Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, we became an independent university in 1908.

Today, we are ranked 198 in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023), and are a member of the Russell Group of UK research intensive universities, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.

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.