2015

Queen’s University Belfast is proud to be a member of the prestigious international Santander Universities network, which brings together almost 1,000 universities, including universities in Spain, Portugal, Latin America and the UK.

The University is pleased to announce the launch of this year’s scholarships funded by Santander UK, with the assistance of Grupo Santander to support scholarship and mobility in the context of exchanges between Queen's University and universities within the Santander Universidades Networkin UK, Europe and overseas.

The application process is open to all Schools in the University.

The funds are available for undergraduate / postgraduate students (PGT/PGR) and/or staff to undertake research and educational activities in UK, European and overseas Universities at a partner institution within the Santander Universidades Network.

The scholarships are primarily intended to support a student during the academic year 2015-16 (including summer period) at a partner institution and will cover travel and accommodation expenses. Students must have a period of study at Queen’s after the visit.

Applications must be submitted by Monday 14^th December 2015. 

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The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences invites applications for PhD Studentship Awards for study commencing in Autumn 2016. 36 DEL studentships are available in total and they will be allocated to outstanding students undertaking PhD study across the broad range of disciplines within the Faculty. The deadline for applications is 29 January 2016.

All DEL studentships will be awarded on a competitive basis to outstanding applicants who have:

• An excellent undergraduate degree (graded 2.1 or 1st); 
• Completed, or are due to complete by September 2016, a Master’s degree in a relevant subject to an excellent standard (graded Merit or Distinction);
• An original and exciting research proposal of approximately 2,000 words that will contribute to the further enhancement of areas of research strength in the School;
• A positive academic reference (particularly important for individuals who have yet to finish their Master’s);
• Permanent residency in the UK (for studentships covering both fees and maintenance) or the EU/EEA (for fees only).

If you wish to be considered for a studentship in the fields of accounting, economics, finance or management, then please complete the online postgraduate application portal, registering your application against Queen’s Management School.

For further information about applying for a DEL award, please get in contact with Dr Chris Colvin, Director of Postgraduate Research at Queen’s Management School. In particular, Chris can help you to identify a suitable potential primary supervisor.

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Shenzhen University Summer School students

Two Queen’s Management School students, Ian Wilson (BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management) and Niamh Scullion (BSc Business Management) spent 10 days at a Summer School hosted by Shenzhen University, China, a University with links to Queen’s.

Shenzhen asks member universities each year to send 2 students to their Summer School which aims to promote an understanding of China. The busy schedule included a campus tour, Chinese language courses, Shenzhen museum and bay tours, visits to Creative Culture Park and China Folk Culture Village, two company field trips, lectures on topics such as Big Data and China’s transformation, a PowerPoint skills workshop by Microsoft and a PowerPoint competition at the end of the trip on “Our life in Shenzhen”.

The 2 company field trips were to DJI, a market leader in "easy to fly Drones", and to Tencent, a highly successful Chinese IT company, which are most famous for the application “WeChat” which Ian and Niamh used a lot on their trip to keep in contact with other students. The students learnt about each company’s past. At DJI the students heard employees discuss current challenges to the company and were able to learn to fly DJI Drones and explore their photography features. At Tencent the students had the chance to try new products including 3D and virtual gaming. 

Niamh said of her experience, “It is difficult to explain how much I have gained from the Shenzhen University International Summer School. I learned a great deal about Chinese culture and business environment, and was able to develop my understanding of international business through conversations within the student group. I would encourage all students to engage in programmes like this, especially where there is an opportunity for independent travel.”

Ian notes how “Shenzhen Summer School was a once in a life time opportunity which has opened my eyes to a completely different culture and shown me the importance of diversity, especially within the workplace.”

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Matt Juden, who graduated in the summer with a 2:1 in Business Management, and Ruth Steen, a second year Economics with Finance student, recount their experience of the Study India, two-week cultural immersion programme, run by IndoGenius on behalf of the British council and Generation UK-India. The programme which took 150 UK students to New Delhi and Mumbai aims to give students an understanding of India’s diversity, complexity and scale and how this knowledge can benefit their own lives and careers.

 “To say the programme was life changing, sounds not only clichéd but grossly under evaluates quite how privileged we were” recounts Matt. “We enjoyed trips into rural Maharashta where we met and ate with local villagers; endured a 17 hour overnight train from New Delhi to Mumbai, with 3 to a bunk and 6 to a berth; had a 4.30am bike tour of downtown Bombay; had talks with journalist Sir Mark Tully and the Deputy High Commissioner of India as well as visits to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the iconic Taj Mahal and the Lotus Temple, amongst other things”. Ruth adds how “most mornings, before breakfast we had the opportunity to start the day in true Indian style with either a Yoga class or a Bollywood dance class.”

The trip involved time at the University of Delhi where Matt and Ruth attended guest lectures, learnt about the Indian education system and met students of the university. They were there during fresher’s week so had lots of activities to keep them entertained.

Matt recounts “what struck many of us, aside from how undeniably talented the students were, was fundamentally how incredibly inclusive and supportive they were of each other, and entrepreneurial. I think in the West, we are unhealthily concerned with society’s perception of us and how we ought to look, think and feel and so in search of the path of least resistance, it can be all too easy to settle, accept our boundaries and the status quo. Yet to make waves in any industry or indeed just in our own lives it is fundamentally key to continually seek alternatives, challenge the norms and strive to be the best in everything we do. It is this drive and determination which defines the Indian people and the reason for India’s rapidly growing economy.”

Ruth commented on her visit to the Dharavi slum “what I found most astonishing, was the entrepreneurial spirit and motivation of those, even in the poorest conditions. People here have learnt to make the most of what they have, which I feel is an attitude we could do with much more of back at home.”

Both students recommend a visit to India with Matt fondly recounting the country as “an unquantifiable dichotomy of intrigue, delight and undeniable mayhem - a truly inspiring and unforgettable experience”. Ruth concluded her experience as “the perfect opportunity to pursue my desire to learn, travel and meet new people all in one go. India is more than just a country - it is an experience and a place you need to see.”

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Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons to enable the Queen’s University Management School to update its register of Tutors.  A list of subject areas for which applications are invited is set out below.

Accounting

Applicants for accounting should indicate in which of the following areas they can offer teaching: Auditing and Accountability; Ethics and Governance; Financial Accounting, Management Accounting and Taxation.

Finance

Applicants for Finance should indicate in which of the following areas they can offer teaching:

In any area of finance.

Management and International Business

Applicants for Management and International Business should indicate in which of the following areas they can offer teaching: Human Resource Management; Recruitment and Selection; Training and Development and International Business.

All applicants must have a relevant first degree or equivalent.

Successful applicants will be fully responsible for the delivery of teaching and conduct of assessment to agreed standards including for example, tutorials, preparing, teaching and assessing classes. They will be engaged under a contract for services and will not be employees of the University.

Payment: Will normally be at the rate of approximately £22-£33 per hour.

Application:  Interested individuals are requested to submit a full c.v. and covering letter to Mrs Sonia O’Hare, School Manager, Queen’s Management School, Riddel Hall, 185 Stranmillis Road, Belfast, BT9 5EE

Applications must be received no later than 4.00pm on Friday 27 November 2015

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Queen’s University’s Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (including Queen’s Management School) would love to meet you at one of our upcoming undergraduate evenings, an occasion for both potential students and their parents/guardians to discover our great range of diverse degree subjects. 

› Whitla Hall, Queen's University Belfast
   Thursday 19 November, 6.30-9.30pm

› Canal Court Hotel , Newry
   Monday 23 November, 6.30-9.30pm

› Everglades Hotel, Derry~Londonderry
  Thursday 26 November, 6.30-9.30pm

› Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh
  Wednesday 2 December, 6.30-9.30pm

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Michael Watson receiving award on behalf of Professor John Turner

Professor John Turner, Head of Queen’s Management School has received the BAC Wadsworth Prize for Business History 2015 for his book “Banking in Crisis”.  The award which celebrates outstanding contribution to the history of British business was presented at a BAC (Business Archives Council) event on Tuesday 10th November 2015 at Lloyds Banking Group, London.  Professor Turner received the award in absentia due to being in China on university business however thanked Michael Watson from Cambridge University Press for receiving the award on his behalf.  

The prize is the equivalent to the Oscars for the business history world, it is a testament to the consistent quality of the judging process that over three decades the Wadsworth Prize has been awarded to what would probably be widely accepted as the best books and the leading authors in the discipline. 

Professor’s Turner’s book “Banking in Crisis: The Rise and Fall of British Banking Stability, 1800 to the Present” tells the story of the rise and fall of British banking stability over the past two centuries, shedding new light on why banking systems crash and on the factors underpinning banking stability. John Turner shows that there have only been two major banking crises in Britain during this time - the crises of 1825–6 and 2007–8. Although there were episodic bouts of instability in the interim, the banking system was crisis free. Why was the British banking system stable for such a long time? And, why did the British banking system implode in 2008? In answering these questions, the book explores the long-run evolution of bank regulation, the role of the Bank of England, bank rescues and the need to hold shareholders to account. 

Richard S. Grossman, Wesleyan University, Connecticut review of the book stated, 'Banking in Crisis combines the very best of serious academic scholarship and keen policy analysis. It should be required reading for anyone - expert and non-expert alike - who is interested in the past, present, and future of British banking.'

John Turner

Banking in Crisis

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Laura Nagamine

Laura Nagamine, a 2014 graduate of the International MBA programme, has launched an online boutique, Pretty in Petite. Specially designed for women 5’4” and shorter, Pretty in Petite offers limited edition pieces in petite proportions, giving women freedom from unnecessary alterations.

“It all started as a class project,” Laura, founder and CEO, explained. “Inventing a business and writing a business plan was all part of our entrepreneurship module. I didn’t go into my MBA course expecting to become an entrepreneur, but by the end of the module, I was pitching the idea to local businessmen and women, and thought ‘hey, this could work!’”

The inspiration for her business came from the need for business wear for a networking event at Riddel Hall. Standing at a mere five feet (152.4cm), Laura struggled to find smart clothes that fitted her short frame. Channeling her frustration, and armed with prior retail experience at Saks Fifth Avenue, Laura sought to create an online boutique that specialized in petite clothing in styles that couldn’t be found on the high street.

Laura is thankful for her time at Queen’s University and the opportunities the Management School provided, “I’m very glad I came to Queen’s for my MBA, it gave me a great foundation and practical skills to launch my business”. Upon graduation, Queen’s University sponsored her Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa, enabling the Hawaii-born US citizen to pursue her business idea while living in Northern Ireland. Since her time at Queen’s, Laura has been awarded office space in the QUB Hatch incubation space, and was accepted into the Women in Business Power of 4 Mentoring Programme. 

To learn more about Pretty in Petite, contact Laura Nagamine at laura@prettyinpetite.com.

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Catherine McClure

Catherine McClure, a final year BSc International Business with Spanish student, recounts her experience living and working in Madrid, Spain.

“The opportunity to go on a year abroad whilst at university is a fantastic experience which I would highly recommend to any student. Not only is it an opportunity to meet new people, live in and experience a new city and a different and dynamic culture but also to learn a lot about yourself as a person. I feel I have learned so much on both a personal and professional level. Being immersed in such a large city, speaking a different language and experiencing a different culture was challenging yet very exciting.

For my placement year I worked as an Assistant Virtual Coordinator for the Language Consultancy Firm in Madrid, Training Express, which is a leading provider of?corporate language training?to clients in more than?50 countries worldwide.

The placement benefitted me in many different ways. I was able to improve my linguistic skills as communication in the workplace was in Spanish. Communication and delegation was very important in my role as not all my team members worked in the same office. The placement opportunity enhanced my time-management skills and this ensured I carried out tasks properly and met deadlines. Once I had been trained in my job and understood the required tasks and procedures, I was given independence and responsibility to carry out tasks alone. My placement also helped me to learn how to problem solve – at the start of my placement I discovered new situations that I was not familiar with and I had to learn how to deal with these in a professional manner.

Overall, I feel I gained many professional skills, including: punctuality; working to reach deadlines; working in a team; and also strong communication skills in both Spanish and English. I feel each of these skills have enhanced my employability profile. I thoroughly enjoyed working and living in Madrid and I am very grateful for the opportunities it has provided me with for when I graduate.”

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On 5^th November, 2015, Queen’s Management School hosted the Innovation in micro-business seminar at Riddel Hall, Belfast.  The event was co-organised with the UK Enterprise Research Centre and the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and provided new insights on the drivers of innovation in micro-businesses.  Micro-enterprises, employing less than 10 employees account for 89% of all private sector businesses in Northern Ireland a proportion similar to that across the rest of the UK. Yet there is a lack of evidence on the characteristics of these businesses and the drivers of innovation and growth.  In 2014, DETI undertook a survey of 1000 micro-businesses in Northern Ireland, providing the most detailed intelligence available on innovation in micro-enterprises.

With an audience from the academic, policy and business sectors, guest speakers included Ciaran McGarrity, Head of Innovation Policy at the Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, NI, Alan McClelland, Lead Statistician, Department for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, NI, Stephen Roper, Director of ERC and Professor of Enterprise, Warwick Business School and Nola Hewitt-Dundas, Director of Research QMS and Professor of Innovation Management & Policy, Queen’s University Belfast.

During the seminar, key insights from the survey work and analysis were presented with discussion from the delegates of the implications of this for targeting support for innovation.

Copies of the presentations can be downloaded here.

Ciaran Mcgarrity: Innovation Strategy in Northern Ireland

Alan McClelland: Innovation Survey of Micro Businesses in Northern Ireland 2014

Stephen Roper & Nola Hewitt-Dundas: What drives new-to-the-market innovation in micro-enterprises? 

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Gretta Mohan

I graduated with a first class BSc Economics degree from Queen’s Management School (QMS) in 2011 and was awarded top marks in my year over the course of my degree studies. The quantitative rigour of the bachelor’s studies at QMS in maths modules and modules such as Econometrics and Quantitative Business Methods well equipped me to undertake an MSc in Economics and Econometrics at the University of Nottingham. My master’s dissertation involved a survival analysis study of transitions out of employment in Britain which was awarded a distinction and overall I graduated from my master’s in 2012 with a distinction.

After my master’s I worked for two years as a research consultant in an economics consultancy, Regeneris Consulting, in their Manchester office. The role involved producing economic baseline reports for a range of private and public sector projects. I conducted socio-economic impact assessments using in-house models of residential schemes, commercial property, corporate footprints of BT and ABB and green investments such as onshore and offshore wind developments.

A unique PhD opportunity from Queen’s Centre of Excellence for Public Health was advertised in Spring 2015 which a friend brought to my attention while I was still working in Manchester. The proposed PhD study examined the effect of urban regeneration activities on health and wellbeing in Northern Ireland and required a candidate with a sound statistical background. I enjoyed my job but also knew the opportunity was too good to pass up so I applied, was interviewed and got the position.

I have completed my first year of the PhD and have presented my work at a health inequalities conference in Athens, attended a summer school in Sicily and have been involved in public engagement activities disseminating research findings to the wider public. I am still in contact with academics at QMS and hope to collaborate further with the School in the future.

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Students from the International MBA progamme at Queen’s Management School had the opportunity to attend the annual William J. Clinton Leadership Lecture delivered by former President FW de Klerk on Thursday 15^th October 2015.  President de Klerk spoke about “The role of leadership in a rapidly changing world”, something that the students have been learning about since their programme commenced in September so it gave them a unique insight to leadership. 

During his presidency FW de Klerk dismantled apartheid and initiated and presided over the inclusive negotiations that led to the adoption of South Africa’s first fully democratic Constitution. Mr de Klerk served as one of South Africa’s two Executive Deputy Presidents until 1996. A Nobel Peace Prize award winner, in 1999 he published his autobiography and established the FW de Klerk foundation.

Students on the International MBA at Queen’s regularly get the opportunity to attend guest lectures where industry leaders present on their area of excellence and expertise.  For further information on this programme, please click here.

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Maeve at her study USA university

Maeve O’Neill, who has just returned from Study USA to her final year of BSc Economics and Finance recounts her experience studying at the University of Evansville.

“It would be impossible for me in just a few short paragraphs to encapsulate what Study USA has meant to me. This programme works on so many levels: educational, social, personal, developmental and cultural.

I spent my academic year studying at the University of Evansville (UE), situated at the southern tip of Indiana. The city of Evansville is the third biggest in the state and the university is home to 3,000 undergraduates, many of whom play for the division 1 sporting teams. It is renowned for its international links, with a sister college in Grantham, England. There are 55 nationalities represented on campus and we were encouraged to teach our American hosts as much as possible about our own countries. This was a two way process – I learned to enjoy basketball and tacos while I introduced them to hurling and Dairy Milk chocolate.

Each student in the Study USA programme follows a business studies major. Alongside this, I was able to pick classes that not only allowed me to enhance my own economics background but also broaden my horizons, taking electives in world history and art therapy. I learned how to manage my time better, participate more, work consistently all year round and get hands on experience working with real life clients. 

Like with most things in life, the US college experience is one in which you get out of it what you put in. Thankfully at UE, there were more than enough opportunities. One organization that I did get heavily involved in was College Mentors for Kids where I would spend time with my ‘little buddy’ who came from a disadvantaged family. I was also a member of the Outdoor Adventure Crew, International Club and played on seven intramural sporting teams.

Having to start fresh in a place where no one knows who you are, and to try and make something of yourself is a challenge - a challenge that I willingly accepted. I was incredibly fortunate with my roommate who quickly became one of my best friends, as it may well have been a long year if we hadn’t have gotten along so well. I have made friends from all over the world, many of whom are visiting me in the next few months. I have also increased my business network in the hope of one day maybe returning to the USA to do an MBA.

In the near future, I know that this experience will help me stand out against other job applicants. A lot has changed for me over the last year and I have come back to Northern Ireland more determined and motivated than ever before – I am aiming for a first class honours, I want to get more involved in student clubs and also travel at every opportunity. Study USA has changed not only me as a person but also my outlook on a lot of things. I am very privileged to have taken part in this programme, and it is a year that I will never forget.”

For further information on Study USA, please click here

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Matthew (3rd from left) and other students who travelled to New York

Matthew Chapman, who went to New York with the City Scholarship Programme during the summer, recounts his experiences.

“Through the Queen’s City Scholarship Programme, I enjoyed a two week internship in New York with Fortress Investment Group, a leading, highly diversified global investment management firm. I was assigned a research role, analysing companies in the following sectors: transportation and infrastructure, commercial real estate, and technology. I feel more confident now reading and writing reports.

The trip involved some fantastic memories such as attending a networking event at Marcus Robinson’s art studio at 4 World Trade Centre with 360 degree views of Manhattan and being in Trump Tower when Donald Trump announced he was running for President. The Scholarship provided a fantastic opportunity to experience life and work in the Big Apple and has definitely supported me in my personal and professional development.”

About the Scholarship

The Queen’s City Scholarship Programme gives first year students the experience of working in top legal and finance companies around the world. The scholarships provide financial and practical assistance, tailored networking and professional development support. For further information about the City Scholarship Programme please click here.

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Final year students at the Career fair

Mark Rutherford and Liu Wangchen collecting their prizes

On Wednesday 14^th October 2015, the Placement Office held their annual Employer Liaison Meeting and Awards Ceremony. There was also a Finance and Actuarial Careers Fair later that day attended by a range of local, national and international companies and a trading game lead by SIG Susquehanna.

The Employer Liaison Meeting and Awards Ceremony began with a welcome from the Head of School, John Turner, and was followed by a update on the Placement Programme Vision 2020 presented by Lisa Burns, member of the Placement Office team. Samuel Stewart on the BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management degree programme, who has recently returned from placements with Goldman Sachs, London, & Prudential, New York, spoke of his recent placement experiences.

There was then an open forum led by David Tkalcic, Morgan Stanley, Glasgow, where employers had the opportunity to feedback any changes they would like to see implemented by the relevant degree programmes within the Management School.

The Awards ceremony saw a variety of students, mentors and employers recognised for their achievements and contribution to the placement programme. The winners can be seen here.

The Careers Fair was very well attended both by companies and students and provided a great way for students to find out more on the companies they may wish to apply to. Click here to see photos. The careers fair was then followed by a trading game won by Mark Rutherford (a second year finance student) with Liu Wangchen, an International MBA student, coming second.

The day was a great success and allowed constructive dialogue between staff, students and employers. Congratulations to all Award winners and thank you to all employers who attended the successful events.

“The career fair provided students with an excellent opportunity to meet employers face-to-face, to learn about current vacancies and opportunities, and to market themselves to prospective employers. We appreciate the continued support and commitment of our new and long standing placement providers.” Jill McGrath, Placement Co-ordinator

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Left to right: Ian Cartmill, portfolio assistant at Davy, Helen Carrick, Head of major gifts for QUB, Professor John Turner, Head of Queen’s Management School, Chris Power, portfolio manager at Davy

Queen’s Management School are delighted to announce the launch of a real money student managed investment fund. Staff, students and guests celebrated the launch of the real money fund at an event held on Tuesday 13^th October 2015. The Student Managed Fund gives students the experience of creating and managing a portfolio of investments and Queen’s is one of only a handful of universities in the UK and Ireland to offer students such an experience.

Dr Barry Quinn, lecturer in finance and the driving force behind the launch of the Fund welcomed everyone to the event and spoke of the many benefits of having such a Fund: to benefit the student’s educational experience, to enhance Queen’s Management School reputation on the international stage and to benefit charity through donations made from positive returns.

The audience then heard the testimonials of 3 students who have been involved in the Fund at different levels (analyst, sector head and CEO) who spoke of how the Fund has benefited them to date – a previous CEO of the Fund, Ryan McGahon, talked about how his experience helped him secure a job with Pramerica as a credit analyst.

Finally, Chris Power, guest speaker at the event and a portfolio manager at Davy Group, spoke about his firm and their current view on asset classes. Davy Group is Ireland's leading provider of wealth management, asset management, capital markets and financial advisory services and is broker to the student managed fund.

To view a recording of the event, please click here

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The Management School has accelerated through the rankings with all of its subjects placed within the top quartile of universities. 

Accounting and Finance is ranked 3rd in the UK

Economics is ranked 16th in the UK

Management is ranked 18th in the UK

The quality of teaching, academic rigour and student satisfaction was also noted in the NSS (National Student Survey) scores this year, with Queen’s Management School ranked 2^nd amongst business schools in the Russell Group, the UK’s elite universities.

John Turner, Head of Queen’s Management School said “This is a fantastic set of results for the School and was achieved by the dedication of all the academic and support staff who have added to the student experience in the Management School. We are now ranked alongside the best business schools in the UK and our degree programmes offer excellent employability opportunities for all our students.”

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left to right: Matthias Beck, Bill Hampel, Frances McCandless, David Cartmill, Paul Wickens, Andrew Hind, Donal McKillop, Brian McCrory, Noel Hyndman

On Monday 28th September the conference ‘Challenges and Opportunities in the Not-for-profit and Public Sectors’ took place at Riddel Hall, heralding the launch of the new Centre for Not-for-profit and Public-sector Research at Queen’s Management School. The conference, attended by 93 people from an array of charities, credit unions and public sector bodies, explored a range of issues relevant to organisations that are very different from businesses. These organisations are not-for-profit and have wide social and cultural goals that are central to what they do. Therefore: how their performance is measured, how one accounts for them, how they discharge their accountability, how one manages them and how one regulate them, may be very different from what might happen in a business. 

Major national and international speakers spoke at the event: From the charity sector, Professor Andrew Hind CB (former Chief Executive of the Charity Commission for England and Wales and Chair of the Fundraising Standards Board) and Frances McCandless (Chief Executive, Charity Commission for Northern Ireland) provided input, particularly highlighting public expectations of mission focus and transparency. Bill Hampel (Chief Economist, CUNA Mutual from the USA) and Brian McCrory (President, Irish League of Credit Unions) reflected on the growth of the sector and the regulatory challenges faced as a consequence of the recent financial and regulatory crisis. With respect to the public sector, Paul Wickens (Chief Executive, Enterprise Shared Services, Northern Ireland Civil Service) and David Cartmill (Executive Director, Chief Executives’ Forum) made the case for increased digitalisation as a basis for improving communication, facilitating greater engagement with citizens and increasing openness and transparency. The presentations were followed by a lively question and answer panel session. Input from Queen’s academic staff was provided by Professors Matthias Beck, Noel Hyndman and Donal McKillop.

For further information on the centre, please click here.

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Welcome to Queen’s and specifically to your degree programme in Queen’s Management School. We hope you enjoy the next year with us.

The Welcome information that you should have already received from the University contains important information about your registration. Please read the details carefully.

There are many varied events being held during Welcome Week to help you settle into life at university. We would encourage you to attend as many of these as you can. Further information can be found by browsing the following link www.qub.ac.uk/welcome

Studying at Queen’s will be very different to your experiences of studying to date and induction is an important introduction to that: it will provide you with essential information about studying here, the rules and regulations that will impact on your studies, and advise you of the services and guidance available to you. Beyond this, it is an excellent opportunity to meet other students on your degree programme and in the wider Management School.

We have arranged a series of induction sessions for all of our new full-time postgraduate  students These will include a combination of sessions for all students and degree programme-specific sessions.

Enrolment and Registration New Students

Enrolment and Registration New Executive MBA Students

Enrolment and Registration New International MBA Students

Campus Map

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Welcome to Queen’s and more specifically to the Management School (QMS). We are delighted that you have decided to come and study with us and we hope you enjoy your time with us.

The Welcome pack that you should have already received from the University contains important information about your registration. Please read the details carefully.

There are many varied events being held during Welcome Week to help you settle into life at university. We would encourage you to attend as many of these as you can. Further information can be found by browsing the following link www.qub.ac.uk/welcome

In addition, the Management School has organised a very comprehensive induction programme for you. It is essential that you attend ALL of the relevant sessions that we have arranged, otherwise you may not be fully registered by the time classes start week beginning 28^th September. For more information please visit sharepoint or click on a link below:

QMS Student Registration During Welcome Week

We look forward to meeting you soon. In the meantime, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at qms@qub.ac.uk

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Queen’s International Ladies Gaelic Football Team

Queen’s University are sending a Gaelic football team made up of 12 International female students (4 x Malaysian, 3 x US, 2 x Chinese, 1 x German, 1 x Iranian, 1 x Portuguese) to Shanghai on 20 October 2015 to take part in the annual Asian Gaelic Games in partnership with Queen’s Sport, International Office, Motiv8, Invest NI, Queen’s Annual Fund and Under Armour. Many of the students pictured study at the Management School.

The schedule in Shanghai will be based around:

• Participation in the Asian Gaelic Games with several thousand spectators expected
• International Recruitment targeting Schools and Universities  using the squad as Queen’s Ambassadors
• Business and Alumni Networking supported through Invest NI at a standalone event for QUB in Shanghai and at the Asian-Pacific Irish Business Forum

 We wish the team great success in the up and coming games.

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Shea Heffron (GAA)

Each year, the Queen’s Elite Athlete Programme (EAP) provides prospective, exceptional students a platform to achieve their sporting and academic goals. Shea earned a place on this programme in recognition of his success and potential in Gaelic football.

I selected Queen's because it has been a goal of mine since I was young boy to not only study here but to represent the Gaelic football team here. Balancing sport and academia can be challenging so to ensure I do well in both, time management and organisation is very important.

The Elite Athlete Programme means I can avail of many facilities and opportunities in Queen’s such as top class strength and conditioning training, academic mentoring, travel allowance, and getting most of my course fees and accommodation costs paid for.

I am playing Gaelic football this summer in San Francisco before throwing myself right into the Sigerson set up next year (the Sigerson Cup is the GAA Higher Education’s premier Gaelic Football competition). I am always aim to improve my own personal performance and want success for the teams I play for. With regards to academia and career, I hope to secure placement in Dublin for my third year as early as possible next semester and to work as hard as I can to do well in my exams.

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Judith Alexander (BSc Business Management)

In a few weeks I will be venturing to London to begin my graduate career as a Technology Consultant with PwC. I know that without Queen’s, and the opportunities it provided, I would not have secured the job offer I now have.

The BSc Business Management programme covered such a wide variety of modules, that my job options were endless. The staff on the programme went above and beyond to further our learning and without them I would not have a First Class Honours degree to my name.

Outside of the lecture hall, the University provides a mass of opportunity to enhance your experience and help you secure a graduate position. Through immersing myself in several of these opportunities, I secured a summer internship at a leading consultancy firm, OCO Global as a Market Analyst in the summer after second year. Combining this internship with the entrepreneurial opportunities at Queens, I secured a graduate job with PwC.

In my first semester at Queen’s, I participated in QUB Apprentice, a competition sponsored by Deloitte. The competition ran relatively similar to the TV version, with weekly tasks. Following successive victories and project leading, I reached the final in which I had control of the Simons Community charity shop in Belfast for one day. Through advertising, introducing fund-raising ideas and gaining sponsorship, my team raised almost £4,000, narrowly missing out on the final title. The process enabled me to apply my business acumen to a real life situation and strongly developed my use of initiative to target customers and capacity to delegate within a team.

QUB Apprentice assisted my networking capability, which led me to join Queen’s Enactus society. I worked on various social enterprises, including a project in which we took the first steps to setting up a business in a local young offenders centre in an aim to equip the young people with transferable skills to improve their chances of employment post sentence. I also had the opportunity to represent QUB Enactus at the UK National competition in London.

I also participated in the IBM Universities Business Challenge. Following a six-week trading period, we were ranked 2nd out of 310 UK university teams and proceeded to the national semi-finals in P&G headquarters Newcastle, England. Not only did this give me direct exposure to world leading companies, the competition thoroughly enhanced my analytical skills, my ability to derive conclusions from complex information and drive forward plans for change and improvement. This led me and a few friends to enter the Deloitte Micro-Tyco Challenge to raise money for Wild Hearts Charity.

Notably, many of these competitions were supported by Queens Enterprise SU, providing an excellent foundation for any entrepreneurial mind. In parallel with this, entrepreneurial thinking is embedded in many of the course modules. This fuelled me to enter the university wide ‘What’s the Big Idea?’ competition, in which all students could enter ideas under various categories. Luckily I won an award for ‘The Best Green Business Idea’.

Reflecting on my 3 years at Queens, I can summarise it as being ‘jam-packed’, but that is certainly the best way to do it!

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A-Level students entering the University for the first time may wish to apply for an award under the A-Level Entrance Scholarship Competition.

Postgraduate students may wish to avail of a travel grant to undertake a period of research or further education and all students may wish to apply for a travel grant to pursue cultural activities abroad. For more information, please click here.

Students who have served in HM Forces or whose parents have served in HM Forces may wish to apply for the Ulster Gift Fund Scholarship.

Students or graduates interested in academic study at Harvard commencing 2016-17 may apply for a Kennedy Scholarship (tenable for one year) or a Frank Knox Fellowship (tenable for up to two years). The Kennedy Scholarship is also available for study at MIT. For more information, please click here.

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Professor John Turner, Head of School at Queen’s Management School joined Brian Dolaghan, Executive Director for Business and Sector Development with Invest Northern Ireland, Manus Cranny, the European Markets Editor and Anchor presenter at Bloomberg Europe & alumnus of Queen’s Management School, and Fergal Downey, VP of Engineering, Bitnet on Inside Business with Wendy Austin on Sunday 17^th July.

The discussion focused on Northern Ireland’s success at attracting global financial companies to Belfast and the collaboration between industry, government and education to provide the right environment for this to take place.  John Turner spoke about the attractive skills base that Northern Ireland has and the quality of students coming from both universities.  Students leave university with great technical skills, computational finance backgrounds and the confidence to be able to compete in the global marketplace by being able to take part in activities such as the City Scholarship Programme.

You can listen to the programme here http://bbc.in/1Dq6WIk

or download the podcast

If you are interested in working in the Fintech Industry in Northern Ireland, Queen’s Management School offer a range of programmes:

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Jonsy Yau, best graduate in BSc Economics, with friends, Lau Yan Ting and Li Mingying

Matt Juden, best presentation for module business ethics, with award presenter, Dr Seamus Gallagher

On the 7^th July 2015, Queen’s Management School hosted its eight annual awards and prize giving ceremony, which recognised the academic excellence of both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the subjects of accounting, economics, finance, management, actuarial science and risk management, and business management.

Queen’s Management School is enormously grateful for the continued support of our sponsors, some of whom have long standing relationships with the School: Acumen Resources, Allen and Overy, ASG, ASM, Baker Tilly Mooney Moore, Barclays, Belfast Telegraph, BDO, Bombardier Aerospace, Buck Consultants, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (Ireland), The Company of Actuaries Charitable Trust Fund, Deloitte, EY, First Derivatives, ICAP, Invesco, KPMG, Lunn’s the Jewellers, Mercer, Pramerica, PwC, Randox Laboratories, SAS UK and Ireland, SCOR Global Life, Spence and Partners, Susquehanna International Group, Ulster Bank, UTV, and Xafinity Consulting.

A special welcome is extended to Allianz re Dublin, Citi Belfast, Morgan Stanley and Tayto Group who join us as new sponsors. The School is also very grateful to the family of Brian O’Reilly, one of our former students in Accounting, who have given a medal for best final year student in advanced financial and management accounting, in Brian’s memory.

The School congratulates all those who won prizes and wishes all its students graduating the very best in their futures.

Please click here to view gallery

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(Management School Staff) Fiona Gaffney, Martina Nugent, Lynne Robinson and Nicola Holmes meet Mr Tayto

On 30th June Queen’s Management School organised a fundraising raffle draw and coffee morning in the Lanyon Building.  This was in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care as part of the FaciliTAYTOrs programme which is a charitable collaboration between Queen’s Management School and Tayto Group Ltd.

The event was a roaring success with a huge turnout of colleagues from across the University who joined Mr Tayto for coffee. A staggering £2,200 was raised through the sale of raffle tickets, cakes/buns and entrance donations to the coffee morning.   This is a fantastic total which will go towards helping Marie Curie nurses to continue to provide essential care to those in need.

Queen’s Management School is most grateful to all those who helped make this event a success and to the raffle prize donators – Selective Travel, Turley bros, Balmoral Furniture, Cutters Wharf, Molly’s Yard, Deanes, Riddel Hall catering, Dukes at Queen’s, Office Depot, Brightside Gifts and Treats, Anderson Spratt Group, Reflexions NI, Blackwell’s and Tayto Group.

A big thank you for all your support.

To view a list of all raffle prize winners please click here

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Left to right: Jill McGrath (QMS Placement Officer), Jordan Barr, Andrew Bennett, Matthew Gourley

Matthew Gourley, a student on the BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management programme, along with 2 of his friends, are about to set off on a 10,000 mile adventure in their tiny car to raise money for both Cool Earth, a charity that works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction, and TinyLife, Northern Ireland's premature and vulnerable baby charity, as part of the Mongol Rally.

The group came across a promotional video for the Mongol Rally 18 months ago and decided there and then that this was something they wanted to participate in. Since then, they have been applying for visas to cover the 30 odd countries they will be travelling across. The rally launches from Goodwood England and ends in the Russian town of Ulan-Ude. They have been working on their car since buying it in December, and have added a roof rack and sump guard, brought the fuel and brake lines through the car rather than under, and changed the power steering and alternator belts.

The route from Goodwood is not set, although the organisers organise a few parties along the way – one of the parties is an abandoned railway station in Prague. The rally itself is unaided so if the group break down they are on their own. As the organisers say “Neither your car, nor your life, will ever be the same again.”

Check our Facebook page for updates on the group’s journey and if you would like to support the chosen charities, please use one of the links below:

https://www.justgiving.com/carofthecountydown

https://www.justgiving.com/carofthecountydown2

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(L-R) Professor John Turner, Dr Graham Brownlow, Eamonn Donaghy, Angela McGowan, Professor Patrick Johnston, John Simpson, Dr Wendy Austin MBE, Richard Ramsey, Jon D'Arcy

On 23^rd June 2015 the Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s and Queen’s Management School (QMS) hosted a debate (supported by KPMG) entitled: ‘The Northern Ireland Economy debate: how to build a vibrant and sustainable economy’. The chair was Wendy Austin MBE, presenter of BBC Radio Ulster’s ‘Inside Business’. Approximately 280 people attended the debate and the audience included key opinion formers, business leaders and politicians. A welcome to the debate was provided by Professor Patrick Johnston, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast. The panel members were Eamonn Donaghy, Head of Tax at KPMG; Angela McGowan, Chief Economist, Danske Bank; Richard Ramsey, Chief Economist, Ulster Bank; John Simpson, former academic economist at QUB and Dr Graham Brownlow, Lecturer in Economics in the School and a Research Associate within the Queen’s University Centre for Economic History (QUCEH).

A wide range of economic topics were covered during the debate. While there was a wide range of views expressed, there was equally a significant degree of consensus. For example, Mr Simpson, Mr Donaghy and Ms McGowan all expressed the view that a UK exit from the EU would be damaging to the region’s economy. Dr Brownlow observed that the economics of national identity cannot be reduced merely to the ‘economic’ aspects of EU membership. Rationality cannot be merely reduced to output. There was equally consensus also that social marginalisation and educational disadvantage held back Northern Ireland in both economic and socio-political terms. Ms McGowan, Mr Simpson and Mr Ramsey all noted the serious problems of educational and/or skills quality. There was however less consensus on the issue of rebalancing. While Mr Donaghy argued that the Northern Irish economy suffered from an excessively large public sector, Dr Brownlow observed that empirical evidence showed that successful Nordic economies were able to reconcile a large public sector with sustained excellent economic performance. He observed that research indicated that what really set Northern Ireland apart was the poor performance of its exporters rather than a large public sector. Likewise, while Mr Donaghy and Ms McGowan argued that reducing the relative rate of Corporation Tax (CT) would act as a transformational measure for the Northern Irish economy, Mr Simpson and Dr Brownlow were much more sceptical. Indeed, Dr Brownlow observed that significant issues of institutional and policy design remained unanswered. He also noted that it was a pity that the Institute of Fiscal Studies had not been commissioned to assess the opportunity costs of reducing CT in Northern Ireland.

After the debate there was a question and answer session that covered a number of topics including the role of entrepreneurship, behavioural effects, compliance costs and political decision making and leadership. There was then a vote of thanks by Professor John Turner, Head of QMS and sponsors remarks by Jon D’Arcy, Chairman at KPMG, Belfast.  

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Students meet with Sean Kelly MEP

The Executive MBA group recently completed their study trip to the Institute for Ireland in Europe at Leuven, Belgium. Speakers from KU Leuven and from various EU policy and business bodies in Brussels engaged with the students – a highlight was a talk by Irene Brahm, the VP for Government Relations and Head of the Brussels Office of the huge German conglomerate Bertelsmann. 

The group spent two days in Brussels at the European Commission and at the Parliament. Meetings were arranged with a senior officer from the External Action Service of the EU where lots of confidential discussion enlightened students on EU foreign policy and business implications. Students met with Rory O’Donnell, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, where he discussed the UK’s future in the EU. Another highlight was a meeting with Sean Kelly MEP with a tour of the Parliament. The group also met with the key advisor to Agriculture Commissioner, Phil Hogan, at the European Commission which was a superb experience. 

The Executive MBA program offers a study trip and a range of modules designed to provide a comprehensive grounding in management and leadership across organisations for managers and professionals. 

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Understanding rates of work disability in Northern Ireland

Co-supervisors: Dr Declan French, QUMS (declan.french@qub.ac.uk) and Prof Duncan McVicar, QUMS (D.McVicar@qub.ac.uk) or third supervisor Dr Dermot O’Reilly, Centre for Public Health (D.Oreilly@qub.ac.uk) 

Project Description:
In Northern Ireland (NI), we have the highest disability claimant rate in the UK and the reasons for this are poorly understood, although it has been variously attributed in policy circles to worse health, worse unemployment hidden as work disablement, the physical and mental health consequences of the recent 30-year civil war known locally as ‘the Troubles’, or to a claimant culture with greater understanding of how to navigate the benefit system from knowledge of entitlement, application, interview, inspection through to eventual successful receipt. Credible empirical evidence that can help us quantify the role of these and other factors, however, is currently lacking. There are several sources of high-quality data available for such research. 

This 3 year PhD studentship commences in 1 October 2015. 

Objectives:

1.  First and foremost is the forthcoming Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA) study. We propose to analyse differences in disability prevalence between NI and England using the NICOLA study and the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).  Comparisons between nations can help to identify causes of the different trends in, for example, activity limitation and disability-free life expectancy that have emerged in different countries and for which no satisfactory explanation is yet available. 
   
   
2. Second, we propose to exploit the longer-running UK Household Longitudinal Study to examine these issues, again in comparison with other parts of the UK. Use of this panel data set opens up avenues for analysis not possible with NICOLA. One such (but not the only) avenue for research is a quantitative examination of the labour market and benefit claiming impacts of disability onset and disability exit. Does disability onset impact differently in NI compared to other parts of the UK? Does disability onset impact differently pre and post the latest round of welfare reforms in Britain? What about disability exit? 
   
   
3. A third potential data source is administrative benefits data for both NI and elsewhere in the UK. Anonymised unit record data would offer opportunities to examine impacts of particular welfare reforms, for example by exploiting the delay to such reforms in NI to construct counterfactual outcomes for other parts of the UK. We will approach the relevant government departments and agencies to request access to these data in the early stages of the project. 

This exciting initiative straddles both economics and health and the successful PhD student will also be able to draw on the medical and epidemiological expertise of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Public Health at QUB as well as expertise in data linkage. It is envisaged that the student will participate fully in CoE activities alongside QUMS activities, including those involving other UK Centres of Excellence. 

Academic Requirements: 

Candidates for an MRC-funded studentship must hold qualifications in economics or quantitative social science, or equivalent to, a good honours degree from a UK academic institution. This should be a first or upper second class honours degree. Qualifications (or a combination of qualifications and experience) which demonstrate equivalent ability and attainment should also be considered. For example, a less than sufficient first degree may be enhanced to meet the requirements by the acquisition of a Masters degree to enhance the first degree, e.g. from 2(ii) to 2(i) or if the candidate has relevant experience in labour economics, health economics or health policy. 

Funding Criteria: 

This studentship covers student fees and a maintenance allowance of £13,863 (2014-15 figures).  The studentship may cover maintenance and fees for a maximum of three years. UK residents: fees plus maintenance. Other EU residents: fees only. 

Funding for international students may also be available if no UK/EU applicants are suitable. 

For further information visit: http://www.mrc.ac.uk/skills-careers/studentships/studentship-guidance/student-eligibility-requirements/
 

Contact details:

Interested candidates are encouraged to contact co-supervisors Dr Declan French, QUMS (declan.french@qub.ac.uk) and Prof Duncan McVicar, QUMS (D.McVicar@qub.ac.uk) or third supervisor Dr Dermot O’Reilly, Centre for Public Health (D.Oreilly@qub.ac.uk ) to discuss the project in more detail. 

To Apply 

The closing date for applications is June 26^th 2015.

To apply for this studentship (which covers student fees and a maintenance allowance) please complete the online postgraduate application portal.

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Professor John Turner

Professor John Turner, Head of the Management School, has contributed to the most recent publication of the “Professional Investor”, the CFA Society’s quarterly magazine which delivers valuable insight on investment management and research practices and trends.

John’s article looks at how investors can learn from the past:

Financial history informs professional investors that they should attempt to understand the geopolitical environment they operate in - financial assets appear to perform well in tranquil geopolitical environments where there is a hegemonic power. It also teaches them that government macroeconomic policy can detrimentally affect asset returns – high inflation damages fixed income return.

Financial history can help professional investors successfully ride bubbles. There are at least three warning signs that a bubble could be underway. First, financial bubbles are usually accompanied by technological revolutions. Second, most historical bubbles have been fuelled by loose monetary policies and cheap credit. Third, financial bubbles are usually accompanied by increased participation rates, with new investors coming to the market.

Professional investors are aware of the consequences of banking crises for the wider economy and financial markets. John, in his book “Banking in Crisis: The Rise and Fall of British Banking Stability, 1800 to the Present” argues that banking systems in the past were stable whenever bankers were restrained from excessive risk taking. The absence of restrictions leaves banking systems vulnerable to lending booms, whereby banks increase their leverage and diminish their asset quality.

John concludes that while financial history cannot endow investors with trading strategies and cannot help them time markets, it does help them see that important determinants of asset returns are geopolitics and macroeconomics. Financial history also helps professional investors develop early warning systems that a bubble is underway or that a financial crisis is around the corner.

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Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas

Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas asks whether Northern Ireland needs universities? If it does, then should public money be used to support them? If public money is invested in our Universities, then what role should they play in society and the economy?

Nola Hewitt-Dundas is a Professor in the Management School at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research interests include the dynamics of innovation ecosystems in an international context, innovation, technology transfer and networks with an emphasis on small and medium enterprises, business strategy and technology adoption.

For full article click here

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First year students recently visited PwC and Citi, Belfast, as part of a new module “Preparation for Placement”, organised by the placement office.

The PwC visit was attended by students from the BSc Finance and BSc Actuarial Science and Risk Management degree programmes.  Students had the opportunity to gain an insight into PwC and the different areas of work, along with networking opportunities. Students also gained knowledge of a range of opportunities PWC has to offer students including the Talent Academy, internships, work placements and programmes such as Women into Business.

One of the students commented that it was good to participate in the different exercises to get an outline of the different areas of work available.

The Citi visit was attended by students from BSc Finance. This was an opportunity to listen to key staff members’ present information on  Citi and the different areas of work within Operations in Citi along with the recruitment process involved in making applications for placement. The students took part in a fun interactive exercise called the Stock Market Challenge. This activity gave students an insight into the workings of a trading environment and involved many important skills necessary for roles within the financial markets including strategic thinking, making decisions under pressure, working in a team and problem solving. The competition was won by team members Cormac Ross, Chris Torrens, and Daniel McNally.

Students commented on how they enjoyed learning about the different roles at Citi and taking part in the trading game.

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Meghan Van Portfliet

Meghan Van Portfliet, an student, shares her experiences of how Queen’s encourages and supports young entrepreneurs

When I decided to leave America to study in Belfast, I promised myself that I was going to make the most of my time studying abroad. At the beginning of the first semester, I got in contact with the President of Enactus, who filled me in on the projects that were going on this year. The business advisor from Enterprise SU gave me information on InnovateHer - a women in business group for students. Enactus is a social enterprise society at Queen’s, which uses the entrepreneurial skills of its members to empower others.

I had been heavily involved in volunteering back home, so Enactus was right in line with my interests, and it allowed me to give back to the community I was now living in. The projects I got involved in were Q-Consult and Start Talking. Q Consult is Queen’s University’s consultancy project, which works with businesses and charities to increase their profits through analysing business strategies and implementing changes. This not only complemented my degree by giving me consulting experience, but was a nice way to start building a network and also help some social causes. Start Talking is a student initiative to raise awareness and education for mental health issues in the student community. To engage people and raise funds for this cause, Start Talking sells posters of student artwork on and off campus.

Each year, Enactus UK university students come together to present the projects they have pioneered over the last 12 months. We travelled as a Belfast team to the national competition in April 2015 and I was able to listen to the projects for other universities, which was really inspiring. We made it all the way to the UK final which was a great achievement; Enactus at Queens only has 36 members, yet we were competing with schools that had hundreds of members and much bigger budgets. I was really proud that our team was placed in the top 5 out of over 80 in the UK, and I was really proud to be part of a group that has such a big impact in the local community and abroad. 

I decided to join InnovateHer because I had a business idea that I wasn't sure what to do with. I knew that I was going to have to develop a business idea in the second term for a module, so I thought InnovateHer would give me a head start and allow me to make a few friends. The support for this group was great - they put me in contact with top banking professionals, other female entrepreneurs, marketing and finance experts, and they really supported me through the process of developing my business idea into a business plan. I felt so confident in my business plan that I entered it into several competitions, run by Enterprise SU, and I was shortlisted for the "What's the Big Idea" business plan competition. I made it to the final round of the QUB Dragon's Den, where I had to present my idea to business experts for the chance to win £5,000 to kick start my business. 

This year was so much more than a year of study for me, it was a wonderful year of learning and growing, and I would encourage anyone that comes to Queens to consider getting involved with all the extracurricular activities on offer. I now have some great additions to my CV I have had some unforgettable experiences.

For more information on the International MBA and to apply, please click here.

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(back left - front right) Mr Nigel Hardy, Dr Geoff Simmons, Prof Andrew Fearne, Mr Cliff Kells, Prof John Turner, Dr Anthony McDonnell

Workshop to focus on how data can help local Tesco suppliers at Queen's Management School

Food and drink companies from across Northern Ireland will be learning how they can use data to support business planning at a workshop in Belfast tomorrow (Friday, 24^th April). 

Queen’s Management School and Kent Business School academics are hosting the event in collaboration with Tesco Northern Ireland. 

The workshop, which is being staged in the conference room at Queen’s University’s Riddell Hall building, will look at how food and drink firms who supply Tesco can access and use the retailer’s Clubcard data to aid business planning as well as marketing decision making. 

The event is set to focus on range management and the role of market insights in creating value for participating firms and consumers of their products. 

Queen’s Management School said the Supplier Workshop offers an opportunity to raise awareness among the agri-food industry and policymakers of how market intelligence can help small firms to be proactive and customer-centric businesses. 

Professor John Turner, acting Head of Queen’s Management School, said: “At Queen’s Management School we seek to foster connections between the University and business, exchanging ideas and knowledge. 

“The Supplier Workshop is an excellent example of this, involving cutting-edge academic thinking on how Big Data market insights can add value to the Northern Ireland agri-food sector.” 

Cliff Kells, Tesco Northern Ireland’s Commercial Manager, said: “This event is a great illustration of business and academia working together to upskill the local supply base and to explain how the use of market intelligence can help companies to know who their customers are and how this can lead to business improvement.” 

Dr Geoff Simmons, Senior Lecturer in Management at Queen’s Management School, insisted the agri-food industry is of critical importance to the Northern Ireland economy and has significant potential for further growth. 

He added: “This collaboration with Tesco NI in hosting the workshop shows how cutting-edge academic thinking can contribute positively to our economy.” 

The Centre for Irish Business and Economic Performance located at Queen’s Management School is the main sponsor of the workshop. The centre is focused on fostering a research agenda engaging a broad range of industry and policy stakeholders that will lead to fresh thinking on business. 

Tesco spends more than £550million on Northern Ireland products each year, it has more than 90 local suppliers and it stocks more than 1,200 local products.

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Dr Hilary Downey

A ground-breaking paper, “Beyond Poverty: Social Justice in a Global Marketplace”, written by an international team of researchers including Dr Hilary Downey, lecturer in Management within Queen’s University Management School, has been selected, out of 71 nominations, as the recipient of the 2015 JPPM/Kinnear Award for Best paper published in the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing. 

The paper states that the basket of goods necessary to realise human potential can be categorised as the six S’s: Subsistence; Sound health; Safety; Sociality; Sovereignty; and Spirituality. While these categories may seem straightforward, the paper looks at the complexity and inherent contradictions within them. The paper concludes that “Only by attempting, without self-righteous judgments, to devise a program that preserves dignity and identity, while feeding the body and educating the mind, can the global community move beyond poverty.” 

Dave Stewart, editor of the Journal of Public Policy and Marketing said of the award, “This is a high honour and reflects the esteem with which your colleagues regard your work”. 

For further details, contact Dr Hilary Downey.

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Pictured l-r at Riddel Hall on 31 March ahead of Governor Patrick Honohan’s address on ‘Sterling, Punt, Euro: Currency Choices in Ireland Past and Present’, were: Dr Anthony McDonnell; Governor Patrick Honohan; Professor Paul Teague; Professor John Turner; Professor Tony Gallaghe

Almost 200 people were in attendance at Riddel Hall on the evening of 31 March to hear Professor Patrick Honohan speak about currency choices in Ireland past and present. 

The event was hosted jointly by the Centre for Irish Business and Economic Performance in the Queen’s Management School and the Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s. 

Governor Honohan gave a very informative address entitled ‘Sterling, Punt, Euro: Currency Choices in Ireland Past and Present’.  In his lecture, he assessed Ireland’s experience with the euro against previous alternatives, illustrating currency and interest rate fluctuations over the years with a number of graphs and charts.  He outlined how the financial crisis had certainly highlighted weaknesses in the European economic and monetary union, but that previous currency arrangements had not been trouble-free either.  Governor Hohohan suggested that focussing on domestic policy issues is what is needed to ensure that Ireland can reach its full potential in the euro area. 

Patrick Honohan was appointed as the tenth Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland on 26 September 2009. Before his appointment, Patrick was Professor of International Financial Economics and Development at Trinity College Dublin. Prior to this, he spent almost a decade at the World Bank where he was Senior Advisor on financial sector policy. He was previously Research Professor with the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin (1990-98), Economic Advisor to Taoiseach Garret Fitzgerald (1981-82 and 1984-86) and he spent several years as an economist at the Central Bank of Ireland (1976-81 and 1984-86), and at the International Monetary Fund (1971-73).  

A graduate of University College Dublin, he received his PhD in Economics from the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1978. He has taught Economics at the LSE and at the University of California-San Diego, the Australian National University and University College Dublin, as well as at Trinity College. In recent years, his research has mainly focused on monetary and financial sector policy.  

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“With Marketing Analytics, we are seeing our clients who are global leaders taking actions on recommendations that we have made, based on data that we have, and that is pretty cool” (Jack Butler, Chief Operating Officer, Market Resource Partners). 

Recently, senior managers from Liberty Insurance, Market Resource Partners, CME Group, and Permanent TSB delivered guest lectures to MSc Marketing students on the ‘Marketing Analytics for Managers’ module on how their company detects and creates value through the deployment of marketing analytics. 

Speaking after the event, students reported that “It was truly inspiring to see how these organisations are able to collate and connect data from multiple channels, offline and online, to ensure that they are maximising their profitability and allocating their resources where it matters most.  We were given insight into how an insurance company measures a customer’s propensity to renew; how a B2B services company aligns sales campaigns to customer purchasing decisions; and how a global trading company is taking micro-clustering to a whole new level” (Emma Morgan, MSc Marketing). 

Another student added “It was hugely beneficial to get insight into the methods that companies use to analyse big data and the thought processes used by the marketing department to action the results they receive from it. These talks helped to compound the theory we have been taught in class and brought to light the factors that we will have to take into consideration when proposing or implementing a marketing analytics project in practice (Mark McColgan, MSc Marketing).  

The MSc Marketing programme director and co-ordinator of the module, Dr Patrick McCole, said “It’s fantastic to have such high profile guest speakers come speak to our students about the benefits and issues of deploying marketing analytics in practice.  It’s a great way for students to appreciate the real-world value of our programme and that the skills they acquire throughout it are in demand by leading local, national and international firms.” 

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Professor Rob Gilles

What exactly is game theory? How can it help Greece to negotiate a solution to its debt crisis? And can it help us understand the current dysfunction in policymaking in the Eurozone? 

In a new op-ed article written for The Conversation, Professor Rob Gilles discusses how the mathematics of decision making can be used to understand the actions of Yanis Varoufakis, Greece’s finance minister and chief negotiator with Germany. 

Gilles, who is a Professor of Theoretical Economics at Queen’s Management School, concludes that Varoufakis has not been able to wisely use the lessons from game theory in his own political work. 

Until taking office earlier this year, Varoufakis was himself an academic game theorist. His media appearances demonstrate that he is very able to explain after the fact what is happening in negotiations on Greek debt using game theoretic reasoning. But Gilles argues that Varoufakis’s academic background puts him at no advantage in his actual negotiations with the Troika. 

The full text of Gilles’s op-ed article, published on 23 March 2015, can be viewed over at The Conversation, an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.

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(Left - Right) Kieran Mulvey, Dr Anthony McDonnell, Denis O’Brien, Prof David Jones, Prof John Turner, Julian O’Neill, Prof Paul Teague

Mr Denis O'Brien speaks to BBC NI business correspondent, Julian O'Neill

The Centre for Irish Business and Economic Performance at Queen’s Management School and Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s recently jointly hosted an enjoyable evening with leading Irish entrepreneur, Denis O’Brien, Chairman of the Digicel Group, on Thursday 5 March, in Riddel Hall.

The event attracted almost 200 attendees to hear Mr O’Brien speak openly on all aspects of his business career, encompassing a range of ventures in Ireland and across the globe, in conversation with BBC NI business correspondent, Julian O’Neill. The wide-ranging discussion also explored Mr O’Brien’s philanthropic activities. Mr O’Brien mingled with, spoke to and posed for photos with many of those attending the reception ahead of the discussion.

Denis O'Brien is founder and Chairman of the privately-owned Digicel Group, one of the fastest growing mobile operators in the world, with operations in 33 markets globally. He is one of Ireland’s leading entrepreneurs with extensive investments across several sectors including international telecoms, radio, media, property, aircraft leasing, golf and other leisure interests. He also founded Communicorp Group which owns and manages a portfolio of media and broadcasting-related companies in Ireland and eight other European countries. He founded the Esat Telecom Group plc and built it throughout the 1990s until its sale to British Telecom plc for €2.4 billion. More recently, in 2013, he acquired the Topaz service station group and in 2014, the Dublin based Beacon Hospital. He has been appointed to the Broadband Commission for Digital Development.

Outside of his extensive business interests, Mr O’Brien chaired the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Ireland - the first time the Summer Games were staged outside the USA. He is Chairman of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Judging Panel, serves as a Director on the US Board of Concern Worldwide, and is the Chairman and Co-Founder of Frontline, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.  In 2000, Denis established The Iris O’Brien Foundation to identify and assist projects in Ireland and internationally which aim to alleviate disadvantaged communities. Mr O’Brien has been very much to the fore in rebuilding Haiti, after the horrific earthquake in 2010, including the development of 150 schools.

The Centre for Irish Business and Economic Performance (CIBEP), hosted by Queen’s University Management School, brings together interdisciplinary scholars researching business, economic and management performance on the island of Ireland. The aim is to contribute to growth by aiding the engagement of stakeholders in research-informed debate, the dissemination of research, and the provision of informed and independent data. 

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Dr Sara Moutinho Barbosa de Melo and Professor Matthias Beck

Dr Sara Moutinho Barbosa de Melo has been chosen by the editorial team of Journal of Health Organization and Management as a Highly Commended Award winner of the 2014 Emerald/EFMD Outstanding Doctoral Research Awards in the Health care management category. Dr Melo's thesis, which was supervised by Professor Matthias Beck at the University of York was entitled “Bottom-up safety initiatives: A case study of falls prevention at a Portuguese hospital”. Dr Melo is a lecturer in management and Professor Beck is a professor of management within Queen’s Management School.

Dr Melo’s PhD research focused on investigating how patient safety innovations start and develop within a hospital context.  In order to explore this issue, Dr Melo utilised a novel sociological approach based on an extension of Actor-Network Theory.  In terms of studies available in the public domain, Dr Melo’s work can be said to have pioneered the adoption of an Actor-Network Theory based framework in the context of patient safety. Alongside this innovative theoretical contribution, Dr Melo collected an extensive volume of data. Using a case study of a Falls Prevention Group at a large public Portuguese teaching hospital, Dr Melo conducted 49 in-depth interviews involving 46 clinical and non-clinical interviewees from different departments across the hospital.

The findings of Dr Melo’s PhD research are of significant importance in relation to the management of healthcare facilities as well as future policy making. Dr Melo’s research indicated that successful innovation in relation to complex issues such as patient safety initiatives are facilitated by bottom-up approaches, which in turn are fostered by informal learning networks. In recognising these issues, Dr Melo’s PhD research highlights the limitations of formal learning associated with the importation of safety practices developed externally. Given the current recognition of the need to improve patient safety, the findings of Dr Melo’s PhD research are of central importance to the development and understanding of the design and implementation of patient safety initiatives that will effectively improve patient safety.

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The Management School is delighted to announce the official launch of a strategic partnership with Tayto called Facilitaytors which will encourage students to become more socially responsible and raise monies for a local charity through a range of School based and student organised events.  The School's first nominated charity is Marie Curie Cancer Cure.  

Professor John Turner, Head of the Management School, highlighted the relationship with Tayto and Marie Curie, focusing on the 3 Cs – crisps, compassion and creativity.  Crisps represent the link with Tayto, compassion represents the continuous care and support Marie Curie provide to terminally ill people and their families, and creativity represents part of the School’s Mission Statement – to produce creative and socially responsible students.

In supporting the students in their fundraising activities, Tayto have created a range of scholarships for both individual and team based activities.  Paul Allen, Chief Executive Officer for Tayto Group Ltd and an Economics graduate of the School, highlighted the importance of students getting involved and volunteering.  He noted that 42% of managers who are seeking to recruit graduates consider volunteering equivalent to full-time work experience.

Ciara Gallagher, Deputy Head of Regional Fundraising for Marie Curie, spoke of the work Marie Curie undertakes throughout Northern Ireland, and how everyone in the School, staff and students alike, can get involved in fundraising. 

At the launch, various students and staff spoke of the activities that they planned to organise to raise money. Some of the School’s PhD students developed a humorous time-lapse video of a relay race around Riddel Hall to help motivate the audience to fundraise

The event finished with what else, but lots of crisps, giving everyone the energy to go out and raise some money!

All students and staff in the Management School are encouraged to get involved.  Some School wide events are already planned, but why not plan your own as well.  Send an email to facilitaytor@qub.ac.uk to find out more information on how to get involved.

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Six students and a member of staff from Queen’s Management School attended a half day workshop at Brewin Dolphin’s office in Belfast. Brewin Dolphin is one of the UK’s leading providers of personalised, discretionary wealth management services. 

The six students were chosen as a result of their involvement with the Trading and Investment Club, Student Managed Fund and CFA research challenge. The day was led by Andrew Burns and Emily Waterworth – investment managers at Brewin. 

The day started bright and early at 8am with an overview of two companies which had released their earnings that morning – Lloyds banking group and International consolidated airlines. The students listened into a conference call of analysts talking about the morning announcements. Afterwards, students were challenged with being analysts themselves, looking through the published results to determine if they would invest in the selected companies. 

The discussion then moved on to talk about portfolio construction, asset allocation and the global markets. The changed risk and return landscape was discussed as well as negative interest rates. 

The workshop ended with an informal lunch and a chance to ask any further questions. Mark Russell, a final year actuary student and CEO of the Student Managed Fund (SMF) said of the event: “I found the visit very informative, and interesting. I took a lot away which I hope to apply to the SMF, including hearing what a professional investor looks for when valuing and rating stocks.”

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Over 100 staff and students from the Management School celebrated Chinese New Year on 18th February at a reception in Riddel Hall. Dr Youwei Li welcomed everyone to the event and explained some of the meaning of the year of the sheep/goat. Professor John Turner, Head of the Management School, said that "it was very important for us to celebrate Chinese New Year in the School because so many of our  staff and students are from China and we want them to feel at home in Belfast".

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The School is very proud to announce that Team Apex – a group of QUB second year students predominantly from the Management School, have got through to the final of the KPMG International Case Competition, being staged in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Team Apex, representing Ireland will be up against approximately 30 other countries. The competition itself involves being given a detailed case study to consider (first round involved analysing the Qatar 2022 World Cup and the Irish final involved analysing San Leon Energy's fracking operations in Poland). Participants must then carefully review the dossier, identify and analyse the key business issues, develop recommendations and prepare an engaging presentation for the judges. It is the ultimate opportunity to accelerate a student’s awareness of global business while gaining a unique cultural experience.

Team members include:

Jamie Mackenzie (BSc Finance)   
Conall McNally (BSc Finance)
Fynn Mckay (BSc Mathematics with Finance)
Mark Curran (BSc International Business with Spanish)
Sarah Mckinley (LLB Law with French)*
*Sarah filled in for Fynn in the Irish finals and will come to Dubai but not compete.

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Are you a recent Queen’s graduate?

Do you intend to travel to North America in connection with your programme of study for at least eight weeks?

If so, you could be in line to receive a Helen Ramsey Turtle Scholarship, which will normally be awarded to one recipient only and will be of at least £800 in value.

The selection panel will expect you to outline clearly what you hope to gain personally from your experience in North America, and how you intend to use this experience to benefit the wider community upon your return to Northern Ireland.

Applications must be be typed or word-processed and returned to aascholarships@qub.ac.uk or Student Guidance Centre (University Road, Belfast, BT7 1NN) by the deadline of 4.30 pm on Tuesday 5 May 2015.

Awards are subject to funding availability. For further details please contact Kiera at aascholarships@qub.ac.uk.

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Professor Matthias Beck

Professor Matthias Beck will participate in a one day workshop for researchers and NHS decision-makers to discuss the research and evaluation needs and priorities which arise from some of the service innovations and changes which are articulated in the NHS England five year forward view, published in October 2014. The workshop will involve a maximum of about 20 key stakeholders, drawing together experienced researchers in the health services research field with senior NHS decision-makers and Health Services and Delivery Research (HS & DR) programme staff. The findings of the workshop will be summarised in a report to help shape research commissioning priorities and processes for the NHS in England over the coming months and years.

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Queen’s University Management School was delighted to host a visit by Derek Cribb, the current Chief Executive of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries. Derek became Chief Executive in 2010 and has successfully steered the actuarial profession through a period of rapid and substantial change, including a full review of its strategy and reshaping the organisational structure to deliver the strategy.

There was a great turnout of students on the Actuarial Science and Risk Management BSc degree programme as Derek provided thoughtful insight on future prospects for actuaries, the future direction of the actuarial profession and the new certified actuarial analyst qualification.

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Professor Rob Gilles

What is it that makes some big multinational corporations so successful? Rob Gilles, Professor of Theoretical Economics at Queen’s University Management School, argues that it is their ability to control networks.

Gilles argues that good entrepreneurs seek to occupy positions of control and power in the economic networks in which they operate. They do so by occupying the profitable “middleman” position between producers and customers in the networks that make up our global economy.

In an op-ed piece written for The Conversation, Gilles applies his theoretical insights to the case of Apple. He argues that the success of Apple in creating new economic networks sets the company apart from its competitors.

The full text of Gilles’s op-ed article, published on 5 February 2015, can be viewed over at The Conversation, an independent source of news and views, sourced from the academic and research community and delivered direct to the public.

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QUMS Head of School, Professor John Turner and Bank of England Executive Director, Insurance Supervision, Mr Sam Woods

Queen’s University Management School (QUMS) was delighted to host a presentation by Sam Woods, Director of Financial Stability at the Bank of England.

Wood’s presentation summarised the Bank of England’s latest Financial Stability report through charts and tables. The charts looked at the global financial environment, the short and medium term risks to financial stability and prospects for financial stability.

Using the results of stress testing, a technique that simulates how the British financial system would react to a variety of macroeconomic disasters, Woods convincingly argued that British banking has grown considerably more stable in the years since the crisis.

The event was very well attended by a mixture of academic staff, students, and representatives from local banks and businesses. There was a question and answer session and also a chance to chat with Sam Woods.

William Quinn, a finance PhD student said of the event: “It was an enthusiastic and informative talk on the methods used by the Bank of England to ensure financial stability. The visit was an invaluable experience for any students interested in a career in central banking.”

For any additional information, please contact Christopher Annett (c.annett@qub.ac.uk).

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Dr Alan Fernihough

Do historical marriage patterns in Ireland predict the Troubles and the decline of the Protestant population outside Ulster? New research by Dr Alan Fernihough looks at mixed marriages that occurred across the Catholic-Protestant religious divide in 1911 Ireland, five years before the Easter Rising.

Fernihough, a Lecturer in Economics at Queen’s University Management School, found that mixed marriages in early 20th century Ireland were rare, accounting for less than 1% of all marriages. “This low number reflects local marriage market conditions, as well as ethno-religious hostility” says Fernihough.

Until recently, it would have been impossible to collect and analyse data on mixed marriages in Ireland. However, the digitisation of the 1911 Census of Ireland has created the opportunity to do so. “These data allow us to look at every married couple in 1911 Ireland, and pinpoint every declared mixed marriage. This is ‘big data’ meeting economic history,” Fernihough continues.

Stratifying their analysis by province, Fernihough, with co-authors Professors Cormac Ó Gráda and Brendan Walsh from University College Dublin, found evidence of a geographical split. Outside Ulster, mixed marriages were rare because of the relatively small Protestant population. But once an adjustment is made, by looking at the number of mixed marriages relative to the Protestant population in each province, mixed marriages are more common than they appear at first glance.

“This discrepancy underlines the importance of looking at marriage markets before using the incidence of mixed marriages as a yardstick for ethno-religious intolerance,” warns Fernihough. Irish Protestants outside Ulster had fewer opportunities to meet a partner of their own religious persuasion, and thus were more likely to compensate by marrying out. The opposite was true in Ulster, a result with far-reaching consequences, just at a time when competing orange and green nationalisms began to heighten fears and tensions and resulted in violent spill-overs.

“Our results suggest a split was occurring early 20th century Ireland,” says Fernihough. Since they also have data on the family structure, Fernihough and his co-authors could identify the religious affiliation of the children born to mixed marriage couples. For the most part, the children born to mixed marriage couples outside Ulster were raised within the Catholic faith. Fernihough says that this result is consistent with the decline of the non-Ulster Irish Protestant population in the 20th century, where not only were Protestants more willing to marry across the religious divide, but they were also more likely to raise their children as Catholics.

Fernihough believes that these results have important implications for contemporary society, not only in Ireland but further afield. “Our methodology can also be used to explore tolerance across racial, ethnic and cultural divides”, says Fernihough. As societies become multicultural, the prevalence of intermarriage is a measure of tolerance and integration. Irish historical evidence suggests a link between infrequent intermarriage and a broader polarisation between communities, with potentially tragic consequences.

The full text of Fernihough’s research is available on the website of the journal Explorations in Economic History.

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About the Author

Dr Alan Fernihough is an economic historian with research interests in demography and economic growth. He is a Lecturer in Economics at Queen's University Management School (QUMS), and a Research Associate at Queen's University Centre for Economic History (QUCEH). He can be reached by email on a.fernihough@qub.ac.uk.

Media Impact

Coverage in the Irish Times, 30 January 2015.

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‌Queen’s University Belfast has maintained its place among the top-20 UK universities researching business and management studies. In its analysis of the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) results published on 18 December 2014, the Association of Business Schools (ABS) has positioned the school at 9th place in its ranking by research intensity, 13th place when controlling for the size of the faculty and 12th place in its overall sum of rankings measure.

The UK government conducts national assessments of the quality of academic research carried out at universities about every five years. In all, the REF assessors judged that 65.2 per cent of the research output of Queen’s University Management School published between 2008 and 2013 was either world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour. The results help to determine what proportion of the UK’s £2bn-a-year research budget is awarded to the university. The ABS analysis of the REF results is likely to inform the government’s decision on funding allocation later this year. Professor Paul Teague, Director of Research at Queen’s University Management School, said: “This assessment will determine how much funding we receive for the next six years, and thanks to our excellent results we are very confident about our future”.

The REF results are also used to determine institutions’ rankings in league tables. A number of different techniques can be used to assess and rank the performance of a particular university, or a school or department within a university. The ABS has weighted the raw REF results to reflect the research intensity of business schools. This is a better way to place Queen’s University Management School's performance in a league table, as it takes the breadth and depth of research output into account. Some universities actively manipulate their REF results by excluding researchers from their submission, which puts them at an unfair, and unrealistic, position in rankings that do not take intensity into account. Queen’s University Belfast took a more inclusive strategy to signal that the institution appreciates the efforts of all its faculty and cannot advance without everyone’s commitment and engagement.

The full top-20 institutions of the Business and Management Studies Panel is found below. The index is calculated as the Grade Point Average (GPA) of the REF 2014 scores, multiplied by the number of academic staff (FTE) submitted for assessment, multiplied by the proportion of the total eligible faculty that was submitted. Professor John Turner, Acting Head of Queen’s University Management School, said: “These result confirm Queen’s University Management School as one of the leading business and management schools in the UK and Ireland. They highlight that world class research is being conducted across all four subject groups in the school. I would like to thank my colleagues for all their hard work”.

For further details please click here

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