Queen's University Belfast President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Ian Greer has issued a response to the Programme for Government published today.
Sir Greer stated: "We welcome the Programme for Government, published today. Queen’s University is ready to play its part in supporting the NI economy through skills and innovation. The university already delivers economic impact of over £3bn every year, a benefit to cost ratio of more than 8:1. Investment in the university sector brings not only economic gain but also significant social impact. We believe that we in the University Sector can do even more to support the ambitions of the executive and transform NI.
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"We unreservedly support the commitment for a regional balance in Higher Education in Northern Ireland. Further, recognising the capacity, capability and excellence of both Further and Higher Education in NI, we believe that by working across a tertiary education system in NI, we can retain and attract students, delivering the much needed graduates for our growing economy, so tackling the loss of around 30 per cent of Northern Ireland students each year to universities and colleges in GB, a figure projected to double by 2030. As only a third of these students return, we lose many of our talented, skilled young people to other parts of the UK. Creating a better NI tertiary education system will not only stem that flow but also build our economy further.
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"Queen’s University is ranked second in the UK for entrepreneurial impact and has developed over 100 companies with an estimated combined annual turnover of circa £500 million, highlighting the key role and impact of universities and businesses working together. We therefore welcome the support outlined for greater investment in Research and Development by enhancing engagement between universities and business."
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