Activities
United Nations International Decade of the People of Africa (UNIDPAD,2014-2024)
African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (ACSONI) | Belfast City Council | African Scholars Research Network (AfSRN)To mark the closure of the United Nations International Decade of the People of Africa (UNIDPAD,2014-2024), on the 6th December 2024 a number of invested leaders were invited to collect for an evening of reflection at the City Hall.
Holyland Winter Festival: Capturing the True Essence of Our Community!
Forward South Partnership | Students' Union (SU)Queen’s University Partners with Forward South for the Holyland Winter Festival: Capturing the True Essence of Our Community! Queen’s University is delighted to collaborate with Forward South to present an event for the Holyland Winter Festival, a celebration of cultural diversity and community spirit.
Small Worlds - Café-Style Workshops Changing Hearts And Minds
On 21 November, the Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility wider team participated in a Small Worlds workshop at Queen's University. This inspiring session offered a unique glimpse into real-life stories and experiences from around the world.Sanctuary Coffee Mornings Pilot (Nov-Dec 2024)
Education Authority NI | Forward South Partnership | McClay LibraryEach Wednesday morning for four weeks from 20 November we will meet with our Sanctuary friends over tea, coffee and biscuits for conversation and information sharing.
Nigerian Languages and Cultures Taster Series Launch Event
Language Centre | Nigerian SocietyJoin us on Tuesday 15th October, from 12-2pm in the Drawing Room, One Elmwood, for the launch of our Nigerian Languages and Cultures Taster Series, where we will celebrate Nigerian culture and cuisine!
In Our Shoes: Bridging Policing and Local Communities + Panel Discussion
PSNI | Voicing The Void | Queen's Film Theatre (QFT)Part of Hate Crime Awareness Week 2024, In Our Shoes: Bridging Policing and Local Communities is a collaborative effort between Voicing the Void, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), and the South Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership to promote understanding and combat hate crimes.
Graduation Ceremony for Level 4 Certificate in Youth Leadership & Community Action (30 CATS) in partnership with R-CITY and Foróige
Foróige | RCITY Belfast | School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkOn Saturday 5th October, Queen’s University Belfast proudly celebrated the graduation of its first cohort from the Level 4 Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action (30 CATS), a programme delivered in partnership with Foróige and R-CITY, opening up new possibilities of employment and future study for young people aged 16-18.
Black History Month 2024
African Scholars Research Network (AfSRN) | iRISE | Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) | Racial Equity Champions (REC) NetworkQueen's University is proud to celebrate Black History Month 2024 with a vibrant line-up of events throughout October.
Civic Commitment to the South Belfast University Area
Belfast City CouncilQueen’s Civic Commitment to the South Belfast University Area, underscores a dedication to improving community relations and student welfare. This initiative, developed in partnership with Belfast City Council and local communities, provides the framework to build positive relationships with those who live, work or visit the wider university area.
Sonita Alizadeh for Politics of Performance
Beyond Skin | Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and JusticeAfghan rapper and activist Sonita Alizadeh was guest speaker at Queens University Belfast on 24 September as part of Politics of Performance module in partnership with Beyond Skin.
ARK 'Cultivating opportUNITY with social and community farming' event
School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkQueen’s University Belfast hosted an event on social and community farming, fostering dialogue on farming’s role in social inclusion and mental health. The university’s civic commitment drives partnerships and research that support sustainable, community-focused farming initiatives in Northern Ireland.
Co-Designing Collaborative Curriculum Clusters in South Belfast
Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP)Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP) recently facilitated a series of co-design workshops together with a diverse group of curriculum coordinators from 16 South Belfast primary schools.
Homework Clubs Programme
Horn of Africa People's Aid Northern Ireland (HAPANI) | Northern Ireland Somali Association (NISA) | Students' Union (SU)The Homework Clubs Programme is co-ordinated by SU Volunteer, the Volunteering Department of Queen’s Students’ Union and was founded in 2011. We currently assist 16 Community/Youth Centres and Schools across Belfast which run weekly homework club sessions, based mainly in areas educational underachievement.
Amplify: An Arts-Based Toolkit to Help Create Healthy Communities
Market Development Association | Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP)On Wednesday 9th October 2024, in the Market Community Centre, we launched our ‘Amplify’ community toolkit, in partnership with the Market Development Association (MDA).
Art for Change Celebration and Award Ceremony
African and Caribbean Support Organisation Northern Ireland (ACSONI) | ANAKA Women's Collective | Diverse Youth NI | eduSOIL | School of Arts, English and LanguageseduSOIL is thrilled to invite participants and the public to our Art For Change Celebration and Awards Ceremony at the Harty Room, QUB Music Building, on 11 October from 6pm to 7.30pm.
MME Participation: Exploring Barriers, Exploding Myths, Seeking Solutions
Migrant and Minority Ethnic Council (MME Council)On 14 September 2024 a Democracy event was hosted at the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, titled "MME Participation: Exploring Barriers, Exploding Myths, Seeking Solutions." The event, organised by NILGA, the MME Thinktank, and the NI African and Caribbean Leadership Consortium (NIACLC), provided a fascinating platform for discussion.
Sharing our Findings: Co-design of the Substance Use Education Programme
Market Development Association | Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP)Dr Karen McGuigan (QCAP Community Health and Wellbeing Lead) attended the 38th Annual European Health Psychology Society (EHPS) conference which was held in Cascais, Lisbon from 2nd-6th September 2024
Making Festival 2024
Ulster Folk Museum | School of Natural and Built EnvironmentArchitecture Students took part in the Making Festival at the Ulster Folk Museum, by contributing final project designs inspired by the museum's unique setting.
AfSRN Retreat Days 2024-25
African Scholars Research Network (AfSRN)The African Scholars at Queen's University Belfast have organised a series of writing retreats days and booked venues for these events, that will take place from September 2024 to summer 2025.
Many Memories, Many Voices (MMMV)
Belfast Central Library | School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and PoliticsMany Memories, Many Voices (MMMV) is for people living in Northern Ireland and Ireland to share memories, stories, and objects related to colonialism and the British Empire.
Yours, Mine, Ours
Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum | School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkA research partnership to establish sustainable collaborative relationships with local migrant communities and exploring cultural inclusion, belonging and the value of museum learning.
Great Refugee Week Picnic 2024
Belfast City of SanctuaryThe Belfast Great Refugee Week Picnic, an event dedicated to celebrating diversity and inclusion in the city, saw significant participation from Queen’s staff. This involvement is a testament to the university’s commitment to fostering an inclusive environment and supporting refugee, migrant and asylum seeker communities.
The Community Wellbeing Kitchen: Improving Health and Wellbeing in The Market, Belfast
Market Development Association | Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP)The Community Wellbeing Kitchen (CWK) is an initiative designed to help address identified ongoing community level challenges around mental health, physical wellbeing and the cost-of-living crisis in the Market area.
Translating Age
Age NI | Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) | Nerve Centre | The Commissioner for Older People (COPNI) | University of the Third Age Northern Ireland Region (U3A NI) | Open LearningTranslating Age explored the experiences of older migrant women in Northern Ireland, using arts-based approaches and co-research approaches, where the women created their own arts projects. The project aimed to reduce the inequality and exclusion of older migrant women, while offering new skills to participants.
School Leaders Development Programme
Greater Shankill Partnership | William J Clinton Leadership InstituteA tailored programme was developed, to enhance the leadership skills of educators from eight primary schools in the Greater Shankill Area. This programme was delivered through interactive training, focused on collaboration and empowerment.
No One Is Illegal
ANAKA Women's Collective | End Deportation Belfast | Larne Visitors | Rainbow Refugees | United Against Racism | Queen's Film Theatre (QFT)The screening of the documentary No One Is Illegal: Everyday Tomorrow, by Carlos Underwood and Maria Atahona, was the first screening in Ireland of the documentary on the criminalisation and policing of asylum seekers and migrants in Western Europe.
Native Scientists
Native Scientists | School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical SciencesNative Scientists is a European non-profit organization dedicated to promoting science education and bridging the gap between scientists and society, particularly through language.
Transforming Trauma: A Community Approach to Healing
Corrymeela | Starling CollectiveIn a landmark initiative set to redefine the landscape of trauma in Northern Ireland, peace and reconciliation charity Corrymeela, in partnership with the Starling Collective, asylum-seeking-and-refugee-led Belfast-based charity, organised a transformative three-day series of events, called Transforming trauma: A Community Approach to Healing.
Afghan Artist Alina Gawhary's Exhibition
Beyond SkinFor International Women's Day 2024, Queen's hosted an event with Afghan Artist displaced by conflict, Alina Gawhary. The event included a showcase of Alina's art and a powerful talk on her life and art delivered to the audience.
Refuge Language Cambridge PET B1 Class
ANAKA Women's Collective | Belfast City Council | Belfast Met | Refuge LanguageAs part of Anaka’s 16+ Equal Access to Education campaign, young people were able to enrol and attend Cambridge PET B1 classes, enabling students to learn skills essential for further education with the potential for accreditation through a final exam offered at Belfast Met.
Open Learning: Researching with the Community and for the Community
ANAKA Women's Collective | Open LearningFrom February to March 2024 this fee-free course at Queen’s University Belfast invited 10 young people (16-24) from refugee or asylum seeker (RAS) backgrounds to learn how to collect information (or data), understand or evaluate it, and use that information to make recommendations for change.
Communications Workshop
Greater Shankill Partnership | Students' Union (SU)A one-day workshop was organised by the Civic Engagement Team for over fifty Year 11 pupils from Belfast Model School for Girls, which aimed to develop, enhance, and consolidate the speaking skills necessary for the pupils' English Language examinations.
Community Archaeology Programme NI (CAPNI)
Greater Shankill Partnership | Community Archaeology Programme NI (CAPNI)CAPNI builds on the foundations laid by the CCA over many years across Belfast and beyond. This includes a number of programmes in partnership with the community in the Greater Shankill, exploring the rich historical and archaeological heritage in the area, and providing school children with hands-on experience of archaeological exploration.
Academic Freedom Under Threat: Global and Local Perspectives
Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) | Fobzu | SAR Ireland - Scholars At RiskAcademic Freedom under Threat: Global and Local Perspectives, featured academic presentations, personal testimonies from academics facing threats to their academic freedom, with support from organisations like SAR, the Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA), and Fobzu, as well as a musical performance by a Sudanese-Irish trio.
Pharmacy Services Info Session for Afghan Families
Barnardo's | School of PharmacyQueen’s University provided a platform for Barnardo's to host a workshop on pharmacy services for Afghan families newly resettled in Belfast. Newly qualified pharmacists delivered presentations on the role of community pharmacists, available services, health promotion campaigns, and access to health service.
Migrants' Mental Health
School of PsychologyPhD student Lynn Walsh from School of Psychology is currently contacting a range of partner organisations to recruit participants for a survey in the area of mental health needs of forcibly displaced people.
The Rise and Fall of Islamic Learning Cities
School of Natural and Built EnvironmentQueen's University Belfast hosted the lecture The Rise and Fall of Islamic Learning Cities. In the lecture, Prof Azizi explained the nature of learning culture and culturally empowered environment of learning cities in the Islamic world.
Shankill Graveyard Halloween Tour
Greater Shankill Partnership | Community Archaeology Programme NI (CAPNI)The Shankill Halloween Tour, transformed the Shankill Graveyard into an interactive outdoor classroom, where local children had the opportunity to delve into the area's rich history.
Race Equality Conference
Queen's Gender Initiative (QGI) | Racial Equity Champions (REC) NetworkIn September 2023 Queen's University Belfast and the REC Champions Network hosted their first conference dedicated to Race Equality in the Great Hall at Queen's University Belfast. Some of the most influential figures on race equality in Northern Ireland took part in this inaugural Race Equality in Higher Education conference at Queen’s.
Level 4 Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action
Foróige | RCITY BelfastThe Queen’s University Belfast Level 4 Certificate in Youth Leadership and Community Action (30 CATS), develops young peoples leadership skills over a two-year period and also allows them to earn CATs points, which will support further academic pursuits.
Open Botanic Festival 2023
ANAKA Women's Collective | Belfast City Council | Forward South Partnership | School of Natural and Built EnvironmentThe 2023 Open Botanic Festival in Belfast was a vibrant community event aiming to transform Botanic Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly space. Highlighting the area's potential for reduced car use, decreased pollution, and enhanced health benefits.
Black, Northern Irish and Proud
Queen's Film Theatre (QFT) | School of Arts, English and Languages | School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and PoliticsIn May 2023, Queen's Film Theatre in Belfast hosted a screening of the documentary Black, Northern Irish and Proud as part of Africa Day 2023. The event featured a powerful exploration of the Black experience in Northern Ireland, offering personal insights on identity, diversity, politics, and racism.
St Matthew's Church 150th celebration
Greater Shankill PartnershipQueen's and the Greater Shankill Partnership have collaborated with partners on a local and oral history project, marking the 150th anniversary of St Matthew’s Church on the Shankill Road.
Images of Incoming
University of Atypical for Arts and Disability | University of the Fraser Valley (Canada) | Open LearningImages of Incoming is a photovoice project, directed by Prof Tess Maginess and coordinated by Dr Federica Ferrieri, engaging over 60 women based in Northern Ireland who used photographs and commentaries to express their sense of belonging to, or alienation from, Northern Ireland, the place they now live in.
Young Black History Tellers
BBC Children in Need | Diverse Youth NIThis initiative empowered young participants to explore and share the untold stories of Black communities in Northern Ireland. Through a series of workshops and storytelling events, those involved gained a deeper understanding of their heritage, developed public speaking and narrative skills, and learned to express their identities with confidence.
Racial Equity Champions (REC) Network: Charter Podcast mini-series
Racial Equity Champions (REC) NetworkThis series delves into issues of racial equity through diverse perspectives. The episodes include interviews with frontline workers such as a cleaner and a security officer, alongside insights from academics and PhD students.
Sounding Conflict: From Resistance to Reconciliation
Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and JusticeThe project Sounding Conflict: From Resistance to Reconciliation, analyses how sounds project and ameliorate community experiences, memories and narratives of conflict across cultures and different conflict/post-conflict settings of resistance through to reconciliation.
16+ Education Equality Campaign
ANAKA Women's Collective | School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkA campaign to support and advocate for equitable access to education for young people (16-24) from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
BUILD
Greater Shankill Partnership | Queen's Communities and Place (QCAP)BUILD Shankill is a community-led partnership approach to addressing issues around vacant and derelict land in the Greater Shankill area of Belfast.
Counselling All Nations Services (CANS)
Counselling All Nations Services (CANS)Collaboration with Counselling All Nations Services (CANS) to supervise and produce the Hearing Our Needs Report, that provides detailed information on the mental health and emotional well-being needs of people from ethnic minority groups and the service providers who support them.
Queen's on: Ethnic Minorities in NI
Migrant and Minority Ethnic Council (MME Council) | School of Law | School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkQueen's on: Migrant & Minority Ethnic Communities in Northern Ireland brings together scholarship and research activity from Queen’s University about the issues affecting migrants and ethnic minorities in Northern Ireland, towards creating further connections and increasing the impact of such work.
Belfast Black History Expo 2022
iRISE | Racial Equity Champions (REC) NetworkThe event, held in collaboration with local community organisations, featured exhibits, talks, and performances celebrating the cultural heritage and contributions of the Black community in Northern Ireland.
Underserved Local Minority Ethnic and Migrant Peoples
Migrant and Minority Ethnic Council (MME Council) | School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkIn May 2022, in an online seminar organised by University of Kent, Prof Dina Zoe Belluigi and Dr Maurice Macartney (Public Affairs) from Queen’s University Belfast, shared and reflected on their recent work with a newly formed think tank, the Migrant and Minority Ethnic Council (MME).
Hands-Up Project Annual Conference 2022
The Hands Up Project | Centre for Language Education ResearchThe Centre for Language Education Research hosted the award-winning ‘Hands-Up Project’ Annual Conference on Sat 21 May 2022. The Hands Up Project is a charitable organisation committed to social justice, global citizenship, and freedom of expression.
Conversations Report
Greater Shankill Partnership | Innovation ZonesThe Conversations project, focuses on having conversations with children and young people in the Greater Shankill Area to support them and shape the future of their community.
Transforming Divided Societies into Welcoming Communities
Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust | School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and PoliticsThe project built on prior research to address challenges faced by migrants in Northern Ireland's post-conflict society. It collected targeted data to enhance newcomer participation in social and economic life and informed policy development.
Refugee Talent Pools
Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA) | Queen's Business School (QBS)Using the Council for At-Risk Academics, as a case study, the authors highlight the critical role of specialised intermediaries in enabling refugee talent to access and thrive in international job markets.
iPads for schools
Greater Shankill PartnershipA number of families in the Greater Shankill area have been given iPads as part of a scheme designed to bridge the technology gap among primary school children in the area and support home learning.
A Welcome Dictionary
School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkThe research project titled "A Welcome Dictionary: Refugee Families Using Dictionary Resources to Support English Language Learning," led by Dr Aisling O’Boyle, was conducted from 2019 to 2021. The project focused on the use of lexicographic resources by newly arrived refugee families to aid their English language learning.
Open Learning Connect: Key Issues for Our Time
Age NI | Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) | Education Authority NI | Nerve Centre | Northern Ireland Migrant Centre | Rooted in Africa and Ireland Network (Dublin) | Southern Poverty Law Center (Alabama) | Open LearningSince late 2020, the professional Skills Certificate pilot online Open Learning Connect: Key Issues for Our Time has been made available on Canvas to Queen's University undergraduate students. The online course includes based on five Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) modules.
At the Margins of the University Seminar
School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkIn 2019 Queen's University Belfast hosted the seminar titled At the Margins of the University: Scholarship and practice of higher education transformation and disruption in contexts of post/ conflict, inequality and oppression.
Global Conflict: The Human Impact Conference
Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and JusticeIn August 2018, Global Conflict: The Human Impact conference, offered a distinctive opportunity to assess the lessons learned from the peace agreement, as well as the daunting challenges and human toll of the world's current refugee crisis, the largest population of displaced people since World War II.
Africa and Africans @ QUB Blog
School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and PoliticsThe blog titled "Africa and Africans @ QUB | Past & Present" started in 2018. This blog is managed by Professor Eric Morier-Genoud and is about Africans at Queen’s University, their history and present.
S.E.L.F. (Sharing Education for Living Futures) Forum
ANAKA Women's Collective | School of Social Sciences, Education and Social WorkThis initiative has brought together Queen's Students (particularly from the MSc in TESOL) and young people (16-25) from refugee and asylum seeker (RAS) backgrounds in a collaborative space for self-development and English language skills.