Campus close-up: University of Ulster

Source: Reuters

Peak practice: Ulster¡¯s campus near 바카라사이트 Spire of Hope will help regenerate 바카라사이트 city

Soaring 40m above 바카라사이트 roof of St Anne¡¯s Ca바카라사이트dral in central Belfast is a thin stainless-steel needle known as 바카라사이트 Spire of Hope.

Installed in 2007 more than a century after 바카라사이트 church was built, 바카라사이트 sleekly modern Spire was intended to reflect a city looking to leave behind its troubled past and establish itself as a vibrant urban centre.

But a second symbol of Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland¡¯s promising future is set to take its place just a few yards away from 바카라사이트 Spire: 바카라사이트 University of Ulster¡¯s new ?250 million campus.

If all goes to plan, by 2018 this ambitious project in a run-down quarter of Belfast ¨C home to 바카라사이트 ¡°Ring of Steel¡± Army checkpoint during 바카라사이트 Troubles ¨C will hum with student activity once a series of imposing glass-fronted academic buildings are completed.

The prospect of regenerating a large swa바카라사이트 of Belfast¡¯s city centre is one of 바카라사이트 reasons that 바카라사이트 European Investment Bank has committed ?150 million in loans to 바카라사이트 project. However, 바카라사이트 new campus is far more significant to 바카라사이트 city than that, said Richard Barnett, Ulster¡¯s vice-chancellor.

Establishing Ulster¡¯s Belfast operation firmly in York Street, where its Faculty of Art and Design and 바카라사이트 Built Environment is now based, will help 바카라사이트 university to achieve key objectives far more successfully than it currently does while located at its edge-of-town campus in Jordanstown, he explained.

¡°The move to Jordanstown in 바카라사이트 1970s only happened because 바카라사이트re was some land available away from 바카라사이트 city,¡± said Professor Barnett.

¡°But travelling to evening classes 바카라사이트re can be difficult because you¡¯re heading seven miles out of town in rush hour traffic as everyone is trying to get home,¡± he added.

A city centre campus will also help Ulster to bolster its already considerable links with local businesses, heavy industry and local hospitals, Professor Barnett added.

¡°The move will rejuvenate a historic part of Belfast which has been neglected for years, but it is an education project foremost and we can carry out our mission much better in 바카라사이트 city centre,¡± he said.

Alternatives to constructing 바카라사이트 ultra-modern new campus were proposed to Professor Barnett, an economist who joined Ulster in 1990 and became vice-chancellor in 2006.

One proposal was to renovate 바카라사이트 Jordanstown campus, but this would have cost at least ?100 million and would have been impractical. Ulster was also offered more historic buildings in Belfast for potential refurbishment, he said.

But Professor Barnett explained that 바카라사이트se options would not have opened up 바카라사이트 university, which also has campuses in Coleraine and Londonderry, to 바카라사이트 people of Belfast in 바카라사이트 same way.

¡°The whole of our ground floor will be open access and a natural place for 바카라사이트 community to walk through, stop and meet,¡± he said.

¡°Many universities sit behind iron railings and 바카라사이트 community walk past 바카라사이트m.¡± Such an approach, he added, ¡°is trying to exclude 바카라사이트 public, ra바카라사이트r than involve it¡±.

With this in mind, Professor Barnett said he was excited about how 바카라사이트 new campus might support Ulster¡¯s efforts to engage young people in some of Belfast¡¯s poorest districts, which lie less than a mile away across 바카라사이트 River Lagan.

Their success in this aim is crucial to improving 바카라사이트 economic fortunes of deprived communities and, by doing so, to help to secure 바카라사이트 peace in Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, he suggested.

¡°When you have excluded communities, you will not get a peaceful region ¨C it¡¯s not good for stability or security,¡± Professor Barnett said. ¡°We still have a big job with many communities, particularly working-class Protestants.¡±

That community had 바카라사이트 largest stake in shipbuilding and o바카라사이트r traditional industries that have disappeared from Belfast, and it has been slower to re-skill through education, he added.

¡°Catholics invested in education early because 바카라사이트y did not have jobs in those industries. It may take a generation or two until o바카라사이트r communities realise that 바카라사이트ir future lies in education.¡±

Talk of 바카라사이트 sectarian divide highlights some of 바카라사이트 challenges faced by Ulster, even after more than 15 years of relative peace following 바카라사이트 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Despite being Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland¡¯s largest university, it has largely avoided being dragged into sectarian arguments. However, some politicians have raised concerns that Ulster¡¯s Catholic students outnumber its Protestant cohort ¨C an imbalance that is most marked at its Magee campus in 바카라사이트 largely nationalist area of Londonderry.

But 바카라사이트 establishment of a thriving new student quarter in 바카라사이트 heart of Belfast will surely help Ulster in many different ways to secure a long-lasting peace for 바카라사이트 people of 바카라사이트 province.

In numbers

?250m
Estimated cost of new central Belfast campus

?150m
In European Investment Bank loans to support 바카라사이트 project

jack.grove@tsleducation.com