Staff at Northern Ireland’s largest university told of redundancies

LocalPolitics
16 Apr 2026 • 12:29 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Staff at Northern Ireland’s largest university told of redundancies

  • Ulster University, Northern Ireland's largest higher education institution, is set to make approximately 450 staff redundant.
  • The proposed job losses are understood to be part of a voluntary scheme, as announced by Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Bartholomew to employees.
  • The university said that redundancies have become “unavoidable” due to the lack of a sustainable funding model for higher education in Northern Ireland, despite efforts to delay.
  • This decision follows warnings last year from Ulster University and other regional institutions about a funding crisis, urging the Economy Minister to raise tuition fees.
  • DUP MLA Phillip Brett criticised the Sinn Fein Economy Minister, Caoimhe Archibald, for failing to provide a credible plan to support higher education, leading to financial pressures and potential job losses.

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