Daniel Libeskind, one of the world's leading architects, delivered a landmark lecture in Belfast's Waterfront Hall to publicly launch the University of Ulster's Real Estate Initiative.

This is a unique partnership bringing together sector leaders in real estate and financial services with academic experts to support cutting-edge research in the sector, and provide a discussion forum on urban development issues.

Mr Libeskind, mastermind of the vision for the World Trade Center site and creator of the Jewish Museum in Berlin.

The University of Ulster Real Estate Initiative is the first of its kind in Ireland, and is based on a successful model developed by Harvard University.

Its objectives are:

• To promote leading-edge areas of research in real estate investment, urban development and design with direct benefits for professional practice, policy formulation and educational programmes.
• To encourage engagement by academic, business and public policy decision-makers, in order to foster academic-private-public partnership.
• To provide a discussion forum for developers, planners and other stakeholders in order to inform policy formulation.
• To facilitate learning through workshops and executive education programmes for the real estate investment and urban development sector and to establish a multi-disciplinary research programme in the University of Ulster on issues relevant to the sector.

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"This partnership between key players in the real estate and financial services sectors and leading academic researchers in the Faculty of Art, Design and the Built Environment is a unique and exciting opportunity to drive forward research in these areas, building upon existing strengths in both the Faculty and our partners. I am also delighted to have this opportunity to thank Dr Gerard O'Hare, who has spearheaded this initiative. I wish it every success."

Professor Alastair Adair, Dean of the Faculty of Art, Design and the Built Environment and spokesperson for the University of Ulster Real Estate Initiative said: "The University of Ulster Real Estate Initiative provides a high-level forum bringing together leading practitioners, policy makers and academics across the island of Ireland to foster excellence and innovation in financing, developing and designing creative, exciting places for people that exemplify global best practice."

(GK/JM)