Students in Mercy Mission RECLAIMING to Africa TITANIC Career in Crisis? Queen’s people at the heart of Belfast’s rebirth How we support our graduates Innovation in our DNA Queen’s is changing society for the better PLUS: UNIVERSITY NEWS, MY TIME AT QUEEN’S, CLASS NOTES, SPORT 2 The Graduate 2011 Welcome To The Graduate Welcome to the Education Centre, which aims to reinvigorate our 2011 edition of The economy by offering exceptional programmes. The Graduate Magazine. Riddel Hall Founders’ Club, set up by the Development and Alumni Relations Office, connects companies from It is important to keep across Northern Ireland who together have pledged you, our Alumni, over £1m in support of the project. You can read more informed about what about this on page 44. is going on at Queen’s. We are proud of our I would also like to welcome this year’s graduates to exceptional University our family of over 100,000 alumni. The Development and we hope you share and Alumni Relations Office is your link to Queen’s and this pride! we want to make this network beneficial for you. For example, new graduates who are uncertain about their It has been an exciting future career path should turn to page 14 and read year. Our world-class Belfast Telegraph journalist John Laverty’s article on the research has gained support available from the Queen’s University Careers significant media Employability and Skills Service. coverage. In our Innovation feature, starting on page 19, you can read about a scientific breakthrough Along with all your favourite regular columns such as in the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis that will make a Class Notes, My time at Queen’s and our Book Review huge difference to the quality of life for CF sufferers page, we hope that The Graduate lives up to the high globally. Indeed, the Queen’s Student of the Year, standards set by previous issues! If it does, or even if it Therese White, is herself a CF sufferer, yet manages to doesn’t, please let us know, email [email protected]. accomplish truly outstanding work (see ‘News’). Remember this magazine is for YOU, so make sure to tell us what YOU want! Belfast is getting ready to celebrate all things Titanic in 2012. You probably know that next year is the 100th Thank you for taking time to read The Graduate! anniversary of the launch of the world’s most famous ship, but did you know that Queen’s is right at the heart of the revival of the Titanic quarter? From page seven you can read award-winning journalist Claire McNeilly’s account of the University’s role in a project key to the economic future of Northern Ireland! And with the economy at the forefront of everyone’s Ian Moore mind, you will no doubt be interested to read about Acting Head of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Riddel Hall, Queen’s Postgraduate and Executive Editor: Editorial Office: Donna McCullough Development and Alumni Relations Office Contributors: Queen’s University Belfast Adele McMahon, Keith Baker, Karl Oakes, Belfast, BT7 1NN Shan McAnena, John Laverty, Claire Northern Ireland McNeilly Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 3100 Fax: +44 (0)28 9097 5188 Advertising: Conor O’Kane [email protected] © Development and Alumni www.qub.ac.uk/alumni Relations Office 2011 The magazine is available online for those who Printers: Corporate Document Services prefer to read larger font The Graduate is an informal magazine published by the Development and Alumni Relations size. Go to Office, for alumni and friends of Queen’s University Belfast. Extracts from The Graduate should www.qub.ac.uk/home/ not be published without the approval of the Editor. While every effort is made to ensure the Alumni and follow the accuracy of printed information, readers should be aware that this is an alumni magazine and www.darraghneely.com links via Benefits & Services not an official publication. Any views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the University or the editorial team. Advertisements are carefully vetted, but the University can take no responsibility for their content. Design: The Graduate 2011 3 Contents 4 News 28 The name of All the latest from the game across the campus Sporting excellence at Queen’s 7 Titanic Transformation 30 Culture at Queen’s Queen’s at the heart Shan McAnena of Belfast’s rebirth looks forward to a busy year 14 Career in crisis? John Laverty looks at 34 Class notes the careers advice on All the latest news offer at Queen’s from Queen’s Alumni 19 Innovation in our 44 The business end DNA Graduate and How the University is Executive Education changing society for Centre opens its the better doors 26 Students in AIDS 46 Life-changing challenge impact of legacies Pharmacy students How you can make bring hope to AIDS a difference hospice Front Cover: Pictured, Stephen Wray and Professor John McCanny, of ECIT. Photography: Chris Hill This is good news for Queen’s students, for our Northern Ireland’s Employment and Learning staff and for Northern Ireland as a whole. The Minister, Dr Stephen Farry, has confirmed that Stormont Executive has recognised the pivotal role tuition fees for Northern Ireland students enrolled of higher education as an economic driver, and the at Queen’s, the University of Ulster, St Mary’s need for Northern Ireland to retain a sustainable, University College or Stranmillis University College, competitive and high quality sector which attracts will be kept at current levels and subject only to the brightest and best young people from all inflationary increases. Announcesbackgrounds. good news AssemblyIn addition, the Minister has announced that The Executive’s decision to plug the £40m there will also be no additional cuts to the higher funding gap follows a robust campaign led by the education budget beyond the £28m efficiencies University. Thank you for your help if you took savings which have already been imposed and that part in the “Election Doorstep Challenge” and any the remaining £40 million funding gap will be met other initiatives that supported this campaign. by the Northern Ireland Executive. 4 The Graduate 2011 News From Across The Campus For more news stories, visit our website: www.qub.ac.uk/alumni Therese White, Student of the Year Therese Graduation Best Dressed chocolate lolly and a 10% discount The new Institute, based in the Competition from Argento. Queen’s University Management School, which recently opened The Development and Alumni The ‘Best Dressed’ graduate each for business at Riddel Hall on the Relations Office, in partnership day won a £50 voucher courtesy Stranmillis Road, encourages local with Argento, Perks and the of Argento. And the overall winner entrepreneurs to look towards QGA, once again recognised the for the week received a £200 China as a potential source of new style of Queen’s alumni in the voucher, again thanks to Argento. trading partners and markets. annual graduation ‘Best Dressed’ competition. See Alumni facebook for all entries. It also strengthens the links between Queen’s and China Queen’s fast-tracks business by working with a range of opportunities in China Chinese educational business and government organisations to Queen’s has launched a China forge new academic and research Management Research Institute to connections. fast-track business opportunities in China for Northern Ireland Professor Richard Harrison, Queen’s companies. University Management School, says: “The new Institute will offer enhanced knowledge and expertise for the benefit of industry and commerce in both Northern Ireland and China.” Are you an entrepreneur keen to do business in China? Contact Dr Yu Xiong +44 (0)28 9097 3644 for more details. David voted top entrepreneurial educator Exclusively for the Class of 2011, the ‘Best Dressed’ competition David Gibson of the Management took place throughout Graduation School was voted the world Week from 4 - 8 July. All entrants number one entrepreneurship received a special graduation educator in the United States The Graduate 2011 5 who has led the development of Robert, a founder of San a cancer drug to prevent tumours Francisco-based design company from growing new blood vessels; Ammunition, shared his unique Dr Bhaskar Sengupta, whose approach to product design during pioneering work removing arsenic a presentation organised by the from ground water is transforming Chief Executives’ Club at Queen’s the lives of millions around the in association with the Northern world and Professor Kieran Ireland Technology Centre. McEvoy, a world-leader on research into conflict resolution, transitional Some of Brunner’s most exciting justice and truth recovery. projects include collaborating with pop star Lady Gaga to develop a International students ‘migrate’ wearable camera in the form of a to Queen’s pair of sunglasses with embedded in January 2011. Universities LCD displays, which was launched in Thailand are now using his Fifty students from 16 countries earlier this year. Enterprise for Nurses training migrated to Queen’s for a unique materials created at Queen’s and two-week summer school on the Science Park visionary gets top David has been asked to design human rights issues arising from academy award international Entrepreneurship migration. training courses for teachers in One of the people behind the Europe. He is also working on This year marks the 10th creation of the Northern Ireland applying his model to further anniversary of the Summer School, Science Park has been recognised education in the UK. The EEC has organised by the Human Rights for his outstanding contribution recently confirmed Queen’s as one Centre in the University’s School of to engineering by the Royal Irish of the top five in entrepreneurship Law.