The Ulster University Magee campus in Derry
SINN Féin Councillor Mickey Cooper has welcomed a presentation made to Derry City and Strabane District Council by Professors Paddy Nixon and Hugh McKenna from the University of Ulster (UU) regarding the proposed new medical school for the Magee campus.
He particularly welcomed the fact that the plans for the opening of the new school by September 2019 remains on course and said it would be one of the first building blocks in the wider development of the campus which Sinn Féin had been aggressively lobbying for over many years.
Councillor Mickey Cooper said: “I was delighted to offer the party’s continued support for the expansion of the campus and welcomed the fact that the University of Ulster has already committed £2 million pounds of funding to develop the medical school in the coming years.
“I also recognised that continued expansion was dependent on central government support and reassured them that Sinn Féin would continue to lobby our government and statutory partners to ensure this would be the case.
“In particular we welcomed the fact that the school of nursing was recently ranked in the top 40 nursing campuses in the world.
“And expressed hope that the additional niche subjects offered by the new medical school would further enhance the reputation of the campus in offering high quality teaching in subjects which are not offered elsewhere.
“I also welcomed the UU’s plans to develop a wide range of niche faculties in subjects as diverse as data analytics, Irish Studies, precision medicine and Intelligence Based systems which will provide the Magee campus with a unique academic offer and opportunity to brand itself to a worldwide audience.
“These proposals bode well for the future of the campus and we look forward to offering our continued support to make sure that the Magee campus is fit for purpose and an economic driver for the city in the coming years,” he added.
