UU’s ambitious plans

The University of Ulster has been releasing details of its future strategy over the past two weeks. First up was the announcement of the expansion of its city centre campus in Belfast’s cathedral quarter,

with some provision being moved from the Jordanstown campus on the outskirts of the city.
Next up is raising the profile of the campus in Londonderry. The Magee campus hopes to attract an additional 2000 students to an enhanced range of courses.
Plus Coleraine – location of its other Campus – is to benefit from the construction of a new business park.
With a projected budget of £250m earmarked for the changes, this will be a major boost to the NI economy and the areas targeted.
There are concerns however, from local representatives and onlookers, about the future of the (presently) largest campus at Jordanstown. The university has moved quickly to allay fears by earmarking it as a centre of excellence for sports studies – but this has done nothing to quell the disquiet in the Newtownabbey/Jordanstown area, just five miles from Belfast city centre.
Northern Ireland’s only other university, the Queen’s University of Belfast, obviously also headquarters in the city (as does the physical presence of the OU). This may also be a veiled rationale for the proposals by the UU – to become a ‘city’ university and once and for all shake off its ‘polytechnic’ roots.
Articles here and here