Transcript:

Professor Sir Ian Greer:

With Summer Graduations taking place next week, I wanted to take a few moments to thank you all for your hard work and dedication this year. 

Graduation ceremonies are the highlight of our academic year, and I know we all look forward to seeing our graduands, their families and friends on campus for the ceremonies. 

Around 5,000 students will graduate from Queen’s in the coming days. 

As a University community, we are immensely proud of their achievement, and also of the degrees that we confer, coupled with the experience we deliver for our students during their time here. 

As always, every single one of you played a part in their journey as a member of our outstanding staff team - whether that is through the quality of the teaching or research you deliver; through the excellent student support; or through the delivery and maintenance of our campus facilities and hospitality. 

It all combines to deliver a fabulous student experience.

As we mark our 180th anniversary year, there is much to be proud of. 

In particular, we've been identified as a world leading institution across major international and domestic university rankings: 

• In the QS World University Rankings 2026, we have broken into the Top 200 globally. This is a fantastic achievement and testament to the hard work of colleagues across the institution to enhance our global reputation. 

• We've performed outstandingly in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, placing comfortably within the Top 100 globally for our contribution towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - an important recognition of our real-world impact and our commitment to addressing global challenges. 

• Domestically, Queen’s has also moved up in the Complete University Guide 2026, rising to 24th in the UK, and once again ranked as the number one university in Northern Ireland. 

The student experience we deliver also shone in this year's ‘What Uni? Student Choice Awards’ - the largest annual awards in the UK where the outcome is decided exclusively by students: 

• Queen’s Students’ Union was named the best in the UK. A fantastic achievement.

• And Queen’s was placed in the top three for the University of the Year and Postgraduate Education categories, and fourth in the UK for international students. We were also in the top 10 in the UK for Career Prospects. 

These are significant achievements, and Kieran and the team in the Students’ Union deserve immense credit for their ongoing commitment. 

In the civic space, Queen’s has been officially recognised as a University of Sanctuary, through the facilitated support we offer to local refugee, asylum-seeker and migrant communities, alongside enhanced opportunities to access higher education. This affirms Queen’s as a place of welcome, opportunity, and inclusion. 

In terms of our strategic approach, and despite the various external pressures facing our sector - financial, political and regulatory - we remain ambitious. 

Queen’s is a truly global institution with a proud civic mission.  To counter current financial headwinds effectively, we're forging new partnerships, new programmes and new frontiers in research, educational and societal impact. Most importantly, we'll do this together - as one university and in alignment with our core values. 

We've been making good progress on our initiative in GIFT City in India. I was delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Satish Kumar as the inaugural Dean of our new campus there.  We remain on track to welcome our first cohort of students there in early 2026. 

I would also like to thank you for your openness and engagement during our recent all-staff sessions. We recognise that we are currently navigating a period of significant change and we are committed to supporting you through this transition. 

We also remain focused on the broader working environment. Whether it’s about career development opportunities and Performance Development Review, or practical matters like enhancing environmentally sustainable commuting options, we understand that these issues are important. 

Finally, I want to reiterate that we will keep listening and responding to your views. The University is its people. The next phase of our institutional plan will therefore be built not just around strategic goals, but around your experiences, expertise and our hopes for Queen’s. 

Thank you again for your continued commitment, resilience and professionalism. 

As always, I would encourage you all to enjoy some well-deserved rest and time with family and friends over the summer months. Thank you.