Study Abroad in Northern Ireland a Good Idea?

Parent Cafe
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<p>Recent harassment of internationals in Belfast UK make me worry that I should discourage Lake Jr. from applying to an exchange program at Queens University Belfast. It would otherwise be a great opportunity, as I understand that QUB is one of the best universities in the UK and rated as among the top programs in the world in some departments. But I don’t like what I’ve read about ugly incidents wherein the homes of immigrants are vandalized and even more disturbing was the incident wherein a professor from China was severely beaten by hooligans.</p>

<p>I’ve seen no reports of violence on or near the QUB campus, but obviously Belfast and Northern Ireland generally have a tragic past regarding ethnic conflict. On the surface QUB would seem to offer a fascinating experience for an exchange student, as I read about the international community on campus. Yet it can’t be all that great if international students do not dare to step a block or two away from their dorms or lecture halls.</p>

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<p>You might have better luck on this topic on the Study Abroad forum. I don’t know much about student life on campus, but as Americans living in the UK, we’ve visited Belfast and NI a few times and have been warmly welcomed. </p>

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<p>If Lake Jr. is white I think he’ll be safe. I say this as my own daughter, who’s white, traveled with a group of kids, including African Americans. She said she definitely noticed that her AA friends were looked at with suspicion in Ireland, particularly when they were traveling outside of the major cities. She said the group did not encounter any issues, per se, but remembers she wasn’t alone in feeling that her AA traveling buddies were treated somewhat differently in Ireland. </p>