Introduction to Queen's - Queen's University Belfast

Introduction to Queen’s

Quality, value and a first-class
student experience
Founded in 1845 – the 9 th oldest university in the UK
Granted Royal charter in 1908
Joined Russell Group (RG) alongside Cambridge, Oxford,
Imperial and other UK research intensive universities in 2006
Ranked in the UK top 20 in 17 subject areas
(Times Good University Guide 2013)
One of the top 200 Universities in the world
(QS World University Rankings 2012/13)

Ranked 26 in the UK
(Sunday Times University Guide 2013)
Five consecutive Times Higher Education Awards
(2008-2012), including Entrepreneurial University of
the Year 2009 and Outstanding Engineering Research
Team of the Year 2010
Five Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and
Further Education, including Northern Ireland’s
Comprehensive Cancer Services programme in 2011

Queen’s University Belfast is cited
17 times in the top 20 universities
by subject
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Accounting and Finance (19)
Anthropology (11)
Celtic Studies (8)
French (20)
Social Work (8)
Engineering and Physical Sciences
Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering (17)
Archaeology (19)
Chemical Engineering (19)
Land and Property Management (4)
Mechanical Engineering (19)
Town and Country Planning and Landscape (16)
Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Agriculture and Forestry (11)
Anatomy and Physiology (16)
Dentistry (4)
Food Science (11)
Pharmacology and Pharmacy (5)

Ranked 26 in the UK, number one for
medical science and Pharmacy, and
Sunday Times University of the Year
runner up
Nine subjects in the top 20:
Agriculture: 5
Architecture: 11
Biology: 20
Law: 8
Mechanical Engineering: 12
Media Studies: 19
Medical Science and Pharmacy: 1
Physical Science: 15
Social Work: 8

10 Queen’s subjects within
the UK Top 20
Architecture (14)
Anthropology (6)
Archaeology and Forensics (20)
Building and town and country planning (20)
Chemical Engineering (4)
Chemistry (10)
Dentistry (1)
Education (St. Mary’s) (4)
Mechanical Engineering (20)
Pharmacology and Pharmacy (2)

Northern Ireland, UK

Belfast – Capital of Northern Ireland
15 th largest city in the UK
50 minutes from London by air
Two airports with 40 flights per
day between Belfast and
London – cheaper than
travelling to London from many
other UK cities

Belfast
Europa Hotel
Harland and
Wolff
Shipyard
Titanic Quarter
Proms in the
Park

Belfast

BELFAST - Beautiful, Safe and
Great Value
Voted one of the world's top destinations for 2012, by National Geographic Traveller
Safest region in the UK (British Crime Survey 2011)
Lowest cost of living in the UK (Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2012)
Photograph courtesy of Belfast City Council

Exceptional student experience
2n d out of UK universities for cost of living
2 nd out of UK universities for accommodation cost
1 st out of UK universities for physical library
1 st out of RG universities for learning support
2 nd out of RG universities for good teachers
2 nd out of RG universities for opportunity to earn money
1 st out of RG universities for host friends (2 nd UK universities)
1 st out of RG universities for University Health Centre
(Source – International Student Barometer 2011)

Queen’s Research Breadth and Strength
Over 90 Research Clusters across 20 research-led Schools each led by a Director of
Research. In addition, interdisciplinary forums have been created to support the
development of research across disciplines.
Queen’s performance in the 2008 RAE:
The Research Power Index, which measures the quality and quantity of research,
placed Queen’s in the top 20 universities in the UK
11 subject areas ranked within the top 10 in the UK and 24 in the top 20
All areas at Queen’s had research assessed as world leading (4*)
25 of the 38 Units of Assessment submitted had 50 per cent or more of the research
activity recognised as world leading or internationally excellent

Excellent
Student
Support
STUDENT GUIDANCE
CENTRE
Students can access a range of
services through a single point
of contact. It’s the first place to
come to for information,
support, advice and guidance.
Services available include:
•Careers, Employability and
Skills Service
•Counselling Service
•Disability Services
•Income and Student Finance
•Learning Development Service
•Student Administration

International and Postgraduate
Student Centre
International and postgraduate
students benefit from a new £1.3
million centre
Provides a contemporary space for
students to study, undertake group
work and socialise
Staff at the centre provide advice on
a range of issues including
postgraduate skills training,
employability and immigration
requirements

Excellent student support
Postgraduate Centre providing dedicated support including:
Postgraduate Skills Training
Advice on Postgraduate Awards
Social space equipped with communication facilities including hotbird satellite
State-of-the-art open access centre with 48 computers and additional desk space for
student laptops
Postgraduate Students' Association Office

Excellent student support
Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme providing:
Access to training and development opportunities within the Postgraduate Researcher
Development Programme
Support for research students in the development of research skills and to enhance their
employability through career and personal development
A comprehensive range of training courses, 1-2-1 support and skills development
opportunities co-ordinated by the Postgraduate Training Team, based in the International
and Postgraduate Student Centre

Investment in student services
Over £259 million investment during 2006-2012
£1.3m International and Postgraduate Student Centre
£9 million investment in Students’ Union building
£45 million investment in the McClay Library
£700,000 invested in facilities in the Physical Education Centre,
making it one of the largest in the UK
170 clubs and societies supported by the Students’ Union provide a
wide range of activities

The McClay Library
Same design as Harvard University
2,000 reader seats
Blend of the best features of a traditional library
with the latest technology

Students’ Union
• Won a UK Students’ Union Evaluation Initiative (SUEI) award
2010
• Student sabbatical officers there to help and support all
students
• Holds live concerts and gigs at Mandela Hall
• On site shops and cafés, a bank branch and ATM cash
machines, and advice services. The Union also contains a
relax and study area called ‘The Space’, a food court and
meeting rooms
There are over 170 clubs and
societies that Queen’s students
can join when they arrive

Queen’s Sport
Over £10 million invested:
• 2 indoor swimming pools
• Open at weekends and evenings until 10pm
• State of the art gym facilities
• Tennis courts
• Fitness classes like yoga, pilates, martial arts etc
• INTO QUB Football Team play here
• Badminton courts
• Table tennis
• Basketball and netball courts
Selected as an official training camp for London Olympics 2012

Elms Village Accommodation

Student Accommodation

Campus Life

Campus LIfe

Elms Village Student Accommodation
A modern purpose-built student village with on-site facilities:
- Laundry room
- Shop
- Lounge and Games room
- Tree house bar and restaurant
Single study bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms
Internet connection
A communal kitchen and lounge area
A ten minute walk to class
24 hour CCTV cameras and security help desk
House keeping service
Student residential assistants and community youth workers for help and support
Friendly staff and reception area if students need help

All these companies recruit
Queen’s Graduates
Queen’s ranked in the top 20 for Graduate employment in the UK
(Sunday Times University Guide 2013)

Did you know that…
The new London ‘Routemaster’ buses were developed by local
Northern Ireland company Wrightbus, in collaboration with
Queen’s.
The first topical anaesthetic cream was developed at Queen’s,
making painful injections a thing of the past for many young
cancer patients.
Queen’s is helping to solve the world’s worst case of ongoing mass
poisoning, by providing arsenic-free groundwater, using low-cost
technology, to millions of people in South Asia.
Queen’s is at the forefront of global information security -
developing technology that counters cyber attacks and helps to
make all our online transactions safer.

Did you know that…
Queen’s has one of the best renewable energy groups in the world,
involved in Scotland in operating the world’s only powerproducing
hydro-electric wave energy device – OYSTER.
Satellite devices developed at Queen’s are being put into orbit by
the European Space Agency to make global weather forecasts
more accurate and help scientists better understand climate
change.
55 new high technology spin-out companies have been established
– including Andor Technology Plc, Kainos and Amphion
Semiconductors Ltd - creating 1026 jobs and generating £116m
annual turnover