The shortlistings are in the categories of 'Wellbeing at Work' and 'Diversity and Inclusion'.

Commenting on the two accolades, Brian Parkes, Director of Human Resources said: "We are delighted that the University has been shortlisted. The announcement is in recognition of the vast amount of wellbeing and diversity activities which are delivered by HR staff on campus throughout the year.We are really looking forward to representing Queen’s at the Awards Gala alongside the other shortlisted finalists."

The awards, now in their 12th year, are sponsored by Electric Ireland, in association with Ulster Business Magazine and the full list of categories is:

• NI Responsible Company of the Year, sponsored by Diageo
• Building Stronger Communities, sponsored by the Department for Communities
• Diversity and Inclusion Award, sponsored by BT
• Education Award, sponsored by Allen & Overy
• Employability Champion Award, sponsored by Belfast Harbour
• Environmental Leadership Award, sponsored by Arthur Cox
• Marketplace Leadership, sponsored by Fujitsu
• One-to-Watch Award, sponsored by Danske Bank
• Wellbeing at Work Award, sponsored by Larne Port

Chair of Business in the Community NI, Roy Adair, said: "We are delighted to recognise and celebrate organisations that are doing the right thing by their people, the planet and the places where they operate. Our Awards are a fantastic opportunity, not only to reward responsible business, but also to raise awareness of the great things that Northern Ireland companies are doing throughout the year. We had a considerable increase in entries this year. The standard was exceptionally high, and I think all of our judges found the shortlisting process a challenge. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our finalists the very best of luck."

Kevin Caldwell, Operations Manager at long-term Awards sponsor, Electric Ireland commented: "As a company, we are committed to responsible business and our sponsorship enables us to recognise the enormous contributions that businesses in Northern Ireland make to their local communities."

Winners will be announced at a gala awards dinner at Belfast Waterfront Hall on Thursday 1 June. The shortlisting as a finalist for the Business in the Community Diversity and Inclusion Award comes off the back of a successful year for the University, which was recently named as Northern Ireland’s top public sector employer for diversity practices. Click here for further information on that award.