AQW 53026/22-27

Ms Kate Nicholl
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 25/09/2026
Answered On Date: 06/10/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy, pursuant to the Student mobility into and out of Northern Ireland: What brain drain report, to detail any consideration she has given to undertaking engagement, alongside Tourism NI, to attract more students from Great Britain to study in Northern Ireland.

Answer:

My Department is committed to strengthening the attractiveness of the north’s higher education offering through investment in our institutions, supporting student mobility and enhancing graduate opportunities. Achieving these objectives requires collaboration across a range of stakeholders, and I recognise the role that organisations such as Tourism NI can play in promoting the region as a destination to study, live and work. I will continue to engage with relevant partners, including Tourism NI, as appropriate in support of these aims.

The Magee Expansion Taskforce identified the creation of a "destination campus in a destination city" as a key enabler of the Magee expansion programme and recommended that the Department work with partners including Tourism NI, Strabane District Council and Visit Derry to develop a marketing campaign to promote the city and campus as a destination of choice. The Taskforce recognised that attracting students from outside the region, including from Britain, will be important in achieving the ambition of 10,000 students at Magee.

In support of this objective, my Department commissioned Tourism NI earlier this year to develop and deliver the ‘Legenderry’ campaign to enhance awareness and perceptions of Derry as a destination. The campaign provides a useful example of the type of place marketing that can support wider efforts to attract students to study in the North.