Queen’s Management School is of significant strategic importance to the Northern Ireland economy. The School works closely with employers and professional bodies to deliver programmes which support the growth of the Financial Technology sector (which at the moment accounts for over 18,000 jobs in Belfast City) and the wider economy.

Due to the potential for career success in the local and international economy, the School’s reputation for educational quality, and a successful proactive marketing campaign, student numbers in the Queen’s Management School have increased dramatically over the past decade, especially within the School’s postgraduate taught (PGT) programmes. Between 2011 and 2018 overall PGT numbers increased by 175% to 459, while international postgraduate student registrations rose from 43 to 314 in the same period. By 2020, the number of PGT students is projected to increase to over 700.

This rapid growth in postgraduate student numbers is putting increasing pressure on current teaching resources at Riddel Hall. Therefore, Queen’s University Belfast are progressing plans for a new build teaching facility to meet the growing demand. The proposed development will not only expand the current teaching accommodation at Riddel Hall but will also provide a much-needed update of facilities, which will be designed with the needs of a growing and changing student population in mind, and commensurate with modern teaching methods. The development will also enhance the School’s ability to engage with business and meet government emphasis on Management and Leadership education.

Queen’s University is central to the vision for Northern Ireland to become an internationally competitive region. The proposed expansion of the Queen’s Management School will ensure the continued quality of teaching and research in the School, and is vital to this ambition to increase business growth and attract mobile investment to Northern Ireland.

The project, which also underlines the University’s commitment to support the growth of postgraduate courses, is due to be completed in the 2021/2022 academic year.

In order to create an exceptional student experience, the new facilities will provide:

• academic and support office accommodation
• postgraduate rooms
• a range of teaching and research spaces
• computer teaching and resource accommodation
• a placement/employability suite
• communal open plan facilities including catering accommodation
• individual and group study space
• a number of flexible teaching spaces
• collaborative working areas
• transition and social spaces
• areas for informal social interaction

The project reinforces our commitment to continue to develop postgraduate and executive education courses and to create future leaders, who will underpin the growth of the knowledge economy in Northern Ireland. It will also enhance the distinctiveness and identity of Queen’s Management School within the University and the wider economy. By providing a platform for further business engagement, the plans will bridge the gap between academia and practice, and will raise the profile of the School and its commitment to expanding education at every stage of an individual’s career progression. By moving QMS firmly into the twenty-first century, the development will allow for a School that encompasses the best of business education, research, and impact on our society.

Please let us know what you think of the proposals by filling out our online feedback form or by emailing: publicengagement@qub.ac.uk. 

All comments or feedback should be received on or before 13 September 2019.

Please note that any comments you make to us are not representations to the Planning Authority and do not in any way affect your statutory right to make representations to the Planning Authority, with regard to any application submitted to them, in respect of this proposal.