates is truly global, and our distinguished panel is well-placed to give valuable, strategic advice on how to succeed in a challenging environment anywhere in the world.

”The ‘City Event’ will take place in the Great Hall, Lanyon Building, Queen’s University at 6.00 pm on Monday 24 October. Admission is free.

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The Right Hon the Lord Kerr of Tonaghmore, a well-known figure in the legal world and eminent Queen’s alumnus, will speak at this year’s Charter Day Dinner.

Organised by The Queen’s Graduates’ Association (QGA,) the annual black tie event on 25 November, marks the granting of the Royal Charter to the University in 1908.

Lord Kerr, the former Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland (2004-09), who was the last Lord of Appeal in Ordinary appointed before the creation of The Supreme Court, took up his position in October 2009 as one of the inaugural Justices of the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Jonathan Hill, President of the QGA at Queen’s, is delighted Lord Kerr has agreed to attend what has become one of the University’s most important events of the year.

He said: “Educated at St Colman’s College, Newry, Lord Kerr graduated from Queen’s with a law degree in 1969 before being called to the Bar of Northern Ireland in 1970, and to the Bar of England and Wales at Gray’s Inn in 1974.

“There is no doubt that he has had a distinguished legal career. In 1993 he was appointed a Judge of the High Court and knighted and in 2004 he became Lord Chief Justice and joined the Privy Council.”

The Charter Day Dinner will also be attended by the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson.

Some tickets are still available for the event in the Great Hall - contact Adele McMahon on 028 9097 5289 or email a.mcmahon@qub.ac.uk

 

 

 

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Queen’s astrophysicists have been among the first to congratulate two of their global partners on the award of this year’s Nobel Prize for Physics. Professor Brian Schmidt of the Australian National University and Professor Adam Reiss of Johns Hopkins University have been honoured for their discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe.

They are active collaborators with the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s and are working on novel joint projects with Queen’s staff.  Both Nobel Laureates work on supernovae, the explosive death of stars which have created all elements in the periodic table heavier than hydrogen and helium. Professor

Stephen Smartt, Director of the University’s Astrophysics Research Centre, said: “In 1929, Edwin Hubble discovered that the Universe was expanding and 70 years later Brian and Adam pioneered a remarkable project to show that this expansion rate was accelerating. The Universe seems to be full of mysterious dark energy whose nature is not understood at all. 

“I’m thrilled that Brian and Adam’s contribution has been recognised at the very highest level in science. They were trailblazers in supernovae studies and it’s a privilege to work with them.”

Congratulating the Nobel Laureates, the Dean of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Professor Tom Millar, said: “The work of Professor Riess and Professor Schmidt has broken new boundaries in our understanding of the universe. It is a privilege for Queen’s physicists to work in partnership with such outstanding international scientists, and recognition of the quality of our own research in this area.”

Professor Riess has co-authored three science papers with Queen’s astrophysicists and works jointly with Queen’s on the Pan-STARRS project.  Professor Schmidt has authored seven papers with Dr Justyn Maund and Dr Rubina Kotak of Queen’s and is now working closely with the Astrophysics Research Centre on the next generation of supernova projects in the Southern Hemisphere. 

His team at the Australian National University in Canberra has joined forces with Queen’s to spearhead the largest search for exotic explosions in the universe ever undertaken in the Southern Hemisphere. 

 

 

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The winner of the ‘Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year’, which will be announced at the inaugural Women in Business NI (WIBNI) Awards, will also receive the honour of becoming the first-ever ‘Entrepreneur-in-Residence’ in the Leadership Institute at Queen’s University Management School. 

This role has been offered as recognition of the exceptional skills the ‘Outstanding Businesswoman of the Year’ will hold in the field of business. 

Roseann Kelly, chief executive of WIBNI, said:  “This tenure will see our award winner act as a coach and mentor to students and bring ‘real-world’ perspective to the classroom.  This should help to empower students on their journey to becoming tomorrow’s outstanding businesswomen and men.”

Professor Richard Harrison, Director of The Leadership Institute at Queen’s University Management School, commented:  “The tenure for the Entrepreneur-in-Residence is one year, based at Riddel Hall.   This Postgraduate and Executive Education Centre, comprises a leading Management School, a Graduate School and a Leadership Institute aims to meet the needs of global and local business. 

“Riddel Hall fils a gap in the market for high quality business and leadership education.  It will also help forge relationships between the academic community and Northern Ireland business.  The Entrepreneur-in-Residence is an example of how the corporate sector can add value to our work.”

He went on : “We are delighted that we will have the WIBNI ‘Outstanding Businesswomen of the Year’ as our first-ever Entrepreneur-in-Residence and we look forward to the skills, advice and learning that she will bring to the Centre and its students.

The winner will be announced at the gala event finale on 17 November at the Ramada Hotel, Belfast.  Comedienne Ruby Wax, herself a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman, will be the after-dinner speaker at the Awards.

Award categories include Best New Start Up and Best Exporter (both sponsored by Invest Northern Ireland); Award for Innovation/ Entrepreneurship (sponsored by Vodafone); Outstanding Management/ Leadership (sponsored by Made Not Born); Best Marketing/ Communications (sponsored by JC Decaux); Saleswoman of the Year sponsored by Mood Event Design); Best in Professional Services; Best Customer Service (sponsored by Lynn Recruitment); Best Sole Trader; Young Businesswoman of the Year (sponsored by Moy Park) and Outstanding WIBNI Businesswoman of the Year (sponsored by Deloitte).

Women in Business NI Ltd (WIBNI) is the largest and fastest growing business network for female entrepreneurs and senior women in management in Northern Ireland.  WIBNI is an independent, not for profit, limited company run by a voluntary Board of Directors with Charity status.  Established in 2002, the network has more than 500 members spread across all industry sectors.

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The Northern Bank’s innovative Freedom Experience Scholarship programme, launched on September 30, is offering 20 Northern Ireland students the unique opportunity to attend a dedicated three-day skills academy, which will help them make a smoother and more confident transition from third level education into the jobs market.

An investment in excess of £20,000, the initiative will also offer non-repayable grants of £1,000 to each of the 20 winning undergraduates.

A separate ‘Wild Card’ category will offer two further Freedom Experience Scholarships and Academy places. All final year undergraduate students studying any course at any educational establishment in Northern Ireland can enter an essay in relation to the Title listed on northernbank.co.uk/freedom

This is also a great opportunity for alumni from other organisations to consider setting up a similar scheme for undergraduates. If you have any ideas please contact alumni@qub.ac.uk

For further information on this scheme contact Sinead Doyle, MCE Public Relations on 028 9026 7099 or Sinead@mcepublicrelations.com

 

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Leading companies from across Northern Ireland have pledged more than £1m to Queen’s University’s Graduate and Executive Education Centre which has opened for business at Riddel Hall on the Belfast’s Stranmillis Road.

On Tuesday 27 September, Founder members were given an exclusive tour of this exceptional business campus.

The companies that are supporting the project will have access to Queen’s international networks in Malaysia, China, India, the Americas and Europe. With this comes the opportunity to raise Northern Ireland’s profile and develop business opportunities in these areas.

These companies are Andor Technology; Belfast Harbour Commissioners; BT; Clear Pharmacy; Carillion Energy Services; Dow Chemical Company Ltd; FG Wilson/Caterpillar; Gem; Greiner Packaging; Kainos; Liberty IT; MJM Group; Phoenix Natural Gas; SHS Group; Tayto, Tughans and Ulster Bank.

They have each made a £50k commitment spread over five years.

With the economy a top priority for the Assembly, this transformational project fills a gap in the market for quality business and leadership education and will be critical to the economic future of Northern Ireland.

The Ridell Hall project brings together leaders and CEOs who will work to ensure that companies here get a good deal from local government.

The quality of the education on offer at Riddel Hall is world-class. Professor Matthias Beck, an expert in Public Sector Management and Professor Ernst Verwaal whose expertise is in International Business, are amongst those who have taken up posts at Riddel. They will be working with companies offering bespoke courses aimed at solving specific business challenges for individual companies.

Riddel Hall has first-rate facilities. An auditorium, four lecture rooms, a multi-functional conference suite, two executive lounges, nine syndicate rooms and a covered court yard provide an excellent focal point for doing business.

For more information on the Riddel Hall Founders’ Club contact Marcus Ward, +44 (0) 28 9097 3403.

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Are you glad you came to Queen’s? Are you involved with a University club or society? Could you enthusiastically share your experiences at Queen’s with former students?

The Development & Alumni Relations Office needs approximately fifteen students for Telephone Fundraising Campaigns to raise money for the Queen’s Annual Fund. 

All applicants must be registered with Oncampus Jobs before applying. To register log onto Queen’s Online and select the Oncampus Jobs link (left hand side under Other). 

To request a copy of the advert, job description and application form, please email: oncampusjobs@qub.ac.uk

Closing date is 12.00 noon on Tuesday 4 October 2011. Please note, late applications will not be accepted.           

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Over 70 of our most recently graduated alumni from the class of 2011 attended a free screening of the latest adaptation of Jane Eyre on Tuesday 13th September.  The film was being shown at Queen’s Film Theatre and before taking their seats, guests were offered a free cocktail courtesy of Jameson who co-sponsored the evening’s entertainment. Representatives from Queen’s Graduates’ Association (QGA), the Queen’s Alumni Office and Santander (the other co-sponsor) were on hand and chatted to attendees as they arrived.

This was the first of many events that the newest members of the alumni family will be invited to and feedback was very good. Several alumni commented how delighted they were to get the opportunity to watch a film they wanted to see for free and others expressed an interest in signing up as a QGA member and receiving future Perks discount scheme as a benefit of membership.

For further information on future alumni events click here and to find out more about QGA membership click here.

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Scientists at Queen’s have pioneered a new combination treatment for prostate cancer.  The treatment, which has been successful in phase one of trials, will now be tested for efficacy in a second phase. The treatment, aimed at men with an advanced and aggressive form of prostate cancer which has spread to the bone, is the first of its kind to be developed. 

It combines traditional chemotherapy treatments with two doses of a radioactive chemical which can target areas of the bone affected by prostate cancer.Aggressive and advanced prostate cancer is responsible for around 10,000 deaths each year in the UK. 

Chemotherapy is often used to treat the disease; however, benefits of this treatment are usually short-lived.  An ability to combine two different types of drugs against prostate cancer may help improve outcomes including survival for these men.

The results of the first phase of the trial, which are published in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, demonstrate that it is safe and feasible to combine multiple injections of the radioactive chemical (Rhenium-186 HEDP) along with standard chemotherapy in men with an aggressive form of prostate cancer.

Dr Joe O’Sullivan, Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Oncology at the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at Queen’s University, and leader of the study, said: “This is a significant development in the fight against prostate cancer.  While this combination treatment still has to go to phase two of trials, to know that this combination is safe and feasible as a treatment is a huge step forward.

“Traditional chemotherapy treatments aren’t always effective in treating aggressive and advanced forms of prostate cancer, so we needed to develop a new treatment which will provide better outcomes for patients with this type of cancer.  The combination of chemotherapy with the radioactive chemical Rhenium-186 HEDP has the potential to improve outcomes, including survival, for men with this form of cancer.

“The second phase of the trial has already commenced in The Netherlands and will start in the UK within six months.   The trial will involve up to 100 patients from Northern Ireland and the Netherlands and it is hoped that results should be known within two years.”

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The latest advances in the treatment of brain tumours by non-surgical means, space science and non-fossil fuel energy generation, are among the topics being discussed by over 500 international scientists at Queen’s University this week.
The physicists, from Europe, the USA, China, Japan, Australia, Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Israel, are attending a week-long conference to discuss the latest developments in atomic and molecular and laser physics. The 27th International Conference on Photonic, Electronic and Atomic Collisions (ICPEAC) is one of the largest and most prestigious Physics Conferences in the world.

Among the keynote speakers are:
• Professor Yasunori Yamazaki, a world leader in studies of antimatter at the CERN antiproton facility where cold anti-hydrogen has been successfully formed and trapped.
• Dr Walter Meissl (Atomic Physics Laboratory, RIKEN, Japan), an experimental physicist currently working in Japan investigating radiation damage to DNA with importance applications in future Cancer Therapy.
• Professor Ara Chutjian (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California), a leading scientist involved in the NASA space science programme.
• Dr Chris Calvert, Queen’s University Belfast, who is working on a new technique using state of the art ultrafast laser flashes to study bio-molecules such as components of DNA, important for future cancer therapies.

The internationally-acclaimed scientific meeting is taking place in the UK for only the third time since its establishment in New York in 1958. The selection of Queen’s as a venue acknowledges the international profile of the University’s School of Mathematics and Physics in atomic physics.

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The chance to dive into the history of Belfast’s most famous creation is now on offer at Queen’s.

The Titanic Story: History and Legacy is part of a new Centenary lecture series offered to mark the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and the course will be held in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to coincide with its exciting new exhibition TITANICa.  This course is just one of over 200 courses offered as part of the new Autumn Open Learning programme at Queen’s University.

From massage to music, painting to public speaking, counselling to ceili dancing, and history to Hebrew, Open Learning at Queen’s offers everyone the chance to try something new and enjoy learning in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The latest round of courses begins at the end of September and online registration is open now at www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol

Dr Tess Maginess, Senior Teaching Fellow and Open Learning Co-ordinator at Queen’s School of Education, said: "This Autumn we have a new Centenary lecture series which looks at the major events of 1912.  This, of course, includes The Titanic Story: History and Legacy as well as Reassessing the Home Rule Crisis and Gunpowder and Bible.

"Alongside old favourites, we have a huge selection of new courses this year including Short Film Script Writing and Citizen Journalist which is an introduction to ‘blogging’ and new media to platform personal expression.  There are also new courses in our expanded language programme focusing on literature - French Literature in French, Italian Culture and Travelling in Italy and Italian Literary Club to name a few.  We also have new languages including Hebrew and Arabic available this year.

"If you want to know more about Northern Ireland we have courses from On the Banks of the Lagan: A History of the River to The Protestant Working Class in Northern Ireland: Politics and Culture from ‘Pre Troubles’ to ‘Post-Conflict’.

"If you feel like indulging your literary and artistic side you will not be disappointed.  The very successful Blackbird Bookclub, funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, returns featuring Michael Longley, Malachi O’Doherty, Sinead Morrissey and many more.

"We’re also offering a huge range of new practical courses including Thinking Like a Lawyer, Climate Change: Science and Society and A Practical Guide to Green Living.  The old favourites, Lunchtime Yoga De-Stress, and Wine Appreciation return this Autumn.

"Queen’s Open Learning programme has something to suit everyone. People do not need to have any prior qualifications to participate. Our courses usually take place one day or evening every week and are ideal for anyone who wants to pursue a new hobby, learn more about a topic in which they have a particular interest, or advance their personal development. We have many courses running in centres across Northern Ireland.

Dr Maginess concluded: "With online registration at www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol it has never been easier to sign up for our classes.  Many courses fill up quickly so we would encourage people to enrol early, online or by post.  Visit our website or telephone 028 9097 3323 / 3539 for more information."

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Queen’s Women Graduates Autumn Meeting

by Jennifer Mussen QWG President 2011

The Canada Room and Council Chamber provided a fitting place for the Autumn meeting. As the striking mural ‘Out of the Shadows’ looms large in the Council Chamber, it also provides the front cover for Dr Rush’s book.

Our speaker, Dr Claire Rush,completed her PhD at Queen’s in 2009, having previously been awarded the Julie-Ann Statham prize in 2005 and the J.C. Beckett scholarship for post graduate study in 2006. She has investigated the contribution of females to education in Northern Ireland between 1860 and 1947 and has co-edited ‘Volume 3 Rethinking Education: Have Women Made a Difference’.

One of her heroines is Isabella Tod and the contribution of the Belfast Institute and its campaign for women’s higher education provided a starting point for her presentation. However Claire used shock tactics to address her title: ‘Liberated or Living Dolls: Society’s empowerment and sexualisation of women and girls ‘. Starting with Rhianna and moving on to the music videos of Lady Gaga and the front covers of teen magazines, she presented a picture not of liberation and empowerment of girls and young women today, but of girls trapped in an exploitative society here as much as in Cambodia, Eastern Europe or the Balkans. Using stark examples of the aspirations of young girls to be ‘thinner, richer,  famous’, some of whom in early teens want plastic surgery and wear suggestive clothing and make-up, she reminded her audience that these are their daughters and granddaughters. She postulated that the early pioneers for advancing girls’ education would be horrified at the scene today where exploitation is not freedom or empowerment at all.

Turning to her experiences in Cambodia where she works as an Empowerment Facilitator for the Girls Brigade she spoke of the horrors of the killing fields and the legacy of enslavement and trafficking. Much positive work has been accomplished and she has seen the benefits of education in a welcoming centre as the way forward. Claire is passionate about her work and explained how we all need an ‘Ester moment’. Her audience was stirred out of any complacency and at supper afterwards asked her about the enormous challenges she faces in her work across a world stage.

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A small gathering of alumni from 6 different universities met on 2 September 2011 in Waxy O’Connor’s bar in the heart of Manchester. Representatives from Ireland, England and China who had studied on the island of Ireland enjoyed meeting each other for the first time and learning more about what led them to Manchester. All enjoyed the light refreshments offered and the welcoming atmosphere in the Irish Bar – even the barman had spent time as a student at Queen’s.

The event was arranged by Queen’s University Alumni Office and has prompted the request for more Irish alumni networking in future.  If you are living in the north west of England and would like to attend future events or activities in the region please contact alumni@qub.ac.uk

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Over 140 alumni from more than 14 of the UK’s top universities gathered together on 7 September 2011 to meet their respective university representatives, and each other.  The event hosted by the University of Leeds was the third Pan Russell Group Alumni – the first having been hosted by Queen’s University here in Belfast.

Guests were free to mingle over drinks and nibbles served in the Terrace Bar which is part of the University of Leeds’ Student’s Union. Dedicated “zones” were allocated to each institution enabling guests to find others from the same University and compare memories of their time as students and their subsequent progress.

Ian Moore, Acting Head of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, attending on behalf of Queen’s enjoyed meeting Queen’s graduates who had travelled for up to one hour to be part of the party. If you are interested in attending future alumni activities in the north west of England please contact alumni@qub.ac.uk

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Views are being invited on the Government’s proposal to boost charitable giving by introducing a lower rate of inheritance tax for those leaving a gift in their will to charity. The incentive, which has been welcomed by Queen’s University, is part of a wide-ranging philanthropy package which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the March 2011 Budget.

Income from legacies is channeled through The Queen’s University of Belfast Foundation, a registered charity, and is used to fund vital medical research, scholarships, the recruitment of world class staff and capital projects. But it is hoped that these new rules, which will apply to estates over the £325,000 threshold where 10 per cent or more has been left to charity, will encourage more people to consider leaving a legacy.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, has stated that the Government’s proposal was designed to encourage more individuals to consider leaving a charitable gift in their wills. To incentivise this, he has reduced the inheritance tax levied - on those who do give - from 40 per cent to 36 per cent.

Susan Wilson, Legacy Marketing Officer in the Development and Alumni Relations Office at Queen’s University, explains:
“Making a will is an intensely personal matter, and after proper provision has been made for family and friends, a gift to charity can be transformational. This consultation provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the impact of leaving a charitable legacy.”

“Say, for example, your estate is worth £500,000. If you choose to leave 10 per cent (of the taxable balance of your estate over the £325,000 threshold) to charity, the donation is worth £17,500. This means you also reduce the amount of tax payable on the remainder of your estate from 40% to 36%. Your beneficiaries will receive £425,800, whilst the charity benefits by £17,500.”

She went on: “£17,500 makes a huge difference to the work that is carried out on a daily basis at Queen’s. For example, it means we can buy a machine that copies a gene within a cell, allowing our scientists to study the genetics of cancer. Around 30 per cent of people who leave legacies to Queen’s choose to fund medical and cancer research, helping position Queen’s as a world leader in cancer care.

£17,500 can also fund a PhD student for three years, improving their experience and the quality of the work they produce, helping support the local economy by keeping our best young people from leaving these shores.”

The change in legislation is designed to boost the government's ‘big society’ scheme and offer alternative funding for charities that have been hit by cuts in government grants.

Around seventy per cent of UK residents die without leaving a legal will. It is hoped that this change in law will persuade people to start thinking about making a will and the real benefits a legacy can bring.
“While this legislation targets those with estates over the £325,000 threshold, it is important to remember that legacies aren’t just for the wealthy,” said Susan.

“Back in 1984, Kathleen McElhennon, a University cleaner, left over £3,000 plus the proceeds from the sale of her house to cancer research at Queen’s. Kathleen was not a wealthy woman, nor was she an Alumna of Queen’s, but her support and the support of others like her is invaluable to the University and can make a real difference to the quality of our research and teaching.”

The consultation which can be found on the HMRC website until 31 August 2011.

For more information on leaving a legacy to Queen’s, please contact Susan Wilson on 028 9097 3162 or by email.

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The First Latin America Week at Queen’s, sponsored by the Latin American Studies Forum and the School of History and Anthropology has taken place at Queen’s. It included exhibitions in the Welcome Centre and QFT Lobby, a Latin American film festival, seminars, and roundtables. One of the highlights, of the 9-13 May event was the presence of four Brazilian dancers – Erica Giesbrecht, Alceu Estevan, Sinhá (Rosária Antônia), and Nil Senna who are linked to a troupe called ‘Urucungos, Puitas e Quijengues’, whose visit was made possible by the Queen’s Annual Fund.

 Erica, Alceu, Sinhá, and Nil spent the week at Queen’s sharing their music, dances and experiences with staff, students and the wider Belfast community. They put on a show based on a Brazilian street folk drama involving the death and resurrection of an ox. To view the full performance go to http://www.qub.ac.uk/sa-old/resources/Bumbos/.

The production ran in tandem with at least two Anthropology and Ethnomusicology modules with sections devoted to Brazilian music and culture.

The grant from the Queen’s Annual Fund was further boosted by funds from the Belfast Good Relations Council, which allowed the  Brazilians to visits six local school, where they taught several hundred children how to dance the ‘Chicken Jongo’, a dance developed by African slaves on the coffee plantations of southeastern Brazil during the 19th century. Through the workshops the pupils were made aware of the slave experience in Brazil and of the role of music in dance in both escaping the everyday hardships of slavery. Ed McGlinchey, head teacher at Fleming Fulton claimed that the workshop at his school was ‘great fun’. He said: ”It was wonderful to see the pupils participate with Erica and the troupe. I always endeavor to promote the arts and links with other countries and cultures and this certainly hit the spot.”

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Northern Ireland man Francis Campbell, whose work was featured in the recent BBC series Our Man in the Vatican, is this year’s Queen’s University Graduate of the Year.

Francis played a key role in securing the Papal visit to the UK last September and was instrumental in helping develop a new level of understanding between Westminster politicians, civil servants and the Holy See.

Following his graduation from Queen’s in 1992 with a BA in Politics, Francis joined the Foreign Office fast-stream and worked at the European Commission and the UN Security Council.  He then moved to 10 Downing Street – first as a policy advisor to the Prime Minister and then as Private Secretary. His next role saw him being posted to Rome as First Secretary at the British Embassy to Italy, before a sabbatical year as senior policy director with Amnesty International.

But it was in 2005 that he made history by becoming the first Catholic to be appointed Ambassador to the Vatican since the Reformation. At just 35 years old, he was the youngest of all Britain’s ambassadors at the time of his appointment.

He was, according to BBC’s veteran Rome correspondent David Willey, ‘One of the best British ambassadors to the Holy See, capable of successfully mixing religion and politics and inspiring confidence and respect from his colleagues in the Vatican’. He is now the British Deputy High Commissioner, Karachi and the Director, Trade and Investment for Pakistan.

Therese White, from Mayobridge Co. Down, a medical student who has made an outstanding contribution to the Students Working Overseas Trust (SWOT), and was the only student from the UK and Ireland selected for a medical placement with NASA, is this year’s Student of the Year.

Despite having to deal with Cystic Fibrosis, Therese, as President of SWOT, has been the driving force behind raising £30,000 and was one of the main organisers of the charity’s fashion show.

In addition to her charity work, Therese was selected as one of only two worldwide students to attend a four-week aerospace medical placement with NASA at the Kennedy Space centre in Florida. Only one student from the USA and one student from Europe are selected to attend annually.

The Graduate and Student of the Year Awards, now in their 12th year, were launched in 1999 by the Queen’s Graduates’ Association and the University’s Development and Alumni Relations Office, with the support of First Trust Bank.

The Awards aim to recognise excellence, achievement or service by Queen’s alumni and students, either to the University or to the wider community. The student winner receives a trophy and £500 and the graduate winner also receives a trophy.

Gary McMurray, Regional Manager, First Trust Bank, University Road, First Trust Bank is delighted to support the Awards. He said: “We have been sponsoring the Awards since their conception and are very proud to be associated with such an important event in the Queen’s University calendar.  Our endorsement of these Awards recognises and celebrates the achievements of Queen's students and graduates who make such an invaluable contribution to life in Northern Ireland.”

Jonathan Hill, President of the Queen’s Graduates’ Association, believes that the awards can add value and bring great benefits to those who are successful.

He said: “These awards recognise passion and drive in individuals. These are qualities that help people succeed in life and we are pleased that students and graduates can receive the recognition they deserve.”

Media inquiries to Queen’s University Communications Office on 028 9097 3087/3091

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Santander scholarships for Queen’s University this year total a massive £80,000 with a commitment for continued support over the next number of years.

An event was held in the Santander University branch in Queen’s Students’ Union on Friday 10 June where the successful Post-graduate recipients were awarded their scholarships.

Mark Homans, Regional Manager Santander Universities attended the event.

He explained: “There is no doubt that the spirit of intellectual inquiry is alive and well at Queen’s, but it needs sustenance. This is why support from companies such as Santander is not just helpful – it is crucial.

 “We are delighted to be supporting the University and in this particular case Santander funding will enable students to travel and gain an understanding of different ways of life, different ways of learning and different cultures with students travelling to Spain, Portugal and Brazil.”

The event was attended by Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and PostgraduatesProfessor James McElnay who made presentations to scholars from the Schools of Music; English; Politics, International Studies and Philosophy; Languages, Literatures and Performing Arts, and the Queen’s University School of Management.

Santander offers Queen’s employees preferential rates on mortgages, loans, savings and other banking products. For more information contact Colim Quinn, Branch Manger Colm.Quinn@santander.co.uk

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Queen’s University Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson has said he is both ‘honoured and humbled’ to be awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Professor Gregson said the honour recognises Queen’s pivotal role as an international centre of academic excellence rooted at the heart of Northern Ireland.

He said: “It is enormously humbling to receive this honour. Throughout my career I’ve been inspired by successive generations of students and by my peers around the world. Any contribution I have made has been through the magnificent teams of people with whom I have been privileged to work, and with the support of my wife and family.

“Nowhere has this been more true than at Queen’s, where I’ve been fortunate to work with so many dedicated colleagues and friends within the university and across Northern Ireland. The success of Queen’s is built on the extraordinary achievement of men and women from all areas of the University. Our greatest strength is our people: our graduates, our students and, above all, our staff. Their service and commitment are remarkable, and it is an honour for me to lead this exceptional university.”

Among the first to congratulate Professor Gregson was the Chair of the University Senate, Pro-Chancellor Sir David Fell.

Sir David said: “Professor Gregson’s leadership of the University has been outstanding. He led Queen’s into the Russell Group of the UK’s 20 leading research-intensive universities in 2006 and to the status of the Times Higher Education Entrepreneurial University of the Year in 2009. He has also led the development of formal strategic international partnerships between Queen’s and leading universities around the world, notably in the United States, India, Malaysia and China.

“When he was first appointed, Professor Gregson summed up his vision for Queen’s in three simple words – leading, inspiring and delivering. He has led by example and served with distinction on all three fronts, and this honour is well-deserved.” Professor Gregson has been President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's University Belfast since 2004.

Educated at Imperial College London, he was formerly Professor of Aerospace Materials and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton. He has received the Donald Julius Groen Prize of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Rosenhain Medal and Prize of the Institute of Materials.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Irish Academy of Engineering and a Member of the Royal Irish Academy. He is a Non-Executive Director of Rolls-Royce Group plc, Northern Ireland Science Park and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association.

He is a Deputy Lieutenant of Belfast and a recipient of the Flax Trust Award for services to the community.

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On Saturday 11 June, the Development and Alumni Relations Office welcomed friends and supporters of the University to enjoy a special Thank-You lunch.

Guests enjoyed a drinks’ reception in The Canada Room before taking their seats in the Great Hall for lunch.

The guests were warmly welcomed by host, President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Peter Gregson who spoke of the invaluable contribution donors have made historically and their continued significance in helping Queen’s on its journey to become a Global 100 University.

Former Vice-Chancellor and Patron of the Lanyon Society, Professor George Bain also echoed the same message, describing the importance of philanthropy. 

He recognised the importance of both those who had contributed to current projects such as scholarships and members of the Lanyon Society whose gifts will be given in the form of bequests to the University.

Following the lunch, guests were treated to music from The Queen's Music Society Theatre Group who performed three songs from Evita - much to the delight of their audience!

 

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Almost 30 families attended the Young Archaeologists Club (YAC) event on Saturday 11 June for an exciting session on mosaics. 

The YAC members and Queen’s alumni learnt about the development and use of mosaics through time by different civilisations from the Greeks and Romans to the Byzantines.

Then the fun began as each child had the chance get involved creating their own unique mosaic to take home.  In addition to this everyone contributed to making a special large mosaic for display in the Archaeology and Palaeoecology Building.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event.  The Belfast branch of YAC meets on the second Saturday of each month (excluding July). For more information please contact the club at belfastyac@qub.ac.uk or Naomi Carver on +4428 90973728. 

Belfast Young Archaeologists' Club Schedule for 2011

 

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Queen’s University Belfast is saying a big ‘thank-you’ to those who have helped support its groundbreaking work over the last 12 months.

Donor Pin Week, which takes place from June 13 to 17, recognises and celebrates the enormous impact that philanthropic donations have on universities.

In the past year donations have funded a growing number of scholarships and bursaries. Providing this funding is vital as it helps ensure that the University is accessible to all. And, as uncertainty over the funding of further and higher education continues, scholarships and bursaries will become even more important.

Donations have also funded new facilities, improving the quality of the education and research at the University and ensuring that Queen’s, a member of the Russell Group of the UK’s top 20 universities, is an exceptional place to study.

And money raised through the Queen’s Annual Fund has been used to improve the student experience. This year the Fund has provided support for sports clubs, drama societies, cultural and educational events and students engaged in helping those suffering from disease in undeveloped parts of the world.

Norma Sinte, Director of Development and Alumni Relations at Queen’s, hopes that Donor Pin week will help raise awarness of the University’s charitable status and highlight the huge impact donations have.

She explained: “At Queen’s we have been supported by some incredibly generous donors and we owe them a debt of gratitude for helping to enhance the work that we do.”

“Universities are driving change and innovation. They are helping to find solutions to some of society’s biggest issues, and cures for some of the world’s diseases.  Every donation that we receive from former students and other supporters helps us to nurture and develop our most talented young people.”

Regular donors to the University will receive donor pins prior to Donor Pin Week and will be encourage to wear them with pride.

If you would like to make a donation to Queen’s please contact the Development and Alumni Relations Office on +44 (0)28 9097 3114.

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An international research team led by Queen’s University have developed a ground breaking treatment for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers. The new drug will benefit sufferers who have the ‘Celtic Gene’, a genetic mutation which is particularly common in Ireland.

The study, which was carried out by scientists at Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Ulster, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and teams of researchers in Europe, USA and Australia found significant improvement in lung function, quality of life and a reduction in disease flare ups for those receiving the new treatment.

The drug (VX-770) is a significant breakthrough not only for those with the ‘Celtic Gene’, known as G551D, but also for all other Cystic Fibrosis sufferers as it indicates that the basic defect in Cystic Fibrosis can be treated. This is the first drug aimed at the basic defect in Cystic Fibrosis to show an effect. It is still too early to determine whether this treatment will improve life expectancy but the improvements in the breathing tests and the reduction in flare-ups would suggest survival will be better.

Stuart Elborn, Centre Director in the Centre for Infection and Immunity at Queen’s University and co-leader of the study said: “The development of this drug is significant because it is the first to show that treating the underlying cause of Cystic Fibrosis may have profound effects on the disease, even among people who have been living with it for decades. The remarkable reductions in sweat chloride observed in this study support the idea that VX-770 improves protein function thereby addressing the fundamental defect that leads to CF.”

Dr Judy Bradley, from the University of Ulster said: “This drug opens the defective channel in the lung cells of people with Cystic Fibrosis and allows proper lung clearance of bacteria. This is a ground breaking treatment because it treats the basic defect caused by the gene mutation in patients. Correcting the cells with this mutation shows that treatments aimed at the basic mutation can work leading to improvements in lung function and symptoms.”

Dr Damien Downey, from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust said: “The success of this study illustrates the benefits that come from collaborative work here in Northern Ireland. Not only will this breakthrough help patients in Ireland and the UK but it has the potential to change the lives for those with Cystic Fibrosis around the world. As a result of the recent work researchers from Queen’s University, University of Ulster and clinicians from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust have been selected to join the European Cystic Fibrosis Society Clinical Trials Network. This means Cystic Fibrosis researchers in Northern Ireland will be collaborating with their European counterparts to work toward improved treatments for Cystic Fibrosis on a global level. ”

The new drug will be submitted for licensing in the Autumn of this year and is expected to be available to patients by as early next year.

 

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Contributed by Jennifer Mussen, President, QWG

Once again the Great Hall provided a splendid back drop to our Annual Dinner on 3 June. The Presidents and members from Dublin, U.C.D. and Galway,  including Irish Federation President Jean Corbett, joined Q.W.G. members and friends for a memorable night.

Queen’s Women Graduates is our University Association which, along with Associations in U.C.D., Dublin University (Trinity College), University of Cork and University of Galway make up the Irish Federation of University Women; (Ir.F.U.W). The  Ir.F.U.W. forms part of the University Women of Europe;( U.W.E.) which, in turn , is part of the International Federation of University Women;( I.F.U.W).

We were honoured indeed to have as our special guest the President of I.F.U.W., Marianne Haslegrave. She made a stirring speech as part of her toast stressing that the route out of poverty was education for girls and women.

Grace was said by Miss Jean Cochrane. The sun streamed through the windows and, as the evening progressed, the warmth of the rays was matched by the delicious food provided by Mr Brian Horgan and his team. The evening was also  special as it marked the birthday of a Former QWG President and current Ir.F.U.W.  Vice President: Dr Marion Gibson and we enjoyed a surprise cake!   

The swell of the Great Hall organ, so expertly played by our guest Mr Alf Casement, rounded off the programme. The organ is not often in use, but on this occasion Alf’s carefully selected programme brought out the quality of this instrument to the delight of us all.

Mr Jonathan Hill, President of QGA, IrFUW President Jean Corbett, Mrs Carolyn Forster, Vice President QWG  and Miss Niamh Hynes Immediate Past President of IrFUW joined Q.W.G. President Jennifer Mussen in the toasts and a most enjoyable evening drew to a close. As ever, the Association is indebted to the University and the Alumni staff for their expertise and support in this annual event.

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The extraordinary story of the Titanic will be the focus of a new centenary lecture series at Queen’s University in the new year.

In partnership with National Museums Northern Ireland, Queen’s Teaching Fellow, Cathal McManus, will focus on the Titanic Story, its history and legacy.

The course is part of Queen’s new Winter Open Learning programme which offers an exciting and varied selection of courses.

Speaking about the programme Cathal McManus said: “Great history is one theme, but the Open Learning programme also registers the importance of our own stories and our own family history. In Investigating Your Family Tree Gillian Hunt creates a practical guide through the maze of investigating your ancestors, while Robert Whan is also offering a one-day workshop on family history.

“The new year is all about new beginnings. The Open Learning Language programme includes lots of introductory courses in Italian, French, Spanish and German, to help learners create another voice and skill up in a relaxed atmosphere for holidays.”

For those interested in theatre, Rosie Pelan’s Playing Shakespeare courses have been proving very popular. Rosie is a trained actor with over 20 years’ professional experience, playing leading classical roles. In the new year, the focus will be on Othello.

The Open Learning programme includes active courses such as tango and ceili dancing, and practical help for those who want to take stock and re-orient their lives, with options including Achieve Your Goals and De-clutter your Life.

Building on a very successful autumn creative writing programme, a number of new courses in the area are now being offered in the new year and there are also plenty of other leisure courses to choose from including the ever popular Wine Appreciation.

For more information or to register visit www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol

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A final-year student from Queen’s University Belfast has outshone more than 3,000 competitors to be crowned the UK’s Universities Brightest Business Brain.

David Galbraith, from east Belfast, a final year student in Computing Information Technology, topped the leaderboard to take the title and the £1,000 prize in the grand final at Cass Business School in London.

Launched in September, the competition saw more than 3,000 students register and take four online exercises designed to assess their competencies, traits and aptitudes, and identify their commercial awareness. The 60 highest scorers were invited to the Grand Final where their challenges including teamworking and communication exercises and a business case study.

A former pupil of Wellington College, David said: “The exercises ranged from having to construct a LEGO tower to taking part in a debate about positive action. They were undoubtedly challenging and I had to think on my feet, but I also found them quite good fun!

“Obviously I’m delighted to have won, and I’m very grateful to the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Enterprise SU at Queen’s for their support. The experience was really worthwhile. It not only opened up potential job opportunities for me after graduation, but also led to my acceptance by the Brightest Minds organisation, which is quite an honour.”

The competition was sponsored by a number of partners, including Target Events, Brightest Minds, Cass Business School, CIMA, National Grid and RBS.

 

 

 

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Research into a ground-breaking treatment for bowel cancer at Queen’s University Belfast has received a massive funding boost from Cancer Research UK.

Dr Sandra Van Schaeybroeck, whose research aims to identify ways to increase survival from bowel cancer, has received a prestigious £688,000 Cancer Research UK Clinical Scientist Fellowship.

The award, which is one of only four fellowships awarded to UK clinical investigators, renews Dr Schaeybroeck’s current funding from the charity for another three years.   Her research aims to develop new treatment strategies to improve bowel cancer patients’ response to treatment and increase survival of particular groups of patients with bowel cancer.

Dr Van Schaeybroeck, from the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences at Queen’s, said: “Bowel cancer affects more that 35,000 people a year in the UK.  A major barrier in the treatment of bowel cancer is drug resistance with more than half of patients not responding to standard chemotherapy treatment.  I’m specifically aiming to identify the molecular reasons this happens in cells with specific gene faults.  My ultimate goal is to increase survival in particular groups of patients with bowel cancer.

“I’m delighted to have received the renewal of the Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist Fellowship.

It is a major recognition of my research so far and the world-class cancer research ongoing at Queen’s University.Speaking about the selection process, Professor Philip Johnson, Chair of the clinical interview panel and a world leader in cancer trials at the University of Birmingham, said: “We saw oncologists, surgeons, haematologists, public health specialists and more. It was a tough decision, but we have found five great post-doc clinicians. These are people who see clinical problems that need solving, and then do research to find solutions. They have an exciting and rewarding career ahead of them.”

Dr David Scott, Cancer Research UK’s Director of Science Funding, said: “The doctors receiving this funding are carrying out world-class research to develop new ways to diagnose and treat patients more effectively. We hope this funding will be an important boost to develop new approaches which we hope will ultimately increase survival from cancer.

”The funding is part of a total three million pound funding pot awarded to the five UK researchers - an important investment from Cancer Research UK, with the aim of identifying the next generation of clinical research leaders in the UK."

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U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s, Louis Susman, today called on Northern Ireland students to think as global citizens, emphasising the influence that young people have made around the world in building democracies.

In a keynote address to students, academics, and business leaders at Queen’s University Belfast, the Ambassador said that the need for young people to express their hopes and aspirations was “more important than ever”.

The Ambassador also stressed the importance of being global citizens and challenged students not just to think about the world and where they see their place in it, but to actively engage and help make a difference to society: “Our complex and interrelated world means that we all share an interest in overcoming the global challenges that face us”, he said.

Delighted to be welcoming the U.S. Ambassador back to Queen’s, Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Peter Gregson said: “At Queen’s we very aware of the importance of global citizenship and the need for our students to develop a skill-base to support their future career. This is reflected in our curriculum and the wider student experience which offers a range of international opportunities through our global partnerships, work placement and internship schemes, and student exchange programs.

“It is critical for Queen’s graduates to have the knowledge, skills and international experiences that will enable them to become future leaders in their chosen careers. Queen’s strong links with the United States underpin the outstanding opportunities available to our students, and they, in turn, are enriched by their experiences.”

 

 

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