14th December 2001

Email this Page |

The University of Ulster saw its international reputation as a groundbreaking research centre soar today, when its Biomedical Sciences and Celtic Studies departments each achieved a 5* rating in the RAE – the UK’s higher education research quality benchmark.

The 5* rating means that the UU’s research in these subjects is of ‘international excellence’, and places the UU at the forefront of the UK’s 173 universities in science and the arts.

The accolade – used as a guide to public funding for university research – is expected to bring millions of pounds of new research investment to Northern Ireland. Overall, the University turned in a sparkling performance across its four campuses and 28 research units, improving or maintaining its performance in virtually every sector.

It is five years since the last research quality ratings were published, and the latest RAE ratings for 2001 found that the University of Ulster:

• GAINED two 5* ratings - Biomedical Sciences (including cancer, diabetes, nutrition and ageing research) and Irish & Celtic Studies. The award comes in the same week as the Celtic Studies achieved a perfect score of 24 in the UK’s teaching quality ratings
  
• BECAME one of only four universities in the UK to achieve a 5* rating in biomedical sciences.
  
• ACHIEVED a 4 rating in rehabilitation sciences (physiotherapy) – the highest rating for this discipline in the UK showing the strength of the university in Studies Allied to Medicine.
  
• WAS one of only four UK universities to achieve 5* in Irish & Celtic Studies.
  
• IMPROVED performance in 17 of the University’s 28 units of assessment.
  
• SCORED a 5 rating in Built Environment, Art and Design and Law making the University a national leader in these areas.
  

Professor Gerry McKenna, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, said today that he was delighted by the news. “I am deeply proud that our achievements in both Science and the Arts have been given the ultimate distinction. In effect we have won two gold medals in the Olympics of university research competition. For a regional university to achieve this level of research recognition in such a short time is a staggering accomplishment, and is great news for the University and for Northern Ireland.

“We have doubled our world class research capability, and demonstrated why the Sunday Times recently shortlisted us for the title of UK University of the Year. The fact that each of our four campuses have contributed fully to the success is deeply gratifying”.

Professor McKenna declared that the results reflected significant investment in new research centres and the recruitment of outstanding talented researchers, many of them eminent figures in their fields. He said: “Since the last Exercise in 1996, the University has invested over £50m million in research geared to building Northern Ireland’s knowledge economy in the new century. In addition, we have pumped £24m into developing Science Research Parks at our Magee, Coleraine and Jordanstown campuses. As a result, we have established 14 spinout companies, with a further three to go live in the next months.

“We are also proud to have set up a £10m venture capital fund to help foster innovation, primarily in biotechnology and computing science.

“We were determined to ensure that our proven success in Science should not be at the expense of the Arts, and this has been vindicated by the brilliant score achieved by Celtic Studies. The overall results show that we in Northern Ireland can match the best, and that we will be able to compete on equal terms in the Information Age”.

Leading industrialist Alan McClure OBE, Managing Director of Perfecseal and President of Londonderry Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the UU achievement, declaring that the University’s performance was a much needed ‘shot in the arm’ for economic regeneration in Northern Ireland.

“This world class performance by the University of Ulster means that Northern Ireland industry and commerce can face the competitive future with the confidence of having a research resource that can compete with anywhere in the world.

“The University has significantly improved the quality of its research in the fields crucial to the new global economy. Its research performance is second to none in the health and biomedical sector, information communications technologies, energy efficiency and sustainable technologies, and innovative materials.”

Professor John Hughes, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development), declared that the results would have implications for prosperity and job creation in Northern Ireland and allow the University to access new external income streams.“The better our research is rated, the more external funding we can attract, thus driving innovation and growth in our economy and in our community. Together with our Science Parks throughout Northern Ireland and the successful spin-off companies, I am confident that we stand on the threshold of greater things”.

Looking to the future, Professor McKenna revealed that the foundation stone for a new £14.5 million Centre for Molecular Biosciences is to be laid at the Coleraine campus early in the New Year.

“We are firmly on the map and our ambitions have been given great impetus by these outstanding results. They show clearly that in Northern Ireland we have outstanding talent and the ability to come top of the class”.

For further information, please contact:

Press Office Department of Communication and Development
Telephone: 028 9036 6178
Email: pressoffice@ulster.ac.uk