A NEW online resource designed to strengthen links between the University of Ulster and schools across Northern Ireland has been launched at the Magee campus.
The Ed.Link portal gives schools a direct communication channel with the university.
It provides greater access to data and contacts and allows schools to view opportunities for working more closely with the university.
The new portal merges data from the Department of Education, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the University and Colleges Admissions Service, making it available to schools in the one place, for the first time.
Ed.Link contains information on admissions, widening participation and upcoming news and events, while allowing the university to target tailored content to specific schools.
It will help UU target resources to schools and areas and identify patterns in student enrolment data and graduations.
The portal forms part of Ulster’s Schools and Colleges Engagement System, a web application which enables the university to better understand individual schools and the area in which they are based.
The launch took place at Ulster’s Principals’ Conference, which was hosted over two days at Magee and Jordanstown.
It brought together school principals from across Northern Ireland in what will become an annual event marking broader engagement with schools.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Richard Barnett, said: “We are very proud of the links that we have developed with local schools and colleges and the launch of the Ed.Link portal will help strengthen and develop these links further.
Universities and schools play a crucial role in giving young people the chance to develop a lifelong passion for learning.
“With over 132,000 graduates, in 116 countries, UU is making a significant contribution to both regional and global economies,” he said.