"ICT’s role in Next Generation Universities: What will IT look like in a New Campus?"

Abstract

The University of Ulster, one of two in Northern Ireland and of seven on the island of Ireland has a student population of some 26,000 with 4 campuses (Belfast, Jordanstown, Coleraine and Magee) dispersed throughout the county. It has created an ambitious estates development strategy that includes the development of a new urban campus in Belfast city centre, the capital city, with the initial phase due occupancy in 2015 and the complete campus by October 2018. The decision to develop the new campus, which will eventually be home to 15,000 students, was taken following a Government commissioned review, in 2006, of the higher education estate in Northern Ireland. A review by the University considered various options to redress the situation, with the most cost-effective option being to relocate around 13,000 students from its Jordanstown campus to a new city centre development.The new campus will play a significant role in the academic, cultural, social and economic regeneration of the city of Belfast and will be co-located and integrated with its existing modern campus where approximately 1,800 students currently study.