Queen’s Policy Engagement is the ‘front door’ for public policy engagement at Queen’s University Belfast
Supporting academics and policymakers in sharing evidence-based research and ideas on the major social, cultural and economic challenges facing society regionally, nationally and beyond. Our over-arching vision is to share the University’s independent expertise with policymakers so they can make informed decisions about the most effective and sustainable ways to tackle these challenges, now and in the future.
Latest news and views…
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The Politics of Commemoration
Dr Margaret O’Callaghan reflects on how the commemoration of 1916 at different points in time is a snapshot of the politics and tensions of the day. (Image: GPO Dublin 1916)
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Why Putin has pulled Russia out of Syria
Dr Alexander Titov looks at Putin’s recent decision to withdraw Russia’s military forces from Syria and how Russia has emerged as a key player in the Middle East.
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Martin McGuinness – Reimagining Reconciliation for the Future
Dr Gladys Ganiel reflects on a recent event hosted by Queen’s University where Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness reflected on his own personal journey of peace and reconciliation.
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Stop shaming mothers who want to breastfeed their babies
Dr Lisa Smyth looks at the pressure mothers face from society when it comes to feeding their babies and she turns to Scotland to see if they can lead the way in changing attitudes to breastfeeding in public.
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Belfast Soldiers in the Great War
As part of a series of articles commemorating the events of 1916, Jason Burke reflects on the recruitment of, and the role played by unionist and nationalist soldiers from Belfast in the Great War. (Image: Guildhall Stained-glass Windows commemorating the 36th, 16th and 10th Divisions)
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Women in the Easter Rising
In the first of a series of articles on commemorating the events of 1916, Dr Marie Coleman looks at the role of some of the lesser-known female participants in the Easter Rising as well as the plight of the widows left behind. (Image: Countess Constance Markievicz by John Butler Yeats)
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Democracy Without Politicians?
Professor John Garry looks at the idea of deliberative democracy in Northern Ireland and asks if the idea of “randomocracy” can enhance the quality of governance by involving citizens in decision making.
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Irish Civil War politics are dead and gone; they’re with De Valera, MacBride and Mulcahy in the grave
With the Irish general election having thrown up the prospect of a Fianna Fáil-Fine Gael coalition, Dr Marie Coleman examines the historical background to the divisions between the two parties and argues that Civil War politics disappeared long before 2016.
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How did the odd black holes detected by LIGO form – and can we spot them in the sky?
Professor Stephen Smartt examines the recent discovery by LIGO of gravitational waves and asks what this means for our understanding of black holes and stars.