Key Events: 

• Dance Yourself Fit: A high-energy dance fitness class suitable for all levels will take place on Monday 12 May, 12.00pm to 1.00pm in Minor Hall, PEC, Training Room. Find out more and register here.  

• Tropical Ravine Tour: Explore the historic Tropical Ravine building in Botanic Gardens on Tuesday 13 May, with tours taking place at 12.00pm and 1.00pm. Find out more and register here.  

• Wellbeing Fair: Browse wellbeing stalls from Inspire, Jora Clinic and Sleep Medical NI and enjoy free hand massages and prize giveaways on Wednesday 14 May, 10.00am to 12.00pm in the Peter Froggatt Centre. Find out more and register here.  

• Games on the Quad: Bring a team and compete in a range of games including badminton, bean bag tossing, a mini obstacle race, and ball games, with prizes to be won on Thursday 15 May, 12.30pm to 2.00pm on the Quad. Find out more and register here.  

• Staff Giveaway: After taking part in the Quad games, a free ice cream or slushie will be available for the first 100 people who sign up via the link below on Thursday 15 May from 12.30pm to 2.00pm. Staff will be able to collect their tokens from the Wellbeing team on the day in the Quad. Register here. 

Please contact the Staff Wellbeing team for further information or queries: staffwellbeing@qub.ac.uk. 

The Student Surveys Team would like to see a response rate of 80% to this survey from students. All eligible students will have received their emails, texts and phonecalls from Ipsos asking them to complete the survey.

Further information and marketing materials are available on the SharePoint site and response rate reports are shared weekly with relevant staff.

More information

Students can find more information about the surveys and student feedback on the My Queen's website

Student feedback given in the NSS is used by Queen's to enhance the quality of courses and improve the wider student experience.

The continued support of all staff is fundamental to the success of the surveys, so we welcome your help.

For any queries, please email the Student Surveys Team at surveys@qub.ac.uk.

Thank you to all colleagues who attended the first meeting, held as part of the University’s commitment to Athena Swan. From the meeting, valuable insights were gathered into the challenges faced by academic researchers returning from parental leave, and ways that they and their colleagues can work together to navigate this period were explored.

In the coming weeks, staff and managers who are waiting to be onboarded will begin to see the ‘My Time’ feature within iTrent. This feature is being made visible in advance to help with a smoother transition, ahead of the next phase of onboarding for key faculties and directorates.

While the feature will be visible, staff will not be able to access any key functions until their faculty/department has been officially onboarded. The HR Systems team will contact your faculty/department with more information and guidance when it is time to be onboarded.

Next Steps

• Ahead of transitioning to the new system, staff and managers should check that their Line Manager details are correct. These details can be viewed on Microsoft Teams by all staff and will help ensure accuracy before the system goes fully live.
• Staff and managers should register for training within iTrent to learn how to effectively use the system in advance of their onboarding.
• Please refer to the FAQs for additional guidance and support available on SharePoint here.
• For any further queries or assistance, please contact: hrhub@qub.ac.uk.

International Calls

Please note that Moneypenny will not make international calls on behalf of staff. For staff who require international calling access for business purposes, a Microsoft Form must be completed, which will require approval from the relevant Director/School Manager or appointed approver.

• Access the form here for requesting international call access. This form can also be used to update extension numbers.

Updates to Office Location

If you need to update your office location, please use the ‘Change Details’ form available on the Planon homepage.

The Property and Space Information identifies the property and the area within the property where staff are located. This information is typically displayed on a red disc on the door when you enter an office, shared office, or workspace. Please see the example below:

To complete the Property and Space fields, staff can use the blue chevron buttons to search for the relevant property and space information on Planon.

Should staff have any questions in relation to this change, please contact: isdirectorate@qub.ac.uk.

This redesign was the result of a user experience (UX) exercise involving student input and was developed by the Library’s Digital Services team. Key new features include a live occupancy percentage and indicators showing whether current usage is higher or lower than usual. The app also highlights the quietest study area in the McClay Library at any given time, helping you quickly find available space. In addition, a seven-day usage trend view enables you to anticipate peak periods and plan around the busiest times.

Mental benefits

• Boosts focus and concentration: stretching helps reset your brain, to improve your attention span when you return to studying.
• reduces mental fatigue: refresh your mind and prevent burnout.
• improves mood and reduces stress: releases tension from your body, which signals your brain to chill out too.

Physical benefits

• Reduces aches and pains: long periods of sitting lead to stiffness.
• Improves circulation: movement increases blood flow, which delivers more oxygen to your brain and muscles.
• Increases energy: instead of reaching for more coffee, a stretch break can wake up your body naturally.

More information

'Find Your Movement', led by Queen’s Sport and QUBeWell, is a university-wide initiative to encourage both students and staff to incorporate more movement into their daily lives through whatever activity they enjoy. Colleagues are encouraged to get involved and support the 'Find Your Movement' initiative in a variety of ways.

How you can get involved 

To support this initiative, you can:

• talk about the campaign and spread the word among students and colleagues (eg by sharing Queen's Sport's social media posts);
• join an Active Campus programme;
• create and capture content: set up an activity, and Queen's Sport will aim to arrange for a broadcasting student to film it. (Note: Please give the team advance notice if you would like to do this.)
• get moving – the best way to create change is to lead by example!

More information

Launched on Thursday 13 March, this eight-week campaign will feature a new video each week, showcasing a variety of accessible and enjoyable movement activities, including gardening, yoga, and walking. Whether you're looking to try something new or simply stay active, there's something for everyone!

• Visit the Active Campus website for more information

To find out more, visit the Centre for Educational Development Assessment page where you can:

• watch our user demo to see what kinds of things you can ask;
• find out what resources the chatbot uses to provide information;
• try out the chatbot itself

* Please note, this Assessment Chatbot is a prototype in its pilot phase. It will respond differently based on the questions asked. If you encounter any issues, please use the feedback form provided in the chatbot.

The team knows from student focus groups that academic staff play a crucial role in sharing this information. Students expect to hear about support from their lecturers and tutors, and staff recommendations can have a real impact on engagement.

To support this, the Assessment Support Hub has a range of resources available, including:

• On the Hub Project Site: a bank of promotional materials and staff testimonials on how they have embedded the Hub in their student support.
• Other resources:
  • Merchandise, such as QR code cards and laptop stickers, to help raise awareness.
  • A number of student ambassadors are available to run pop-up stands across campus to help raise awareness of the Hub and answer student questions. If your School or service would be interested in hosting a stand in your building, please get in touch with Michaeline at Michaeline.donnelly@qub.ac.uk. 

By encouraging students to engage with the Hub, we can help ensure they feel more informed, confident, and supported during what can be a stressful period.

These events offer a welcoming space for everyone, including refugees and asylum seekers, to enjoy tea, coffee, pastries, and, most importantly, gain access to useful information. 

Across May and June, the team will cover topics such as moving on from the asylum system, employability skills and entrepreneurial opportunities, Northern Ireland history, society and culture, and more.

To get involved, please contact Federica and Maurice in the Civic Engagement team, at civicengagement@qub.ac.uk.

• Policy Paper – Rethinking the Role of Good Character Evidence in Rape and Sexual Offence Trials, By Dr Eithne Dowds
• The End of “The World” as we’ve known it – Ukraine, the US and New Importance of Irish Neutrality in a Chastened European Union, by Dr Peter Doran

To contribute an article to Queen's Policy Engagement, please email Kevin at qpol@qub.ac.uk.

• Ethiopia’s 2026 elections: without reforms, the vote may not be free or fair, by Dr Bizuneh Yimenu
• Why ChatGPT is a uniquely terrible tool for government ministers, by Prof Muiris MacCarthaigh and Dr Deepak Padmanabhan
• Colombia's fragile peace process in danger as guerrilla violence rises, by Dale Pankhurst

Queen's Staff Forum was established in June 2018. Made up of representatives from each School, Directorate and GRI across Queen's, this group represents all of our people and provides an opportunity for staff to share their views on all aspects of working at Queen's, help shape the employee experience, and make a real difference for all who work here.

More information

This lecture will address a problem in Pierre Bourdieu's conception of "three forms of capital": material, cultural, and social. As scholars have noted, Bourdieu extensively discusses cultural capital, and has comparatively little to say about social capital. Through proposing a theory of social capital as a form of "knowing”, this talk will apply Bourdieu’s theory to an analysis of F Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby (1925), with the aim of establishing the relation between cultural capital and social capital as two forms of "knowing". This relation correlates Gatsby's desire for social capital, which he uses to pursue Daisy Buchanan, as part of Fitzgerald's bid for the text’s canonical status as a "great" American novel. 

Image credit: Arrow Collar Ad (1914), Joseph Christian Leyendecker (1874 - 1951).

More information

• Blog: Being a Staff Carer at Queen's: My Experience (Dr Duncan Berryman)
• Blog: Being a Parent Carer at Queen's: My Experience (Dermot Leonard)
• Blog: Being a Staff Carer at Queen's: My Experience (Tom Dore)

This event is supported by the MHLS SWAN Faculty Working Group.

• Panel Discussions: Ballyscullion Book Festival, Saturday 10 to Sunday 11 May, 9.30am to 5.30pm, Ballyscullion Park, Bellaghy
• Workshop: Creativity in Cultural Peace Work: Opportunities and Challenges, Thursday 15 May, 12.00pm to 4.00pm, Moot Court, School of Law
• Lecture: What Feminists Reveal When They Investigate Masculinities: The Case of Military ‘Manpower’, Tuesday 17 June, 6.00pm to 7.30pm, Canada Room and Council Chamber, Lanyon Building

Covering topics like documentation methods, research context, peer review, dissemination, and output development, these sessions will shape future support for PaR across both institutions.

Please contact Freda Casey with any questions: f.casey@ulster.ac.uk 

Both exhibitions form part of REACH ’25, the University’s award-winning Arts and Sustainability Festival.

• 'All That We Have Built'

  This exhibition examines the profound impact of environmental destruction and ecological changes on the collective experience of catastrophe and uninhabitability. Through their individual practices, both artists challenge us to reconsider our relationship to the environment, questioning how natural and human-made landscapes shape and disrupt our lives. Together, Hassanain and Koch offer a powerful reminder that the environmental crises we face are not distant or abstract – they are immediate, urgent realities. Their work challenges us to engage deeply with these pressing issues and reflect on the vulnerability of both our built and natural environments.

• 'Shallow Waters'

  Shallow Waters aims to investigate the way myth and tradition sit alongside heavy industry and how closely connected they are despite being at odds with each other. Through a photographic investigation of the landscape, its people, and traditions, Laverty charts a thread of connection between the two opposing engagements with the shallow waters of Lough Neagh as it negotiates the threats of pollution and regulatory negligence. This exhibition is a collaboration between The Naughton Gallery and Belfast Photo Festival.

• La Haine
• Pink Floyd at Pompeii - MCMLXXII
• Pride & Prejudice
• Warfare
• Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story
• After the Credits: Film Discussion Group
• Chantal Akerman at QFT
• The Ugly Stepsister
• Parthenope
• Hundreds of Beavers Live Tour + Q&A
• The Graceless Age: The Ballad of John Murry
• QFT Late: Death Becomes Her

Staff tickets are priced at £7.50. Staff and students aged 26 and under can join LUMI to get tickets for £5.00 every day, all year round.

More information

• It Goes As Follies: an afternoon of traditional music, stories and poetry for all the family. Bring an instrument or simply come, sit back and watch.
• Works in Progress: An Improv Jam is a night of improv, of comedy and making up characters, scenes and stories. Everyone is welcome, and no performance experience is required. Led by Niall McKenna, this aims to be a fun and encouraging workshop.
• Roisin Lanigan at Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival: launch-style event with copies of Roisin's book available to purchase.

The Seamus Heaney Centre is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, 10.00am to 4.00pm.

More information

Coaching is widely recognised as a development tool that helps staff enhance their personal and professional growth. Through structured conversations, it enables individuals to explore options and gain valuable insights into work-based challenges and opportunities.

The Coaching Service at Queen's is provided by a team of trained internal coaches, including a cohort currently completing their ILM Level 5 qualification. As part of their training, these coaches work with individuals on a one-to-one basis to offer support on challenges such as managing change and transitions, career development, and interpersonal relationships.

• Applying for Fellowships: Networking with Successful Fellows, Thursday 15 May, in person (includes networking lunch) 
• Yoga Sessions for Postdocs and Research Staff,  four sessions throughout May 2025, in person
• Careers in the Public Sector, Tuesday 10 June, in person

Through this rewarding voluntary role, successful applicants will:

• meet new people from their course and school;
• be eligible for Queen’s Future-Ready Award;
• gain leadership, teamwork, and communication skills;
• improve the experience for current and future students.

* This toolkit includes a PowerPoint slide that can be displayed at the beginning of a lecture, social media graphics, social media copy and text for an email that can be sent to students, as well as other useful assets.

At this event talented students will compete under the theme 'Dare to Change' for the chance to present their ideas at Northern Ireland's prestigious TEDx Black Mountain event on 26 June 2025.

Please feel free to contact the University Safety Service at safety@qub.ac.uk should you have any queries or training requirements.

This session is ideal for any colleague who is in the process of:

• considering/developing programmes for GIFT city or local January 2026 intake;
• reviewing current programmes for evaluation;
• re-designing or re-configuring programmes.

Also welcome are colleagues with an interest in programme design who would like to benefit from this pilot event.*

More information

In partnership with Jisc, who will be attending, CED is facilitating a 'nose-to-tail' curriculum and programme design session. In addition, CED, the VLE team, Learning design experts, assessment experts, Accessible Learning Support, Learner Development Service, Academic Services and more will be available to help you with your programme design.

* Please note places are limited by space, and priority will be given to those developing GIFT City and/or local January 2026 models.

• Beyond the Technology Podcast: Queen's progress in digital transformation has been featured in a Jisc podcast episode exploring how AI is transforming education: Beyond the Technology: AI, Innovation, and the Future of Learning at Queen’s University Belfast.
• Jisc Report: How to Approach Digital Transformation in Higher Education. Jisc’s newly published report highlights the key success factors for digital transformation, drawing on insights from universities, including Queen’s. The findings demonstrate how institutions can integrate digital technologies, such as AI, to enhance teaching, learning, and strategic planning. Queen's involvement in the project is highlighted in a video case study, which showcases the institutional co-creation of a new AI Strategy for Queen’s, supported by Jisc’s digital transformation toolkit.
• The AI Hub's AI Building Blocks training series explores the fundamentals of AI and its applications across higher education.

More information

The purpose of this study is to collect data on the current state of hospitality employment. The findings will be used to provoke debate leading to positive change in the industry. Over 70 academics in 15 countries around the world within the Global Hospitality Research Alliance (GHRA) are currently working on this study using the same survey instrument, to ensure a large and unique body of comparative data. The Team Ireland version of the survey is being conducted by researchers in Queen's University Belfast alongside colleagues from University of Galway (UG), Technology University of the Shannon (TUS), and Technology University Dublin (TUD).