Queen's University Belfast is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history.
Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, we became an independent university in 1908. Today, we are ranked 43 in the world (Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2021), and a member of the Russell Group of UK research intensive universities, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.
STRATEGY 2030
Strategy 2030 sets out our ambition for the next ten years to Shape A Better World through life-changing education and research.
Our vision is to be a global research-intensive university, generating internationally leading research coupled with outstanding teaching and learning, focused on the needs of our society, locally and globally.
Our University Commitment to Sustainability
As a global institution, we have a major role to play in making a positive impact in our environment.
Our Strategy 2030 sets out how we will embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals across all our activities, from research and education to adopting a leadership role in the promotion of the SDGs, and leading by example in areas such as equality, diversity and inclusion, sustainable procurement and a commitment to disinvestment from fossil fuels.
We are a signatory to the UN Accord, which recognises the key role that global universities have in nurturing a culture of sustainability and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 through research and education.
We are committed to reducing our environmental impact, having invested £10 million to date in over 80 energy efficiency projects and we are currently developing the next stage of our carbon strategy.
Annual Report 2020-21
The report highlights many of our achievements as a University community and our impact across education, research and society, both locally and internationally, as well as our ambitious plans for the
The report highlights many of our achievements as a University community and our impact across education, research and society, both locally and internationally, as well as our ambitious plans for the future.
A World Class Education and Student Experience
At Queen’s we offer a world-class education that prepares our students for leadership and citizenship in a global society.
Our inspiring alumni comprises outstanding scholars, Nobel Prize winners - such as Seamus Heaney and David Trimble - and influential leaders who are making an impact in Northern Ireland and across the globe.
Our students enjoy being educated by world-leading academics working at the forefront of their disciplines and a significant investment in the student experience has resulted in high levels of student satisfaction.
Over 96% of Queen’s graduates are in employment or further study six months after graduation; our graduates are dominating senior leadership positions in 80 of Northern Ireland's top 100 companies, and making a difference in over 120 countries.
Leaders in Innovation and Impact
Queen's is a driver of innovation and talent based on excellence. We are globally connected and networked with strategic partnerships across the world, helping us to expand our impact on wider society locally, nationally and globally.
We are leaders in commercial impact and are in the top five UK universities for revenue generated from research commercialisation - £71m. Through QUBIS Ltd, our commercial arm, we have created over 80 spin-out companies. Three of these companies (Kainos, Andor Technology and Fusion Antibodies) have been publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange.
We are number one in the UK for our participation in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP). A recent report by London Economics found that Queen’s contributes £1.9billion to the UK economy, employing 3,700 staff and supporting a further 2,750 jobs across the UK.
A Global and Inclusive University Community
Queen’s is ranked 22nd in the world for international outlook and is attracting global talent to Belfast.*
We currently have staff and students from over 80 countries, helping to create a multicultural and vibrant campus. They are joining a university that is committed to attracting, retaining and developing the best global talent within an environment that enables them to realise their full potential.
An innovative, welcoming and inclusive place to work and study, Queen’s is a leader in gender equality and diversity. We are one of the UK’s most successful universities in the Athena SWAN initiative which promotes gender equality and career progression. We currently have two Gold, eight Silver and five Bronze departmental awards, as well as an Institutional Silver.
*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019
Investing in the Future
The UK’s ninth oldest university, Queen’s blends its proud heritage with cutting-edge facilities for the best experience of University life.
Our £700m investment in facilities is transforming the University campus, expanding an environment that stimulates, enables and supports world-class education and research.
This has included the development of a state-of-the-art Graduate School, which is home to a thriving postgraduate community; the award-winning McClay Library; a new Computer Science Building; a School of Law; and the Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine.
The University has also invested in sporting facilities, new purpose-built student accommodation in Belfast City Centre and has announced plans for the development of a world-class Student Centre, including a new Students’ Union facility.
At the forefront of tackling Global Challenges
Our life-saving graduates comprise 430 nurses, 50 dentists, 130 pharmacists, 250 doctors, 90 social workers.
Together, we are changing lives across Northern Ireland and further afield: our discovery of a new molecule has the potential to prolong the life of people living with cystic fibrosis; we are at the forefront of a major breakthrough in the fight against bowel cancer, and we’re striving to help people with MS recover nerve function.
We are at the forefront of developing new thinking and technologies in key areas such as Health, Peace and Justice, Information Technology, Food Security, and Energy.
Ranked 8th in the UK for Research Intensity
Our researchers are at the forefront of discovery and innovation, with ambitious projects to address global problems and make a difference to society worldwide.
We are renowned for our strengths in enterprise and innovation, and were ranked 1st in the UK as the most entrepreneurial university in 2019 and 2020 (Octopus Ventures Impact Rankings)
We are ranked 8th in the UK for Research Intensity with over 75% of our research assessed as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF 2014).
Northern Ireland's Legendary Beauty
Queen’s University is situated in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.
A city with innovation at its heart, technological advances infiltrate every sector helping to build our competitiveness on the global stage. There are almost 900 international companies located in Northern Ireland, making Belfast the second most successful city in the UK (after London) for attracting US trade.
There’s plenty happening outside the city, including the famous filming locations for the HBO series Game of Thrones, the awe-inspiring Giant’s Causeway, voted the UK’s best Heritage Attraction, and the Mourne Mountains, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty canonised as CS Lewis’ Narnia.
Leadership and Structure
Leading an ambitious vision
Campus and Facilities
Queen's Quarter