We the undersigned demand that Stormont honour the legacy of John Hume and other civil rights leaders of the 1960s by creating a Derry university with no less than 10,000 full time students.
10,000 Students in Derry!
For too long our communities have seen our young, talented students forced to leave because of the lack of opportunities in the North West. The shortage of graduates and undergraduates in Derry is not just a barrier to growth for our city, but for the whole cross-border North West region.
This must change.
We cannot reshape the economy of the North West without committing to university expansion, creating more courses that match the needs of new industries and working with the Irish Government to develop new cross-border approaches.
In the negotiations that led to the New Decade, New Approach document, SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP successfully pressed the British and Irish Governments to include a specific commitment for 10,000 university places in Derry. In 2022, this commitment by the two Governments remains unmet.
The SDLP is calling on the Department for the Economy and all our political institutions to step up and deliver positive change for Derry.