This week, Queen’s is hosting a delegation from the USA, as part of the celebrations marking 30 years of the Study USA programme. 

Study USA is managed by the British Council, the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations, on behalf of the Department for the Economy. 

The programme, previously known as the Business Education Initiative (BEI), enables students from higher and further education institutions in Northern Ireland to spend a year studying at a participating US college, affiliated to the Catholic, Methodist or Presbyterian church. 

From 3-5 September, a delegation of college presidents and denominational leaders from the USA are visiting Northern Ireland. Their visit coincides with the graduation of the 30th year student cohort during a ceremony at Stormont. 

The visit to Queen’s includes a panel discussion chaired by BBC NI Political Correspondent Jayne McCormack, an alumna of Queen’s and the BEI programme.  

Queen’s Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Richard Miles, gave a welcome address to dinner guests. Commenting on the programme’s milestone year, he said: 

“As a civic university, Queen’s has a proud history of contributing to the social and economic prosperity of Northern Ireland.  

“Study USA offers students an opportunity to gain confidence, an international outlook, and enhance core employability skills that directly benefit our local economy. We are delighted to support the 30-year celebrations of Study USA, having been involved in the programme since its creation, with more than 1,100 of our students having participated in that time. 

“We extend our thanks to the US denominational groups which were instrumental in the creation of the programme, the US colleges that have hosted our students, and the British Council and Department for the Economy for their delivery and financial support of Study USA.” 

Taking part in the panel discussion was Queen’s Geography alumnus, and Tiedot founder, Ben Williams, who was part of BEI’s 2008-09 delegation. 

Ben said of his experience: 

“My year on the programme was genuinely life-changing. At 21, it gave me the chance to live away from Northern Ireland for the first time which pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me the chance to discover what I was capable of.  

“Michigan was very different to back home, and the exposure to American culture shaped my perspective and fostered the grit that’s helped me build a business back home, with clients in the USA. I feel indebted to the BEI for that, and it gives me a lot of satisfaction to know I'm paying some of that back to our economy. 

“I would say to future participants; take any and all opportunities in both hands. This will be an experience that changes your life.” 

Over the years, the Study USA programme has enabled more than 2,500 students in higher and further education in NI to spend a full academic year at one of 140 partner institutions across the US from Washington state to Florida, and Nebraska to Texas.

Mary Mallon, Head of Education for British Council Northern Ireland, added:

"The bond between NI and the USA forged through this programme has lasted decades, and in a world where division too often makes the headlines, these connections remind us of the power of education, dialogue, and friendship. We are confident that together with Queen’s we can keep building opportunities for future generations to learn from one another and to carry forward the spirit of peace and co-operation that this programme embodies."

Study USA offers pre-final year students the opportunity to study a combination of subjects related to their home degree, as well as modules in entrepreneurship, leadership, communications, marketing and PR, human resources and foreign languages.  

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