The Vice-Chancellor receives the Award from Dr Mary Turley, Trustee/Director of the Trust. Included is UTV’s Paul Clark, one of the MCs at the gala ceremony in the Europa Hotel.

 Watch the Qtv video on this story

Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson has paid tribute to the University’s staff, students and graduates for their contribution to society.

The Vice-Chancellor was speaking at the annual Flax Trust Super Bowl Ball in Belfast, at which he was presented with a Flax Trust Award in recognition of the University’s impact on the community.

Formed in Belfast in 1977, the Flax Trust is one of the largest and longest established development trusts in Ireland. It is committed to the “reconciliation of a divided community through economic and social development, bringing peace to both communities, one person and one job at a time”.

Speaking at the event, the Vice-Chancellor said: “I am honoured to receive this award on behalf of Queen’s University Belfast. Above all, I pay tribute to our staff, students and graduates, who work tirelessly to make a difference to the community we serve.”

The Vice-Chancellor cited as examples the University’s contribution to economic and cultural development, to research aimed at improving the quality of life and to the professions.

He particularly highlighted the role of students through initiatives such as Students in Free Enterprise, the Students Working Overseas Trust and Peace Players International.

For media enquiries please contact: Anne Langford, Corporate Affairs, +44 (0)28 9097 5310, Mob: 07815 871 997, a.langford@qub.ac.uk

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor (left) and Archbishop John Sentamu with the Vice-Chancellor

Two of the United Kingdom’s most senior members of the clergy were the guests of honour at a recent reception at Queen’s. 

The Most Reverend and Right Honourable John Sentamu, the Lord Archbishop of York, and His Eminence Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop Emeritus of Westminster, both of whom were delivering prestigious lectures in Belfast, attended a University dinner hosted by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Gregson.

The Archbishop of York was the keynote speaker at the University’s Church of Ireland Annual Theological Lectures while Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor delivered the annual St Brigid’s Lecture in St Bride’s Hall in south Belfast.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Students Professor Ellen Douglas-Cowie and Sentinus Chair Jim Stewart prescribe Medics in Primary Schools for Cairnshill Primary School pupils Sarah Dawson, Lara Horner and Jack Diver

Hundreds of primary school pupils from the greater Belfast area are set to benefit from healthy living advice, thanks to medical students from Queen's.

The 2010 Medics In Primary Schools’ scheme, which takes place over 12 weeks, is being run in partnership with Sentinus, the largest provider of science and technology programmes to schools in Northern Ireland.  As part of the initiative, primary schoolchildren study four topics including healthy skin, heart and lungs, brain and general well-being.

Professor Paddy Johnston, Dean of the University’s School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, said: “Medics in Primary Schools is a unique teaching programme offered by second year medical students at Queen’s. We are delighted to welcome Sentinus as our collaborators for this year’s programme.  Medics in Primary Schools offer both partners an opportunity to promote engagement in science-based subjects among P7 pupils in schools in the Greater Belfast Area. 

“During the next 12 weeks medical students will guide schoolchildren through a health education programme that will focus on the heart, lungs, skin and the brain.  The medical students will act as positive role models encouraging primary school pupils to consider a career in medicine or science. The students, in turn, will gain experience in communicating information to schoolchildren from a variety of backgrounds.”

Jim Stewart, Chairman of Sentinus, said: “Throughout the programme the primary school children gain awareness on a number of health related issues – they also get exposure to inspiring role models who can help shape decisions regarding their future career.  The Medics in Primary Schools programme grows in popularity year on year with more schools wanting to get involved. It offers fantastic learning opportunities for both the graduates and young students. ”

The programme is offered as a student selected module within the medical students’ second year course. Students have a placement one afternoon a week throughout February, March and April in a primary school, during which they deliver a short science and health education programme to P6 or P7 pupils.

The MIPS Teaching and Learning Guide can be downloaded at www.sentinus.co.uk/product.php?id=35.

For media enquiries please contact: Anne Langford, Corporate Affairs, +44 (0)28 9097 5310, Mob: 07815 871 997, a.langford@qub.ac.uk

A former UN human rights observer will visit Queen’s this week to give a public talk on human rights in Haiti and the challenges facing the country as it struggles to cope with the devastation caused by the 12 January earthquake.

Paige Jennings is a former UN human rights observer and Amnesty International researcher on Haiti. She will deliver a public talk on Human Rights in Haiti on Thursday 4 February at 7pm in Room 210 at the Peter Froggatt Centre at Queen’s.

The talk is organised by the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s School of Law.

Mrs Jennings said: “When the earthquake struck Haiti, it was already an achingly poor country, producing next to nothing and so deforested that it was largely unfit for agriculture. The flimsy shantytowns of the capital, where the earthquake did its worst damage, were filled with people who had fled the barren countryside.

“The country’s main income came from foreign aid and remittances from Haitians living abroad. The lack of health care, clean water and functional roads, are all glaringly apparent in the wake of the earthquake.

“As the international community comes together to help Haiti, it must not repeat past mistakes. We must find a way to put Haiti’s best resource - the strength and creativity of its people - at the centre of reconstruction efforts.

“The Haitian state must be rebuilt, under the direction and with the help of its citizens. Thorny problems like the presence of drug traffickers using Haiti as a transit point for US-bound cocaine must be tackled and eradicated. At the same time, sustainable and non-exploitative ways of employing people and generating local income must be created, so that corruption no longer seems the only means of getting by.

“Unprecedented efforts must be made to address Haiti’s shocking destitution - from debt relief and improved trade relations to large-scale reforestation and agricultural rehabilitation. Only in this way can this round of international relief actually make a fundamental difference.”

Professor Brice Dickson, Director of the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s School of Law, said: “The terrible earthquake in Haiti has served to remind the world of what a parlous state that country was in even before the disaster occurred and of how ill-equipped it is to rebuild its democratic system.
 
“It has long been a country where human rights have not been properly protected. One of the functions of the Human Rights Centre is to keep people abreast of human rights issues here and around the world. This event gives people an opportunity to hear at first hand from an experienced researcher on Haiti, what abuses need to be addressed and how.”
 
For more information on the Human Rights Centre at Queen’s School of Law visit www.law.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofLaw/Research/HumanRightsCentre

Media inquiries to Anne-Marie Watson at Queen’s University Press and PR Unit on 00 44 (0)28 9097 5320, 00 44 (0)7812 083259 or a.watson@qub.ac.uk 

Professor John Thompson

Madras Christian College (MCC) in Chennai has signed its first major partnership agreement with a leading UK university.

The new partnership with Queen’s University Belfast, a member of the Russell Group of the UK’s 20 leading research intensive universities, will facilitate student exchanges and exploit learning opportunities in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at both institutions.

Currently four exchange students from Queen’s are studying at MCC in the fields of English, Politics, Anthropology and Geography and Paleoecology. The first reciprocal visit to Queen’s by students from MCC will take place later this year.

The new partnership with MCC comes just weeks after Queen’s University installed His Excellency Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary of the Commonwealth and former Indian High Commissioner to the UK as Chancellor. Late last year Queen’s also celebrated a week-long festival of languages and culture in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Kolkata, when leading poets from the University joined together with their Indian counterparts including Ashoke Viswanathan; Jayanta Mahapatra; Sunil Gangopadhyay; Professor Nabaneeta Dev Sen; Srijato and Mamang Dai.

Principal of MCC, Professor Alexander Jesudasan joined Professor John Thompson, Head of Queen’s School of English, to sign the new agreement at an event attended by Chris Gibson, the British Council’s Director for South India. Funding to facilitate the new links was secured by the School of English at Queen’s following receipt of a grant from Phase II of the Prime Minister’s Initiative Scheme.

Speaking at the event, Professor Thompson said: “Like Madras Christian College, Queen’s University Belfast has been home to a vibrant and diverse academic tradition of excellence for many decades.

“Teaching links between the island of Ireland and Chennai have been ongoing since the arrival of missionaries in the 18th and 19th centuries. This exciting new partnership will now see a whole new generation of scholars exploiting vital learning and research opportunities in Chennai and Belfast; building on our shared histories and identities.

“The signing of the agreement with MCC today sees a significant broadening and deepening of Queen’s links with India, something that is of tremendous mutual benefit to the education sectors and economies of both India and Northern Ireland.”

Professor Alexander Jesudasan added: “We are delighted with our new academic partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and look forward to seeing this relationship flourish in the future."

Queen’s University has a number of partnerships with other leading Indian institutions. For details go to www.qub.ac.uk/home/ProspectiveStudents/InternationalStudents and click on Queen’s and India.

Media inquiries to Aeshna Makkar at ICON PR. Tel: 011- 46562890 – 95, Mob: (0)9911638353, e-mail: aeshna@iconpr.in or Lisa McElroy, Queen’s University Belfast. Tel: +44 (0)2890975384 or email lisa.mcelroy@qub.ac.uk

Zoe Salmon at the launch of the Marie Curie Swimathon

Swimmers in South Belfast can make a splash for charity when they complete this year’s Marie Curie Cancer Foundation Swimathon at Queen’s Physical Education Centre in April.

Queen’s Sport is among the bodies hosting the nationwide event which was launched earlier this month by Queen’s graduate Zoe Salmon and Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew.

Zoe said: “I’ve always found swimming a really good way to keep in shape. Everyone needs a challenge now and again, especially to keep motivated during the cold winter months.  And what better additional spur than to help out Marie Curie Cancer Care - a charity that does such crucial work right around the UK? I can’t wait to take part.”

Kevin Murray, PE and Sport Development Officer at Queen’s Sport said: “It’s going to be fantastic to see students, staff, and the wider community getting into the pool, taking part and fundraising for Marie Curie Cancer Care to enable terminally ill patients to have the best possible end-of-life care.”

There will be four sessions held at Queen’s Sport between Friday 16 April and Sunday 18 April. During each session there will be three lanes, allowing 15 swimmers in the pool at once. There are distance challenges of 1.5k, 2.5k and 5k, team challenges of 5k and ‘simple swim’.

Fundraisers can benefit from more than getting in shape; there are several awards for raising target amounts. The top fundraiser will win a SwimTrek break for two to a European destination of their choice.

Swimathon 2010 has a challenge to suit everyone with swimmers challenging themselves to complete up to 5K as an individual or as a team with their friends and family. To register to take part, visit the Swimathon website at www.swimathon.org or telephone the Support Line on 0845 36 700 36.
 
For media inquiries please contact: Judith Rance, Press and PR Unit,+44 (0)28 9097 5292, j.rance@qub.ac.uk

Scientists at Queen’s have identified a gene which could predict whether women with breast cancer will respond to treatment with tamoxifen, according to findings published today in Cancer Research (February issue).

Dr Tracy Robson and researcher Dr Hayley McKeen, who are funded by Breast Cancer Campaign at Queen’s School of Pharmacy, have identified a gene, FKBPL. When it is found in high levels in breast cancer, it indicates a good response to tamoxifen and a better chance of survival. Conversely low levels of FKBPL indicate a poor response.

Approximately 28,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with oestrogen dependent breast cancer each year, and many thousands will receive tamoxifen for five years after initial treatment and surgery.  However, scientists predict the drug is only effective in around two-thirds of people with thousands of patients seeing no benefit.

Dr Robson hopes to harness the FKBPL gene to develop a test to better predict the outcome of treatment with tamoxifen. This will mean the most effective therapy for the tumour type is given early on in the disease.

Dr Robson, principal investigator, said, “I believe that many women are being treated with tamoxifen without knowing whether it will benefit them. This research is a step in the right direction towards personalised treatment, ensuring that appropriate therapies are given right at the point of diagnosis, avoiding unnecessary treatment.

“More importantly this research should allow us to identify which patients are unlikely to respond to or eventually relapse on tamoxifen therapy, which means they could be treated more aggressively with chemotherapy. In the next three years we should have a clearer indication of whether our research can benefit the patient.”

The next step is to assess levels of this gene in breast cancer samples from large numbers of patients who were treated with tamoxifen. 

Arlene Wilkie, Director of Research and Policy, Breast Cancer Campaign, which funded the study said, “Tamoxifen has long been available as a treatment for women with oestrogen dependent breast cancer. We know it works really well for the majority of people but in around a third of cases, it may not be the best treatment option. In the future a simple test could help us identify these people.”

Graeme Farrow (centre) with (from left) Adrian Toner, Allianz; Mary Trainor, Director, Arts & Business NI; Nelson McCausland MLA, Minister for Culture Arts & Leisure and Rosemary Kelly, Chairman, Arts Council of Northern Ireland

Queen’s has scored a double success in the recent Allianz Arts & Business NI Awards.
The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s took the honours in the category of Best Cultural Branding for its creative partnership with the Ulster Bank, now entering its third year. Director Graeme Farrow was also named Arts Individual of the Year.

Congratulating the Festival team, Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Gregson said that the awards underlined the University’s commitment to cultural development in Northern Ireland.

 “Cultural development is central to Queen’s mission. So too is a commitment to enhancing local economic prosperity. The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen’s achieves both aims.

“These awards recognise the importance of effective and highly visible branding, which is crucial to the Festival’s impact. Under the creative direction of Graeme Farrow, the Festival and Ulster Bank have developed a unique programme and a range of marketing initiatives which have engendered a sense of excitement and ownership for the event among the local community.”

Graeme Farrow said: “I’m delighted that our success was recognised at the Arts & Business Awards. It is a privilege to work for a Festival that plays a hugely important role not just in the life of Queen’s University, but also that of the wider Northern Ireland economy.”

The Allianz Arts & Business Awards showcase examples of excellence and the delivery of tangible business benefits with winning partnerships across the spectrum of Northern Ireland business and arts sectors. They demonstrate that partner programmes can, and do, deliver great benefits not only for local communities, but also for the businesses involved.

Coinciding with the current debate on the devolution of policing and justice, the School of Law at Queen’s University will host a conference on the issue later this week (27 to 28 January). It brings together representatives from policing and justice bodies, community groups and researchers from Queen’s and other universities.

Professor Colin Harvey, Head of the School of Law, said: “This conference will focus on the key issues – justice and accountability, policing, community engagement, criminal justice, prisons and punishment, and institutional challenges.

“Devolution of policing and justice to the Assembly is a crucial component in Northern Ireland’s successful transition from conflict. This conference will make a significant contribution to facilitating open dialogue and discussion of the substantive issues facing criminal justice and policing. This is particularly relevant at a time when universities are being encouraged to take greater responsibility for community engagement and the assessment of the wider social impact of their work.”

Conference organiser Professor Phil Scraton said: “Much has already been said on devolution by politicians, commentators and state agencies. By reflecting on recent research and community-based initiatives, this event aims to identify the difficult issues that must be addressed by a devolved administration.

“This will include establishing the means through which all people in all communities have the opportunity to have their voices heard and their concerns addressed.

“The conference proceedings will be published and presented to the political parties and the British and Irish Governments to help inform the many decisions that have to be made around the devolution of policing and justice.”

In addition to academic researchers and community representatives, conference speakers include former Police Ombudsman, Baroness Nuala O’Loan; Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, Dr Michael Maguire; and Prisoner Ombudsman, Pauline McCabe. The PSNI, the Prison Service, the Youth Justice Agency and the Probation Service have been invited to reflect on and respond to the issues raised in the context of the institutional challenges facing their agencies.

For more information on the conference contact Deaglan Coyle at Queen’s School of Law on 028 9097 3472 or email d.p.coyle@qub.ac.uk

Media inquiries to Anne-Marie Watson on 00 44 (0)28 9097 5320 or a.watson@qub.ac.uk

Visitors from the University of Maryland with Dr John Garry (right).

Students from the University of Maryland got a unique insight into Northern Ireland politics during a visit to Queen’s last week.

Twenty students visited the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy where they heard from Dr John Garry on contemporary Northern Ireland politics and relationship building in divided societies.

Dr Sue Briggs, from the College of Behavioural and Social Sciences, at the University of Maryland said: “The visit was a great success. It was extremely enjoyable and informative. The students learned a lot about attempts to generate a stable government in Northern Ireland and how lessons for the wider world can be drawn from the Northern Ireland case.”

Dr Garry will to continue to develop Queen’s links with the University of Maryland. A second visit by Maryland students, to focus on conflict resolution, is being planned for 2012.  Dr Garry said: “Given the expertise of both Queen’s and the University of Maryland on the subject of conflict resolution, we are exploring further exchange opportunities to allow our students and staff to share their knowledge and experience and build upon the relationship between our two institutions.”

The University of Maryland is one of two universities in the Washington DC area with whom the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy has close links. The School already has firm ties with Georgetown University to which a number of academics have made research visits.

Professor Richard English, Head of the School of Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, said: “Our School is keenly developing its links with prestigious US universities. The Queen’s-Washington connection will facilitate very fruitful student and academic collaboration in the coming years.”