Ulster University criticised for spending over £24,000 on staff trip to awards ceremony

Ulster University (UU) has come under fire after it was revealed the institution spent more than £24,000 to send 32 staff members to a higher education awards ceremony in Birmingham.

The event in question was the 2024 Times Higher Education (THE) Awards, where UU took home the prestigious University of the Year title. The award recognised the completion of its £364 million Belfast campus — a project partly funded by a £174.3 million loan from Stormont.

According to documents released under the Freedom of Information Act, the university confirmed: “The total spend on the Times Higher Education Awards trip 2024 was £24,033.34, which is inclusive of flights/travel, accommodation and table costs. A total of 32 members of staff across 12 salary bands were in attendance, including two members of its council.”

The university also noted that some staff were attending as guests of other institutions.

A spokesperson for Ulster University told The Belfast Tab: “To clarify, the University was nominated for two awards: Outstanding Estates Team, who took a table at the awards, and University of the Year for which the university took two tables. Ulster University is a large institution with multiple campuses and we felt it was important to take an inclusive approach as to who participated in the awards evening.”

Most Read

Everything the cast of Young Sheldon have been up to one year after that emotional finale

Lily Phillips reveals the one thing men at her events are banned from doing with her

All the gross and unfiltered videos Bonnie Blue has posted from her challenge with Julia Filippo

However, the scale of this expenditure has raised eyebrows. According to the Belfast Telegraph, the average cost reported by 10 other universities for similar attendance was significantly lower — just £4,751. Attendance numbers also varied widely, with most institutions sending between four and 10 staff members. Queen’s University Belfast sent 10 staff to the same event for a total of £7,280, while Edinburgh Napier University reported spending £3,570. The University of Bradford’s five person delegation cost £1,281.

Critics have questioned the university’s decision to allocate such a sum during what many have described as a challenging period for the higher education sector.

Dr Linda Moore, chair of the Ulster University branch of the University and College Union (UCU), stated: “We were not aware that so much was spent on attending the awards ceremony. In our view, the priority for the university must be staffing and support for students during these difficult financial times across the higher education sector.”

In response this statement, a UU spokesperson said: “The university is committed to and continues to support staff and students. There has been no detriment in support provided as a consequence of attending the THE Awards.”

People Before Profit councillor Shaun Harkin acknowledged that celebrating the university’s award was not inherently problematic but suggested the level of expenditure was questionable: “It’s clear from the reaction by trade unions and others that the amount of money spent appears excessive.

“University staff have been forced to take to the picket lines on numerous occasions in recent years for basic pay increases and to defend their pensions. We also know student poverty is very real — there’s actually a student food bank at Magee. Given that Ulster University officials saddled the institution with massive debt to complete the Belfast campus, they should expect their expenditures to be scrutinised.”

A spokesperson for Ulster University said: “The university is committed to and continues to support staff and students. Over the last three years, spend has increased every year on student support services including wellbeing, mental health and disability support.

They continued by saying: “Staff pay and pensions are set nationally and are not within the gift of the university but we do continue to use our influence at a sector level towards achieving a resolution, which is affordable to both the employers and employees.

“To note, it is not a food bank, we have a lifestyle hub that offers a variety of free resources for students including recipes and some store-cupboard essentials, along with advice on managing money, learning, hygiene, diet and more, to educate and empower students with lifestyle tools to thrive at Ulster and beyond.”

Featured image via Ulster University