Queen's University Belfast

Belfast is one of Europe's most hip, vibrant and affordable cities, lauded for its energy, and rich in culture and history. Queen's stunning campus is within Belfast's Queen's Quarter, with cafés, bars, restaurants, superb shopping and entertainment venues. (Complete University Guide 2022).  

Queen’s University Belfast was founded by Royal Charter in 1845 and is the UK's ninth oldest university, and ranks among the top 1% of global universities. Queen’s is ranked 17th in the world for international outlook and is attracting global talent to Belfast. (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022). Queen’s is a member of the Russell Group of the UK’s 24 leading research-intensive universities. 

The Summer Institute will be led by academic experts from a range of disciplines and institutes such as the Willian J Clinton Leadership Institute which brings world-class facilities, leading academics and industry experts together to deliver a high-end portfolio of executive education and leadership programmes, The Senator George J Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, which links peace-making with social transformation, acknowledging the need for reform of state institutions alongside cultural and social healing and Queen’s Community & Place, an initiative based on partnership between communities, policymakers and academics to find lasting solutions that tackle disadvantage and improve outcomes for children, young people and communities. 

Week 1 comprises core content and is taken by all students on the summer programme; after this introduction, participants design their own summer school experience from QUB’s offering of two-week thematic strands. 

Week 1 Belfast: Culture, Identity, History, and Politics 
Academic Lead: Professor Dominic Bryan 

Week 1 will explore the entwined social, political, and historical realities of the city today, discovering multiple community perspectives on modern Ireland/Northern Ireland. By the end of this week students will understand the multiple ways we can use and interpret the past and differentiate between various discipline-centered conceptions of the past. Students will be provided  with a new or enhanced understanding of Queen’s University Belfast and the history of the institution within the Belfast city region. Students will be guided through a campus orientation and meet with the key members of staff and students delivering the summer 2024 programme. Students will be oriented to the city of Belfast and visit Derry-Londonderry.

Week 2 & 3:  

In weeks two and three, participants will have the opportunity to dig deeper into the theme of their choice, both within and beyond the classroom. Through projects, in-class sessions and engagement with local communities, political decision makers, businesses and non-Governmental organisations, participants will explore multiple perspectives on conflict, peace and extremism, contemporary Irish studies, Northern Irish leadership initiatives, or take the opportunity to explore their own creative and storytelling abilities. 

Participants can choose from a range of unique 2-week programmes:

• Irish Studies
• Identity and Intergroup Relations in Divided Societies
• Leadership
• Sustainability
• Creative Writing
• Creative Media
  
  

Find out more about each of the programmes here.