The Northern Ireland Executive has launched a task force to double the size of Ulster University¡¯s Derry campus to 10,000 students.

Stormont appears to have?finally listened to pleas after accusations that it has repeatedly broken promises to develop the Magee site in Northern Ireland¡¯s second largest city.

It is one of the first higher education moves by the recently reformed executive, which sat empty for two years after power-sharing broke down.

Economy minister Conor Murphy said the expansion to 10,000 students at the campus, a commitment in the New Decade New Approach deal of 2020, will be a ¡°significant milestone¡± for the north-west region and the economy.

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¡°The expansion of Ulster University¡¯s campus in Derry is key to promoting regional balance, in line with my economic vision,¡± he said. ¡°Increasing the city¡¯s student population will be a catalyst for economic development in the north-west region.¡±

Membership of the taskforce will consist of representatives from a range of organisations in higher education, business, the trade union movement, the voluntary and community sector, government and local government.

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Paul Bartholomew, vice-chancellor of Ulster University, and who will represent the university in the task force, said: ¡°At Ulster University, we remain completely committed to growth at our Derry-Londonderry campus, in line with our strategic commitment for better regional balance.

¡°We welcome the launch of this task force and look forward to working together with the minister, the department, and the wider taskforce to explore together how the operating environment might be developed to facilitate further and sustainable growth in Derry-Londonderry.¡±

The task force will be chaired by Stephen Kelly, chief executive of Manufacturing NI, with Nicola Skelly, executive director of the Washington Ireland Program, as vice-chair.

Sir Ian Greer, vice-chancellor of Queen¡¯s University Belfast, said it was vitally important to grow the country¡¯s higher education sector to allow enhanced regional balance that will deliver new economic opportunities for Derry-Londonderry.

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¡°Queen¡¯s has already called for the development of a new sustainable funding model that would offer an opportunity to the 5,000 students who leave Northern Ireland each year to stay and pursue their educational journey here,¡± he added.

¡°This intervention would assist Ulster University with their growth ambitions in the north-west while Queen¡¯s as a committed civic university would continue to focus on expanding our widening participation provision to create more opportunities for young people to enter higher education from a disadvantaged background.¡±

Mr Murphy said the task force will put together a comprehensive plan for expansion, including the capital and infrastructure requirements, and the wider environment needed in the city for the student population to grow and thrive.

The task force is expected to deliver an action plan within nine months of appointment and will initially be in place for a three-year term. The first meeting of the task force is expected to take place in early April.

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patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com