QUEEN'S OPENS £14M COMPUTER SCIENCE HUB

31 March 2017

Queen’s University has today (Friday 31 March) officially opened an iconic and world-class Computer Science hub on the Malone Road in Belfast, signifying the University’s commitment to global development in the field.

The redevelopment of the former Sir Bernard Crossland Building was completed in nine months at a cost of £14m. Performing the honours was Queen’s graduate Ian Loughran, Head of Americas Sales Operations at Google.

The modern and colourful exterior of the state-of-the-art building boasts glass fins which represent digital code – a main mathematical aspect of computer science.

The new facility will support the expansion of computer science – an institutional priority for the University. STEM subjects are increasingly important to Northern Ireland’s economy and are currently in demand in the local labour market. As the engine house of Northern Ireland, Queen’s is working with key industry players to ensure graduates are highly trained and employment ready.

The University hopes it will make Belfast an international IT hotspot and attract some of the brightest young minds in computer technology to Northern Ireland.

President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s, Professor Patrick Johnson, commented: “This investment by Queen’s is part of the University’s £700m Capital Development Programme, which is transforming our campus and continuing to develop us as a University that is a beacon of learning and innovation.

“The colourfully-redeveloped Computer Science Building will allow the 1,000 students reading computing-related subjects to have access to state-of-the-art facilities. The impressive design fits the requirements of our world-class University and supports our outstanding students and staff in conducting leading-edge education and research, focused on the needs of global society.

“This redevelopment would not have been possible without the support of our generous sponsors and donors – The Garfield Weston Foundation, First Derivatives and Allstate.”

Ian Loughran, who officially opened the hub, commented: “I'm delighted to see this investment in Northern Ireland and specifically at Queen’s. Computer Science education is critical, not only because of the growing number of computer related jobs but also because it develops key skills, which foster new ideas and drive innovation in tech and other fields.”

The hub spans four floors and includes labs and break-out spaces, providing a meeting place for creative learning and a new mode of teaching.

Media inquiries to Emma Gallagher, Communications Officer at Queen’s University on +44 (0)28 9097 5384.

CAPTION: (L to R): Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s, Professor Patrick Johnson with Director of Estates, Damien Toner (back row), Queen’s graduate Diane Murdock, Registrar James O’Kane (back), graduate Ian Loughran, Head of Americas Sales Operations at Google and Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, Head of the School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the offical opening.

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