Category Archives: community

Celebrating CNY at Queen’s and in Belfast

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Celebration CNY at Queen’s

With the Year of the Horse fast approaching, Queen’s University Belfast has released its celebration programme, alongside a few civic Chinese New Year (CNY) celebrations. In this post, we would like to highlight the events and activities that may generate shared interest.

Queen’s colleagues are warmly invited to take part in a range of cultural activities celebrating the Year of the Horse. The celebrations will highlight a Launch Event on Friday 13 February, 12:00–1:00 pm, at One Elmwood Cube, followed by a Dragon Parade and Cultural Fair in the One Elmwood Foyer and Cube areas throughout the afternoon.

Online Exhibitions

We are grateful to have collected paintings from ArtEast Club members in the 6th consecutive year and the photos of China with intercultrual reflections from three Queen’s photographers.

The coming weeks’ highlights are:

Student-led activities (Friday 06/02)

  • CNY Arts and Crafts Workshop & Drawing Competition
    1:00–4:00 pm, The Cube, One Elmwood
  • Chinese Singing Competition
    7:30 pm, Harty Room, Music Building

Culture Talks (Monday 16/02 – Thursday 26/02)

Beginning from Monday 16th, there will be a cluster of culture talks contributed by Queen’s academics, research students and guest speakers from a wide range of subject areas and professional backgrounds, as below:

Fun Time with Table Tennis (Saturday 28/02)

Sponsored by QUB iRise Staff Network and One Elmwood Student Engagement Team, we would like to invite all staff members and students, and their families as well, to join this fun and friendly event to engage with this popular sport among the Chinese communities, as well as providing an opportunity for enhancing student and staff wellbeing through sport. Both beginners and more advanced players are welcome to sign up for the fun event, with an appreciation of its unique culture, as well as developing some practical skills in body movements and mediation.

Launch of Bridges to China Project (Sunday 01/03)

Finally, it is worth recommending this launch of Bridges to China Project, which is a collaboration between Queen’s researchers and their civic partners including Chinese Welfare Association, National Museum NI and AvliaMedia on creating a repertoire to enhance public understanding of Chinese heritage and culture in Northern Ireland. It also aims to foster community partnerships leading to further collaboration and community engagement around the longstanding links between Northern Ireland and China.

For more information and registration, please visit the full programme below. You are all very welcome to join us and enjoy the cultural celebrations of the Year of the Horse. If you would like to help with us in any of the events and activities, you may consider filling in the volunterring form below.

CCP2026 Homepage
Volunteering to Support CCP2026 Programme

Celebrating CNY in Belfast

If you would like to know more about CNY celebration events outside Queen’s, we hope you find the following information useful.

Monday 16/02 by CCC NI and CWA NI

The annual Spring Festival Gala, jointly organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, N.I. and Chinese Welfare Association N.I., returns this year to the Europa Hotel. Save your date on Monday 16th February at 6pm.

Friday 20/02 by East Side Arts (with Artsekta and Belfast Film Festival)

Celebrate the Year of the Horse at Templemore Baths Heritage Centre with a creative workshop and light hearted action packed film. 

Sunday 22/02 by Success Dragon and Lion Dance Association

The Chinese New Year Celebration returns to the Ulster Hall Belfast on Sunday 22nd February 2026 celebrating the Year of Horse. Come to enjoy a day is full of fun and joy, rich in Colours and Culture. With over 12 global dances and music not to be missed.

Saturday 28/02 by ABCP NI

值此佳节来临之际，全英华人教授协会北爱尔兰地区诚挚邀请您参加2026年春节庆祝活动，共庆团圆，同贺新岁！本次活动旨在促进学术交流、增进友谊，并为在北爱工作学习的华人学者及家庭提供一个温馨团聚的平台。我们期待与您共度一个充满知识与欢笑的下午，并在晚宴中共叙情谊、喜迎新春。如您计划出席，请于 2026年2月14日（星期六） 前报名。参与对象： 北爱尔兰地区大学老师、学者、博士生、访问学者及家属。

Happy Year of the Horse! 马年快乐！

CNY2026 Fun Time with Table Tennis

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Date: Saturday 28 February 2026
Time: 12:00 – 15:00
Venue: Main Hall Table Tennis Court, QUB PEC

About the Event:

This event is part of the Chinese New Year Celebrations (Year of the Horse) at Queen’s. Sponsored by the QUB iRISE Staff Network, supported by One Elmwood Student Engagement Team and The Language Centre, we would like to invite all staff members and students, and their families as well, to join this fun and friendly event to engage with this popular sport among the Chinese communities, as well as providing an opportunity for enhancing student and staff wellbeing through sport.

Both beginners and more advanced players are welcome to sign up for the fun event, with an appreciation of its unique culture, as well as developing some practical skills in body movements and mediation. We hope this fun game will also demonstrate the charm of the table tennis playing. We will provide basic equipment such as rackets and balls, and feel free to bring your own equipment and wear properly. Children must be attended by parents or guardians. 

This 3-hour-long event is free for all as non-PEC members’ entry fees are covered. Booking is needed due to capacity (up to 40 players) and access request. Please complete the registration form below. 

Car Parking Parking at the PEC is free for the initial 3 hours of your reservation. After that period, there is a fee of £1.80 per hour. Please register your car at the terminals inside the main PEC Building. To avoid this inconvenience, you may wish to park your cars outside the parking area, alongside the River Lagan Annandale Embankment.

CNY2026 Info Session and Celebrating Int’l Volunteer Day

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5th December is International Volunteer Day. We warmly invite Queen’s students and societies, staff and service teams, along with civic and community partners, to join this information session to celebrate International Volunteer Day and to explore ways to contribute to Queen’s Year of the Horse celebrations.

Come join us at 1 pm on the day in the iconic Great Hall for a get-together and sharing of celebration information and ideas.

All is welcome and registration is required.

Registration

Echoes of the East

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A Chinese Poetry and Art Song Concert

Date: Monday 15/12/2015

Time: 19:00

Venue: Harty Room, QUB

Organised by Queen’s Chinese students and alumni, this concert is a community-oriented cultural initiative designed to foster diversity, inclusion, and intercultural dialogue in Northern Ireland. As the Chinese community represents one of the largest cultural groups in Northern Ireland, the concert also responds to their need for collective expression and connection, particularly for students and residents who may experience isolation or homesickness.

This concert project supports civic engagement by providing an accessible platform where local and international communities can come together to experience Chinese cultural heritage. Aligned with the principle that “music knows no borders”, the concert contributes to cultural exchange, mutual understanding, and the creation of more inclusive civic spaces. It directly supports institutional priorities in widening participation, celebrating cultural diversity, and strengthening community cohesion.

The concert presents Chinese classical poetry through art songs accompanied by piano and guzheng, bringing Eastern and Western musical traditions into conversation.

Queen’s students and staff members, as well as members of the public, are all welcome to sign up for the concert. Places are limited and tickets will be issued on a first-come-first-serve basis. To register, please either click the button below, or scan the QR code above.

Click here to read a Chinese post. (点击此处阅读中文介绍。）

Registration

November Events

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Despite a busy – and perhaps slightly tedious – November filled with deadlines and submissions, the Chinese community at Queen’s, including both scholars and students, continues to bring campus life to full vigor and vitality.

This month, two academic seminars are scheduled, and we warmly invite you to attend and take part in these stimulating academic dialogues.

Seminar 1

Ni Yang, PhD student from School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, will present ‘1976-1995: The Intersection of Urbanisation and Artistic Liberation in China: Beijing East Village’ at the History Seminar.

  • Date: Thursday 14/11
  • Time: 4:00 – 5:30 pm
  • Venue: 27 UQ / 01 / 003
  • Registration: via Eventbrite

This seminar examines Beijing East Village (1992–1995) as a unique outcome of China’s post-Mao transformation, set against the backdrop of urban restructuring, market reforms, and shifting cultural policies. Following the end of the Cultural Revolution and the ideological thaw of the 1980s, Beijing underwent rapid urbanisation, the demolition of traditional neighbourhoods, expansion of infrastructure, and emergence of informal ‘urban villages’ on the city’s periphery. In these liminal zones, beyond full state control, artists forged new spaces for experimentation. East Village became a focal point where figures such as Rong Rong, Lü Nan, Zhang Huan, and Ma Liuming developed radical performance and photographic works that challenged social norms and redefined artistic freedom. Through case studies including 12 Square Metres, Fen-Ma Liuming’s Lunch, and To Add One Metre to an Anonymous Mountain, this seminar explores how photography mediated between transient performances and enduring cultural memory, amplifying their impact across domestic and international contexts. Situating East Village within the broader currents of economic reform, spatial politics, and cultural negotiation, it reconsiders the role of art in documenting, critiquing, and shaping a rapidly transforming society.

Ni Yang is a PhD student specialising in the intersection of history and photography, examining how images both document and shape historical change. His doctoral research investigates the cultural, political, and urban transformations of post-Mao China, analysing how photography operates as a medium for recording social realities, constructing public memory, and negotiating cultural identity. By situating photographic practice within the broader historical currents of reform, urbanisation, and shifting cultural policy, his work reveals the complex interplay between visual culture and the lived experience of historical transition.

Refreshments, drinks, and snacks will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Seminar 2

Dr Zi Yang, on behalf of the Private and Commercial Research Cluster, warmly invites you to join the research seminar with Professor Xiahong Chen, a visiting scholar from China University of Political Science and Law, on Tuesday 18th November in Board Room 2 (MST / 08 /014), School of Law.

  • Date: Tuesday 18/11
  • Time: 9:30 – 11:45 am
  • Venue: MST / 08 / 014
  • Registration: via Forms

Professor Xiahong Chen is Research Fellow at the Bankruptcy Law & Restructuring Research Centre of the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) and Senior Editor and Director of the Journal of CUPL (core comprehensive academic journal in China). He is an internationally recognised scholar of bankruptcy and insolvency law, with over 18 books and numerous impactful articles in leading journals, including Annotations to the Enterprise Bankruptcy Law (Peking University Press 2021) and Notes on Bankruptcy Law (Law Press 2021). His research has been translated internationally, and he is a member of INSOL Europe, INSOL International, and the American Bankruptcy Institute. The talk with focus on China’s recent Insolvency Law reform.

Refreshments, drinks, and snacks will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Mid-Autumn Festival and Welcome Event Celebrates Cultural Diversity at Queen’s

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On Friday, 3 October, despite the adverse weather conditions, the Mid-Autumn Festival and Welcome Event went ahead as planned, bringing together over 50 students, staff (including visiting scholars), and community partners in the McClay Library Auditorium. The celebration featured live music, cultural displays, talks, and refreshments, all showcasing the vibrancy and inclusiveness of Queen’s community.

  • Decoration with mooncakes and flowers
  • Decoration with mooncakes and flowers

The event opened with a captivating guzheng performance of Moon Rising High by PhD candidate Li Fei, setting a graceful tone for the afternoon’s celebration of community and civic engagement.

  • Welcoming guzheng music by LI Fei
  • Welcoming guzheng music by LI Fei

Jointly organised by The Language Centre and iRise (BAME&I) Staff Network, the event featured welcoming remarks from Thomas (Language Centre Manager) and Bee-Yen (Senior Lecturer, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Co-Chair of iRise), who both reflected on the cultural importance of celebrating diversity at Queen’s. Mórrigan (Student Officer for Accessible Education) and Claudia (Chair of the International Students’ Association) also spoke, introducing the roles of the Queen’s Students’ Union in supporting a student body representing over 80 countries and regions.

  • Welcome by Thomas Smith, Language Centre Manager
  • Welcome by Dr Bee-Yen Toh, iRise Staff Network co-chair
  • Welcome by Mórrigan McEvoy, Student Officer Accessible Education
  • Welcome by Claudia Liu, Chair of International Students’ Association

Dr Liang Wang shared greetings from both local and international participants, including a surprise message from Queen’s University, Canada, and highlighted a series of successful student- and staff-led projects in line with the Cultural Diversity Scheme at Queen’s in recent years. He also invited attendees to take part in the new round of upcoming activities. Special thanks were given to student volunteer Shiuh Ting Gho, who delighted participants with beautifully written calligraphy pieces of traditional festival greetings.

  • Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations at Queen’s
  • Introduction to Mid-Autumn Festival
  • Greetings from the participants
  • Greetings from the participants
  • Greeting from a special guest from Queen’s University in Canada
  • Calligraphy display from Shiuh Ting Gho
  • Highlight 1 – Journal of Eutopia Art and Culture
  • Highlight 1 – Journal of Eutopia Art and Culture
  • Highlight 2 – Taste of the World: A Journey Through Food and Culture
  • Highlight 2 – Taste of the World: A Journey Through Food and Culture
  • Highlight 3 – QUB DEIB Forum
  • Highlight 4 – Bridges to China Project

In the cultural display segment, Li Fei further demonstrated her artistry through a traditional tea and incense ceremony, showcasing the elegance and mindfulness of Chinese cultural practices. Attendees showed great enthusiasm, enjoying both the demonstration and a taste of freshly brewed Chinese tea.

The afternoon concluded with networking, mooncake tasting, and refreshments, leaving everyone with warm smiles and shared appreciation for Queen’s commitment to cultural diversity and inclusion.

Photographer: Tianpeng Yao, Liang Wang

Participants wanted

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论文对象招募

📌 实验内容（纯线下校园里进行）

  • 配对写作（与一位小伙伴合作完成一篇短篇150字左右的英文作文）
  • 完成一个小问卷（关于写作期间的情绪感受）

👩‍🎓 招募对象：

  • 母语为中文，第一外语为英文
  • 年龄 18–55 岁，本硕博在读生

🗓 时间安排：

  • 可根据你的空闲时间预约

💰实验报酬：

  • 20磅的优惠券或者是200字论文润色服务


⚠️ 实验说明：

  • 参与完全自愿，可随时退出
  • 实验数据仅用于学术研究，严格保密

📩 报名方式：

  • 有兴趣的同学扫码进群

Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration and Welcome Event

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Hello September, we hope all will settle in quickly and have a great start!

With the start of the new academic year, we are delighted to host a special welcome event that brings together staff and students to connect, share knowledge, and celebrate intercultural experiences. This gathering marks the Mid-Autumn Festival, a time of reunion and appreciation, with the chance to enjoy mooncakes and experience cultural performances. We warmly invite all students and staff to join us for this festive celebration at Queen’s!

Date: Friday 3rd October 2025
Time: 13:30 – 16:00 
Venue: Auditorium, The McClay Library

Registration

Due to limited capacity of the room and high demand, we are only able to accommodate up to 50 people, on a first-come-first-serve basis. People who are informed on a waiting list will be contacted if vacancies appear.

We hope you will enjoy the event!

Call for volunteers

We are looking for talented students and staff members to volunteer for our Chinese language and cultural events at Queen’s. It could be in the form of a variety of cultural performances, or language/culture-related topics and skills, and is open to both Chinese-speaking and non-Chinese speaking volunteers.

We look forward to working with you in our future events.

Volunteering

QUB DEIB Forum 2

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Towards Inclusive Belonging: Intercultural Realities and Responses to Microaggressions

Following the success of the inaugural QUB Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Forum in March 2025, the upcoming event will centre on the theme: “Sense of Belonging and Microaggressions among International Students”, with a particular focus on the lived experiences of Chinese and Indian students at Queen’s. Colleagues are warmly welcome to attend this forum, as below:

Date: Tuesday 24 June 2025
Time: 13:00 – 15:30
Venue: The Auditorium, McClay Library

Speakers:

  • Dr Elida Cena, Lecturer, School of Psychology
  • Yushan Tang Wilson, PhD student, School of Psychology

A panel of academic, professional colleagues and student representatives will further explore both the conceptual dimensions and the practical steps needed to enhance inclusion, foster belonging, and address microaggressions within our diverse university community.

Programme:

  • Welcome Lunch
  • Introduction
  • Presentations
  • Panel discussion
  • Closing remarks

Places are limited to max. 40 due to room capacity and we have the first-come, first-served policy. The registration form will be closed once places are taken, or by 5 pm, Friday 20th May the latest.

Registration – closed

Related reading:

Participants wanted

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Calling international students and Chinese students at Queen’s

Below are two pieces of ‘Wanted’ messages looking for participants. If you think you are the right person to get involved and make a contribution, feel free to contact them to express your interest.

1 Participants for AI and Second Language Acquisition Research

My name is Zhuofei, and you can call me Sophie.

I’m a PhD student in psychology at Queen’s. My first study focuses on the impact of AI on Second Language Acquisition. I’m currently looking for international students who are Non-English Speaker from any countries.

As an international student, have you ever used AI in your language use?

My answer is: I have — and quite a lot, to be honest!

As non-native English speakers, it’s perfectly normal for us to experience a bit of language anxiety when using English in UK classrooms. Imagine that moment when you want to speak up, but your brain decides to play hide-and-seek with vocabulary. Yep, been there.

Now here are the big questions:

  • Does using AI to help with language actually reduce that anxiety?
  • Does it make you more motivated to learn? Or more confident to speak up in class? Or… does it sometimes make things worse?

That’s what I’d love to find out — with your help! Let’s explore together how AI is really shaping our language learning journeys as international students. Who knows — you might discover you’re not the only one secretly best friends with ChatGPT!

If you are interested in taking part, please scan the QR code in the poster😊

There will also be a Focus Group on the same topic later. if you wish to participate, please send me an email. Thank you very much and looking forward to having a chat with you in what promises to be a very interesting discussion 👍

2 《中国之桥》项目

贝尔法斯特女王大学、 北爱国家博物馆（NMNI）和我们华人福利会合作共同运营的「中国之桥」 项目已经开启。

项目背景：北爱尔兰国家博物馆（NMNI）现藏有70件中国文物，但相关历史资料匮乏，且公众接触机会有限。本合作项目由女王大学研究人员（历史学、博物馆人类学）、NMNI及华人福利协会共同发起，旨在重塑公众对这些文物的认知。在项目团队支持下，当地华人社群将参与研究、分享专业见解，并通过创意形式回应这些文物，最终生成新的文献记录和社区反馈，汇集成一份公开发表的数字成果。项目还将促进社区合作，进一步探索北爱尔兰与中国之间的历史联系。

这个项目非常有意义，请有意参加这个项目的朋友填写以下意向书。

谢谢大家的支持。

意向表