The Cervantes Institute will open an extension in Belfast

The Diplomat The Cervantes Institute in Manchester will establish an extension in the city of Belfast (Northern Ireland, United Kingdom), encompassing both cultural and academic activities—the latter in the field of teacher certification and training—as approved at the institution's last Board of Directors meeting held last May. In 2025, the population of the Belfast urban area reached 350,000 inhabitants, while its metropolitan area totaled 652,000, making it the fifteenth largest city in the United Kingdom. Queen's University will be the Cervantes Institute's strategic partner to establish this presence in the capital of Northern Ireland, which will include certification activities—with the organization of the DELE exams—, teacher training courses, teacher development programs, and arts and culture activities in the city. Founded in 1845, it is the leading university in Northern Ireland and part of the Russell Group, which brings together Britain's most research-oriented universities. The university has played a fundamental role in the modernization and social openness of Belfast, and its Chair of Spanish, which celebrates its centenary in 2026, is one of the oldest, most active, and most influential in the country. Impact of Brexit In the last decade, as the Cervantes Institute noted in a press release last Friday, Spanish has experienced significant growth in the United Kingdom, both in its demographic presence and as a language of study, according to the Institute's latest yearbook. It has risen from the tenth most spoken language to sixth place, which "demonstrates an evolution that transcends the educational sphere to become part of a broader sociolinguistic phenomenon." Although the teaching of Spanish as a heritage language in the country has experienced steady growth and boasts an increasingly consolidated infrastructure, Brexit has become a key factor in the evolution of Spanish in the country, impacting both its demographic dynamics and the teaching and learning of the language. Nevertheless, the 2024-2025 academic year was a period of remarkable dynamism and growth for the Cervantes Institute in Manchester, which will oversee the Belfast branch. This growth was characterized by a significant increase in its academic activity and progress in modernizing its library services. In the academic sphere, the center experienced a considerable increase in the number of students, exceeding 10% on average in both general and specialized courses, with a notable increase of over 18% in courses for children.

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