Israel’s journey is one of resilience, showing how Queen’s continues to have a real-world impact beyond education. Queen’s is changing the world through community partnerships, civic engagement and its commitment to inclusion.

"I was interested in the movement of people... finding out how people move and why."

Born in Nigeria and raised in Germany, Israel Eguaogie arrived in Northern Ireland in 2008 to pursue an education in social work. Motivated by his own experiences of migration and discrimination, he set out to understand the effects of migration on children and families.

Although health challenges disrupted his initial plans to study at Queen’s University, he eventually continued his studies through the Open University. And he maintained links to Queen’s as his wife studied for her PhD at the university.

"Queen's University is very pivotal in our community. When you look around, I think most of the Nigerians I know graduated from Queen's.”

His involvement with Queen’s deepened when he joined Belfast City of Sanctuary, an organisation that promotes and builds a culture of welcome and hospitality for people seeking sanctuary and a home in Belfast. Queen's is among the City of Sanctuary Supporting Organisations and, last year, commenced plans to officially seek University of Sanctuary recognition.

Israel found the university had a good track record for inclusion. He was impressed by the university’s outreach work to engage people from diverse backgrounds and the support the university gave to his Russian-born wife during her studies. For Israel, the university acts as a welcoming place that gives opportunity to people from all walks of life.

“Welcoming people to Belfast is a huge task... when you meet international students, most of them will say we've found a home at Queen's.”

Israel found that Queen’s became a home for ethnic minority communities in Belfast. Through English language support, participation in civic initiatives and partnering with groups like the Belfast City of Sanctuary, Queen’s has created a community for underrepresented groups.

A dedicated Sanctuary Officer role was created to meaningfully engage with underrepresented communities such as diverse youth, Nigerian communities and men’s groups that are often excluded from traditional community activities.

"If Queen’s can do it, we can do it."

Israel believes the Sanctuary programme at Queen’s is more than just a title. Queen’s university embeds itself into the heart of local communities by supporting initiatives like community fridges.

The programme ensures people feel safe, welcome and heard.  This effort includes hosting drop-in and information sessions, supporting students affected by civil unrest and promoting inclusion not only for ethnic minorities, but for people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups.

The Future of Community Building

The success of Queen’s University as a University of Sanctuary has inspired other institutions to follow in its footsteps. Israel believes that thanks to its partnership with with Belfast City of Sanctuary, Queen’s has had a far-reaching impact on underrepresented groups and acts as a model of inclusion, resilience and community empowerment.

Discover more impact stories at qub.ac.uk/180.