Northern Ireland needs a 'unionism professor'

Crowds gathered outside Belfast City Hall in June 1921 for the opening of the Northern Ireland parliament

UUP leader Steve Aiken has called on Queen's University to create a professorship "to study unionism and its contribution to Northern Ireland".

Mr Aiken said the post would help the university's "badly-needed outreach to the unionist community" and celebrate Northern Ireland's centenary.

A number of events are already planned for the 2021 anniversary.

Economy Minister Diane Dodds said she would be "very, very happy" to support Mr Aiken's "laudable" suggestion.

The UUP leader made his comments in the assembly chamber on Monday.

Mr Aiken welcomed the decision of the Vice-Chancellor of Queen's, Prof Ian Greer, to hold a ceremony on Remembrance Sunday to commemorate the university's students killed in the world wars.

In response, Ms Dodds agreed with Mr Aiken.

"I think it's also hugely important for Queen's University to make such remembrance a priority and for the vice-chancellor to make it a priority given the very considerable concerns that there has been in sections of our community around some of the decisions in the university in recent days," she said.

'Badly-needed outreach'

Mr Aiken then asked the minister to "encourage" the university to set up a new academic post to study unionism's contribution to Northern Ireland.

"Could she therefore as part of the centenary celebrations that will be undertaken next year for our 100th anniversary, could she encourage the university as part of its badly-needed outreach to the unionist community to set up an endowed chair at the university to study unionism and its contribution to Northern Ireland?"

Steve Aiken called for a professorship to be set up to study unionism in Northern Ireland

An "endowed chair" is a specially funded professorship in a university.

Mr Aiken said it would be "particularly apposite" if the post was named after Edgar Graham.

Mr Graham was a Queen's University law lecturer and Ulster Unionist Party assembly member shot dead by the IRA in 1983.

A forum has been set up by the UK government to provide advice on plans to mark the centenary in 2021.

Mrs Dodds said her department was also making preparations.

"We are looking at the economic powerhouse that Northern Ireland was at the beginning and in its creation and looking firmly into the future at how we can develop the economy of Northern Ireland in a way that sees it fit for purpose within its second century," she said.

"These, I think, are exciting events for us all."