Ulster University: Supply chain issues delay opening of Belfast campus

Ulster University (UU) has said challenges with "supply chains" have delayed the full opening of its new Belfast campus.

As a result the "vast majority" of courses will continue at Jordanstown for the rest of this academic year.

Staff and students have been emailed about the delay.

The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) previously said the final cost of the campus would be £100m over the original budget.

The original business case for the campus put the cost at £254m but the NIAO said it was expected to cost £363.9m.

About 15,000 students and staff are eventually expected to be based in UU's Belfast campus.

However, there have been a number of delays to completion of the campus, which was originally due to open in 2018.

Lagan Construction Group, which was part of a joint venture building it, went into administration in March 2018.

'Within touching distance'

While some classes are being held in the new campus, UU had previously said that "all lectures, tutorials and all other teaching will have transferred to the Belfast campus" in January 2022.

However, in an email to staff and students, the university's pro-vice chancellor Prof Alastair Adair said that would not now be the case.

"This phased process of completion, handover and onboarding, will now continue in controlled phases throughout the current academic year," he said.

"For operational readiness and simplicity, the vast majority of semester two teaching will continue on our Jordanstown campus, enabling firm and precise timetabling to be available for staff and students.

Prof Alastair Adair said the completion of the campus was now within "touching distance"

"Whilst we share the disappointment of staff and students at this extended timeframe for onboarding, we must also acknowledge the real issues that are affecting supply chains around the world.

"Despite their best efforts, our contractor Sacyr Somague has encountered significant challenges in this regard, leading to this slight delay."

However, Prof Adair said the completion of the campus was within "touching distance".

He also said that staff and students would have the option to transfer from Jordanstown to Belfast as more parts of the building became available.

The university also said that it would continue to pay for free bus or rail transport to Jordanstown for about 2,500 students "until the student's place of study relocates to the Belfast campus".

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BBC News NI understands that some staff at Jordanstown had recently been told to pack up their offices to move to the Belfast campus in January.

However, they have now been told that the timescale for their move has changed.

In a statement, UU said that "the new campus will deliver a progressive student experience in a state-of-the art city centre campus, benefitting from innovative learning spaces at the forefront of higher education".

It also said the campus had delivered significant employment, training and economic benefits.