Ulster University’s School of Engineering successfully hosted its first-ever Engineering Industry Partnership Forum on the Belfast campus, at the start of October.
The event brought together key industry partners, showcasing the university’s innovative approach to education, research, and collaboration, in line with its People, Place and Partnership strategy.
The Forum, which aimed to strengthen ties between academia and industry, saw participation from a range of companies, offering insights into future collaborations in student placements, research initiatives, and teaching partnerships.
The event provided attendees with the opportunity to explore the state-of-the-art teaching and laboratory facilities at School of Engineering Belfast campus through a guided tour.
Attendees had the chance to learn about collaborative opportunities, including:
- Student placements with the School of Engineering’s top talent.
- Research partnerships, such as PhDs, CAST programmes, and innovation boosts.
- Engagement in teaching and upskilling programs like Higher-Level Apprenticeships (HLAs).
Professor Dewar Finlay, Head of the School of Engineering, shared his experience of hosting the event:
"As a School, we were delighted to host this event at our Belfast campus to facilitate and further bolster engagement with our diverse range of industrial stakeholders. Industry engagement is fundamental to all of our activities ranging from the development of our taught curriculum to influencing our world leading research."
Andrew Rennie - Customer Service Account Manager from Siemens Healthineers, noted:
"Siemens Healthineers fully embrace the opportunity to work with our educational providers to ensure that the in-talent pool is maintained. This event provided a great deal of insight into the possible opportunities to work with the School of Engineering at Ulster University and the excellent facilities that students have access to there."
Placement Coordinator, Dr Jonathan Acheson, commented on the opportunities at the School:
“Organising this event provided an excellent opportunity to showcase our new Belfast campus and facilities alongside the School of Engineering’s capabilities to key national and international employers. I was proud to highlight placement and employability opportunities within the School of Engineering, and how they can benefit industry employment pathways. Post-event, many companies now wish to explore further partnership opportunities with the University and offer more placement and graduate Engineering roles.”
The Forum created a platform for informal networking and meaningful conversations, allowing for the exchange of ideas that will shape future advancements in Engineering.
Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees expressing enthusiasm for future collaborative efforts.
The School of Engineering is already planning to expand on these partnerships in the coming years, with a focus on driving innovation in Northern Ireland and beyond.
Find out more:
For more information about the School of Engineering and future events, please contact us at seng@ulster.ac.uk.