Following the induction of 10 new countries into the EU at the weekend, the University of Ulster has announced the formation of a £1.5m Northern Ireland Centre for European Co-Operation (NICEC) at its Magee campus.

The NICEC will promote shared learning across the enlarged EU and it is expected that Northern Ireland researchers and practitioners will contribute significantly to, and learn from, future policy development in the wider region.

Commenting on the new centre, which will focus its work on social and cultural regeneration and diversity and conflict management, newly-appointed Director of the Centre, Dr Fionnuala McKelvey said: “The accession of these new countries provides increased cultural diversity to the EU, and makes the establishment of the Northern Ireland Centre for European Co-operation very timely with our particular focus on diversity, social and cultural issues.

“Our project entitled 'From the Local to the Global and Back Again' will provide us with the opportunity to experience and learn about other cultures, examine models of best practice and develop international networks. Knowledge gained from the Centre’s work will feed into policy development at a local, regional and European level."

The formation of the new Centre builds on the University's strong track record of research on European issues and existing networks, including: research into social policy regimes in a comparative context, minority languages across the European Union and many networks looking at conflict resolution and the management of diversity, Dr McKelvey concluded.

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