Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald today said that land necessary to drive forward to the expansion of Ulster University’s Derry~Londonderry Campus to achieve 10,000 students has now been acquired by the Department and Ulster University.
During a visit to the campus the Minister and the Vice-Chancellor announced the purchase of the Timber Quay office block, which follows the recent acquisition of sites along Queens Quay.
Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University, Prof Paul Bartholomew said:
“Due to recent rapid growth in student numbers at Ulster University Derry~Londonderry, our campus is currently at maximum capacity, and we have a pressing need for more space. The space that we stand in today at Timber Quay will be quickly transformed into teaching and learning environments in time to welcome new and returning students in September 2025. The additional land that we have acquired in partnership with DfE around Queen’s Quay will help us to add additional spaces in the future.
"We will continue to work with our partners to realise growth on this campus and are grateful to our co-investors in the Department for the Economy for their financial support to ensure that together, we are delivering for Derry~Londonderry.”
Speaking after a tour of the sites, the Minister, said:
“Since the Magee Expansion Taskforce was setup last year my Department, in partnership with Ulster University, have contributed almost £21.5m of capital expenditure to support the planned growth. The acquisition of the Timber Quay building will itself allow Ulster University to accommodate 375 new students in the next academic year.
"This purchase, along with the additional lands secured along Queen's Quay, means we can drive forward to reach 10,000 students at Magee by 2032."
Chair of the Magee Taskforce, Stephen Kelly said:
“Today’s announcement ensures that momentum is maintained to deliver on the 10,000 minimum target agreed in the Programme for Government. The University have purchased these properties from local owners who are as determined as all of us in seeing Ulster University’s expansion plans meeting the city’s economic, cultural, and social ambitions.”
Teaching more than 5,300 students in the last academic year, the Ulster University Derry~Londonderry campus is home to over 120 programmes, with more being added annually. The thriving campus is a hub for health sciences, creative industries, computing and engineering, business, and the arts.
This year, the University was ranked top 10 in the UK for five of the courses taught in Derry~Londonderry (Speech and Language Therapy, Information Systems and Management, Radiography, Physiotherapy and Health Studies), and the institution is the UK and Ireland University of the Year, Times Higher Education.