‘It’s easier to look back on 60 years of pain than four years of success’ - Ulster University Vice Chancellor defends pace of Derry expansion

THE Ulster University Vice Chancellor has said he is “perplexed” by criticism about the pace of growth at the Derry campus.

Taking a break between winter graduations at the university’s Coleraine Campus on Friday, Prof Paul Bartholomew said he was doing everything within his power to reverse a historical neglect of the north-west.

On Friday Economy Minister Conor Murphy announced that a target of 10,000 students in Derry by 2032 would be met.

With £364m spent on Ulster University’s new Belfast campus, there is still considerable scepticism bout whether a rising tide will lift all boats and the payoff will extend to Derry.

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In October, Prof Bartholomew had already suggested that tuition fees should rise to £9,000 in line with the rest of the UK to help expand Magee.

Others have also suggested Derry would be better served by a new independent university.

Asked about the strength of feeling from critics, Prof Bartholomew said: "I feel very passionately about it too. Actually on many issues there isn’t a lot of difference between us.

“If you were to put us in a room, we would all say we want to see a larger university in Derry ensuring that city can thrive as it should do.

“It’s absolutely a passion project for me to build the Derry campus up, we’ve had unprecedented levels of growth and success.”

“We have got ongoing research success, capital builds and £150m on the table. The Magee Taskforce’s final report is out on Monday.

“We have broad asks in the hundreds of millions in investment. All of those things that people would expect to see, I would argue, are happening.

“I do feel a little bit puzzled in some way, ‘if not this then what do you want?’”

He said an independent university would still have the same challenges, but with “none of the brand caché or success.”

“We are University of the Year, we’re outstanding in research and participation. To wish to swop that out for something else is perplexing and actually incompatible with the thing everyone is gathered around.

“The New Decade New Approach commitment was to grow our campus in Derry-Londonderry, that’s what there’s political buy-in for.

“That’s not worth throwing away.”

“How do I feel about the criticism, perplexed a little bit because there’s been a lot of success which I think has been underacknowledged,” he said.

“One can always, perhaps legitimately, look back on 60 years of pain rather than four years of success.

“But you can only play the hand that you’ve been dealt, I think I’ve played a good hand.

“We’re approaching nearly 40% growth, we’ve attracted nearly £40m of pledge from the Irish Government.

“I’ve said we’ll be putting in tens of millions from our own reserve. We have the SEUPB (Special EU Programmes Body) PEACEPLUS money for the dome.”

The Airdome in question will be a sports facility built on the old Foyle College site worth €10.86m (over £9m) for a new, part of £65m in funding awarded for six community facilities in Northern Ireland.

“Again, we’re match funding that. We put in nearly 30% of the money for the new medical school, depending on the size they’ll end up on. I think it’s a pretty good track record.”

He calls the 2032 target of 10,000 students “achievable” if promises in the Taskforce report are kept.

“It certainly is aspirational in that it’s written down on paper and hasn’t happened, but we have had a track record of asks being met,” he said.

“No one has a crystal ball, but I’m absolutely as optimistic as I could be at this stage.”

“If things are promised and don’t materialise, people will notice. To his credit, the minister has put himself on the hook for this and said it is his project.”

For those envious of the luxurious Belfast campus, he remains convinced Derry will feel the benefit.

“People look at the cost and think ‘oh blimey, that’s an opportunity lost for elsewhere.’

“Instead, investments have returns. We are getting returns and they are being delivered into the entity that is Ulster University.

“We’ve also been able to move quite a lot of students from Belfast to other campuses, including hundreds to Derry last year.

“This will be very unpopular to say, but the Belfast campus is part of our overall strategy and finance that allows us the financial headroom to invest in our proposition, which is to be that multi-campus institution.

“At this time in 2024, that focus is absolutely ongoing.”