en en en id en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ca ja en en en en en nl en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ga en ga en en pt en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ca ja en en en en en nl en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ga ga en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en en ca en en es en de en en en en en
News Archive - NUI Galway
Professional, Part-time and Evening Courses
Choosing a course is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make! View our courses and see what our students and lecturers have to say about the courses you are interested in at the links below.
Each year more than 4,000 choose NUI Galway as their University of choice. Find out what life at NUI Galway is all about here.
Read about life at NUI Galway
Since 1845, NUI Galway has been sharing the highest quality teaching and research with Ireland and the world. Find out what makes our University so special – from our distinguished history to the latest news and campus developments.
Adult Learning and Professional Development
College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Celtic Studies
College of Business, Public Policy and Law
College of Engineering and Informatics
College of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences
NUI Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching across a range of key areas of expertise.
NUI Galway’s vibrant research community take on some of the most pressing challenges of our times.
Guiding Breakthrough Research at NUI Galway
We explore and facilitate commercial opportunities for the research community at NUI Galway, as well as facilitating industry partnership.
NUI Galway's 2017 Alumni Award Winners!
There are over 90,000 NUI Galway graduates Worldwide, connect with us and tap into the online community.
At NUI Galway, we believe that the best learning takes place when you apply what you learn in a real world context. That's why many of our courses include work placements or community projects.
Information Solutions & Services (IT Services)
Home › About NUI Galway▻News & Events▻News Archive
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
NUI Galway Professor Presents Copy of New Book to President McAleese
President McAleese was recently presented with a copy of the first academic book on the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The book was co-edited by Professor Oddny Arnardottir of Reykjavik University in Iceland and Professor Gerard Quinn of the Centre for Disability Law & Policy at NUI Galway. NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne and the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland and President of the Human Rights Commission, Dr Maurice Manning, were also present at the event. Professor Quinn said he was most grateful to President McAleese who has shown so much interest in the lives of persons with disabilities here in Ireland and around the world. He commented: "The new book should provide guidance to persons with disabilities as well as to Governments about the rights and obligations contained in the new treaty. It contains many exceptional contributions from academics in Harvard Law School as well as from judges sitting on the European Court of Human Rights and the Danish High Court". Professor Arnardottir said she looked forward to future collaboration on international disability law projects with NUI Galway. She recently delivered a public lecture, hosted by the Centre for Disability Law & Policy at NUI Galway, on the concept of equality in the new convention. President Browne commented that the book was an example of the kind of work on lifecycle policy challenges in areas such as disability, ageing and children that NUI Galway will produce in the coming years. The new Convention is the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations in the 21st century. It seeks to secure the equal and effective enjoyment of human rights for the estimated 650 million persons with disabilities in the world. It does so by tailoring general human rights norms to their circumstances. It reflects and advances the shift away from welfare to rights in the context of disability. The Convention itself represents a mix between non-discrimination and other substantive human rights and gives practical effect to the idea that all human rights are indivisible and interdependent. The Centre for Disability Law & Policy was established at the NUI Galway School of Law in 2008. Its research agenda includes the modernisation of services for persons with disabilities in Ireland. It is networked internationally and produces a European Yearbook on Disability Law & Policy with Maastricht University (Netherlands). It is part of a Lifecycle Research Allaiance on campus. -ends-
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Minister Lenihan Announces €14.8 Million for the Establishment of New Research C
"Today's investment establishing Systems Biology Ireland is clear evidence of the Government's ongoing commitment to further enhancing Ireland's scientific base to aid our economic recovery." the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Conor Lenihan T.D. said today (Tuesday, September 15th 2009). Minister Lenihan was announcing Government funding of €14.8million to be provided over the next 5 years for the establishment of the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funded Systems Biology Ireland research centre, which is being led by University College Dublin and supported by researchers in NUI Galway. The Systems Biology SFI CSET will involve 69 highly skilled personnel working on the research programme including researchers at the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), the School of Medicine, and the School of Natural Sciences at NUI Galway. Professor Tim O'Brien, Director of REMEDI at NUI Galway commented: "The partnership between NUI Galway and UCD in systems biology with a focus on mesenchymal stem cells will facilitate REMEDI's translational goals in bringing novel regenerative therapies to the clinic". Systems Biology is a powerful new way to use the strength of computers and mathematics to understand biology. It seeks to unravel the complexities of cells through the use of models that predict biological behaviour. The research being undertaken will enable quicker and better treatments of a range of medical conditions, including various cancers, and should allow for better therapies to be delivered more effectively to patients. The new research centre is also being supported through the significant contribution of industry partners who include Ark Therapeutics, Hewlett Packard, Servier, Agilent Technologies, Siemens Ireland and Protagen AG. The Systems Biology SFI CSET will involve 69 highly skilled personnel working on the research programme. Making the announcement, Minister Lenihan added: "I am very excited by the potential economic and societal benefits likely to accrue to Ireland from the research being undertaken by the Systems Biology SFI CSET. It is one of the critical emerging areas in the Life Sciences worldwide. Ireland is now very well placed to become a world leader in this field given the very strong foundation we have here in the pharmaceutical and IT sectors. It should greatly assist the IDA to attract further high-end Foreign Direct investment and also allow Irish SMEs to grow. This centre, with its deep-rooted academic – industry partnership, encapsulates the essence of what our Smart Economy should and can be. " The Director of the new SFI CSET, Professor Kolch, outlined the potential of systems biology to speed up research and help target therapies to particular patient types by saying: "Systems biology takes a holistic view of the organism. It looks at the processes rather than the single components of a cell or a gene. Our research is unique in that we work with stem cells but the outcomes of our research will feed into a global effort to provide better therapies for cancer patients. Our work will help speed up the experimentation process, thereby reducing by years the time it takes to develop a new drug therapy." Welcoming the announcement of the new SFI CSET, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Frank Gannon said: "As the pipeline for new therapeutic drugs becomes constricted it is recognised that a fresh approach to understanding disease is timely. The convergence of computer modelling and the study of the biological system brings new challenges and opportunities. This latest SFI CSET will add to the skill-base that is required for the pharmaceutical companies of the future in Ireland." Systems Biology Ireland is working with a range of industry partners to develop new technologies for biomedical research and will continue to develop the links with industry to harness the State s investment in the programme. "Life sciences customers will ultimately better understand the disease processes and will be able to develop new therapeutic treatments from the Systems Biology Ireland's research program," said David Medina, Executive Lead, Worldwide Life Sciences and Pharma Segment, HP. "As a result of HP and SBI s collaboration, vast amounts of data can now be affordably collected, stored, analyzed and applied from different sources on HP Extreme Data Storage technology." Dr. Laurent Perret, Président du Comité Scientifique du Groupe de Recherches Servier, Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, said "Servier Laboratories has had a long and productive association with Ireland, with two manufacturing plants and several research programmes in translational medicine. Systems Biology Ireland provides a further opportunity for Servier to engage in leading-edge research in Ireland and for us to work together to address unmet medical needs using an extraordinarily powerful technology". "Ark Therapeutics is strategically involved in this Irish Government-funded research programme as it believes it will bring about the generation of new biological therapeutics by moving science from the reductive process of the 20th century to a systems approach of the 21st", said John Martin, CSO of Ark Therapeutics. -Ends-
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Early October Open Days Announced by NUI Galway
NUI Galway has announced details of Open Days to be held on Friday, 2 October and Saturday, 3 October. An important occasion for prospective students, Open Days provide an opportunity to talk to NUI Galway students and staff, explore the campus and find out more about courses of interest. Friday's Open Day, on 2 October, is aimed at school groups, although individuals are also very welcome to attend. Saturday's Open Day on 3 October, is for students thinking about university and their parents and families. With over 60 degree programmes on offer at NUI Galway, lecturers and Deans will be on hand at exhibition stands to answer questions on courses, CAO points and career paths. A talk specifically for parents at 11am on Saturday will give an overview of the career paths of NUI Galway graduates, as well as looking ahead to the job market of the future. Many of the newer courses at the University have been designed to be responsive to the changing needs of the employment market and meet the needs of the Smart Economy. NUI Galway recently saw a significant increase in demand for programmes across all colleges, with new courses in Energy Systems Engineering, Electronic Engineering Innovation, Maths and Education and the new BA Connect degrees proving very popular. The Open Days will feature a mix of taster sessions and short lectures to provide a feel for university life. Events will include hands-on science workshops, a virtual stock market demonstration, a mock criminal trial, and interactive sessions with IT systems and robotics. According to NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne, the Open Day is an opportunity to plan for the future: "Our University has a long-standing reputation and dedicated staff, many of whom are world leaders in their fields, committed to delivering the highest quality education and student experience. Our Open Days are the ideal opportunity to meet our lecturers and find out about courses which might be of interest. Research at this stage of the year takes the pressure off decision-making when filling out the CAO form in the New Year". During the Open Days, tours of the campus will allow prospective students to visit the new Sports Centre, home to 45 student sports clubs, and the newly refurbished Áras na Mac Léinn, the base for over 85 student societies. The tours will also take in, among other elements, accommodation and library facilities. For further details on the Open Day, visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/opendays/ -ends-
Friday, 11 September 2009
Parents Benefit from Latest DERI Innovation at NUI Galway
Atom, an innovative new internet tool from NUI Galway's Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI), is allowing parents easy access to information on activities, classes, camps, events, or services for their children. The technology has been licensed to the family listings website, www.mykidtstime.ie. A circle-based browser, Atom allows the user to quickly and intuitively browse different categories in a way which mirrors the brain's activity. The Atom browser is available in the 'look and book' service offered by www.mykidstime.ie and facilitates the way that parents interact with the listings data. The Atom Interface has two patented techniques for manipulating increased amounts of data and intuitively supports users through its easy-to-use functions. Originally created by DERI, the Atom browser was further developed and refined through research and development with Mykidstime, supported by the Enterprise Ireland innovation voucher scheme. Jill Holtz, co-founder of Mykidstime.ie, is pleased with the project's success: "With the help of DERI and with the support of Enterprise Ireland, we have been able to implement a really useful tool on our website which helps parents to find the information they are searching for even more quickly and easily. It is fun to use and the feedback so far from parents has been very positive: they like the tool and the way it improves their experience on the website. It is important to us to continue to innovate within our website but most importantly to improve the end user experience". John McGuire, Commercialisation Executive in the Technology Transfer Office in NUI Galway, commented: "This is pure technology transfer in action, from University to the market. It is also an example of a smaller entrepreneurial enterprise benefiting from research carried out at third-level institute. Hopefully this technology will be of use to many other organisations". -ends-
Friday, 11 September 2009
Archive of Irish Writer John McGahern to Tour New York and Boston
A series of illustrated talks in Boston and New York next week will celebrate the work of one of Ireland's most important writers, John McGahern. The events will be hosted by the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI Galway), which is home to John McGahern's archive of papers and manuscripts. Selected documents from the archive will be showcased during the US events which are entitled 'John McGahern in America'. This is the first time extracts of the John McGahern archive have gone on tour outside of Ireland. Prior to his passing in 2006, NUI Galway acquired John McGahern's archive, which is a complete collection of his papers and writings, providing an unparalleled view into a unique literary life. This extensive resource, comprising thousands of pages, is enormously rich in content and consists of forty years of writings, personal papers, correspondence, novels, drama, and short stories. Also included are short stories that appeared in The New Yorker magazine between 1963 and 1984. Dr John Kenny, Lecturer in Creative Writing at NUI Galway, commented in advance of the tour: "As these lectures will elucidate, many of McGahern's most significant short stories and literary subjects found their early iterations in the pages of some of America's most notable literary magazines and journals – The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly and The Yale Review. Thus this lecture series is especially fitting as it travels to Boston and New York - cities which are home to the literary forums which fostered and supported the work of this unique artist". The reputation of John McGahern (1934–2006) as a consummate stylist and master of fiction extends throughout the English-speaking world. The setting of his work, comprising six novels, three collections of short stories, a play and a memoir - ranges from the rural west of Ireland to Dublin and abroad, but returns always to the inland fields, lakes and bogs of Connaught and the lives of the people rooted there. President of NUI Galway, Dr James J. Browne, explains the association the University values with John McGahern: "Our University is fortunate to have enjoyed a progressively deepening association with John McGahern over almost 50 years. This association started during the brief period of his initial undergraduate studies and continued again when he became a teacher on Creative Writing and Irish Studies programmes. In 1994 he became an honorary doctor of the University and Adjunct Professor of Irish Studies in 2001". Dr Browne adds: "By choosing NUI Galway in the West of Ireland as the home for his literary archive, McGahern has entrusted us with a special responsibility. We must endeavour to make this resource available, as appropriate, to literary scholarship and interested readers. The University intends to promote and build upon the unique treasury we have in the McGahern Archive to enhance teaching and research in creative writing and Irish Studies". NUI Galway attracts doctoral students and visiting academics from all over the world to conduct research in the area of Irish Studies. The extensive McGahern archive is a hugely significant attraction to many such international scholars, enhancing the University's reputation as a world-class centre of literary research and study. To support literary scholarship, NUI Galway plans to invest significantly in its Library resources to ensure that scholars have the best environment in which to conduct their teaching and research. A proposed $25 million Humanities Research Building will provide world class facilities for researchers and a state of the art repository for the University's significant archival holdings. The 'John McGahern in America' events are supported by the Galway University Foundation. In Boston, special guests will include the President of Boston Public Library, Amy Ryan, while in New York the American Irish Historical Society will co-host. -ends-
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
NUI Galway and GMIT Celebrate 10 years of Joint Foundation Courses
This year NUI Galway and GMIT celebrate ten years of joint Foundation Courses, the pre-entry preparation programmes for third-level education. Aimed at mature students, the Foundation Courses consist of a series of evening lectures over a 25 week period. An open Information Evening for the NUI Galway Foundation Course in Engineering and Science will be held on Tuesday, 15 September. The Information Evening for the Foundation Course in Commerce and Business will be held on Thursday, 17 September. Both events will take place in room AC202 on the Concourse in NUI Galway at 7pm. Deirdre O'Connor, Access Officer with GMIT, commented: "The current economic climate has resulted in a substantial increase in the numbers of mature students wishing to gain entry to third level education and these courses ensure that students are adequately prepared". NUI Galway recently hosted a graduation ceremony for students who completed the 2008/2009 joint NUI Galway/GMIT Foundation Course in Engineering and Science and in Business and Commerce. At the ceremony 88 students were presented with certificates and many have now progressed to full and part-time degree programmes at both NUI Galway and GMIT. On congratulating the students, Trish Hoare, Mature Students Officer at NUI Galway, said: "I would like to acknowledge the level of commitment among the participants, many of whom were returning to education after a significant period of time". Foundation Courses are due to commence this October. Those interested can contact Mary Liddy, NUI Galway at 091-495445, email mary.liddy@nuigalway.ie, or Deirdre O'Connor, Access Officer, GMIT at 091-742129 or Deirdre.OConnor@gmit.ie. -ends-
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Galway Mayor to Open Eighth Annual NUI Galway Volunteering Fair
The eighth annual NUI Galway Volunteering Fair will take place on Thursday, 24 September in Áras na Mac Léinn, from 1-5pm. With over 2,000 students, staff and members of the general public expected to attend, the Fair will be officially opened by Galway City Mayor Declan McDonnell. Over 60 charities and community organisations will showcase the wide range of volunteer opportunities available for students. This year NUI Galway's volunteer programme ALIVE is delighted to collaborate with the Galway Volunteer Centre in hosting the event. The Fair is part of a week-long celebration of volunteering at NUI Galway, the culmination of which will coincide with the national volunteering Give it a Swirl day on Friday, 25 September. Lorraine Tansey is Volunteer Coordinator of the ALIVE Programme at NUI Galway: "Students benefit enormously from getting involved with Galway city and county organisations. Whether it is working with youth, disability or social justice organisations, our students gain skills and experience while lending a hand. NUI Galway really values our community partners as they host and support our student volunteers. The Fair is great opportunity for students to see the range of activities within the Galway community they can avail of, while also providing a space for organisations to recruit much needed volunteers". Exhibitors at the Volunteer Fair will include: Rehab Care, Habitat for Humanity, Down Syndrome Ireland; Childline, Galway Refugee Support Group, Simon Community, Enable Ireland and Positive Mental Health. Lorraine Tansey added: "We are delighted to not only welcome community organisations to showcase their opportunities for volunteers but also to welcome members of the public onto campus". Established in 2003, the ALIVE programme at NUI Galway, was the first ever student volunteer programme to be embedded within an institution of higher education in Ireland. Through the ALIVE Programme, students can access an online database of volunteer opportunities. The programme also includes a series of workshops to help students make the most of their volunteering experience. At the end of the academic year students can apply for an ALIVE Certificate which is awarded by NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne, in recognition of their commitment to volunteering. To book a stand or for further information, please contact the ALIVE office on 091 493823 or email alive@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Siollabas Nua Gaeilge don Chéad Bhliain Ollscoile
Tá Siollabas Nua Gaeilge don Chéad Bhliain Ollscoile seolta ag Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh agus Coláiste Phádraig Droim Conrach. Is toradh é an Siollabas seo ar Thionscadal de chuid na Meithle um Theagasc na Gaeilge ar an Tríú Leibhéal, Meitheal idir-institiúideach a d'eascair as an gcomhdháil 'Teagasc na Gaeilge ar an Tríú Leibhéal' a eagraíodh i gColáiste Phádraig, Droim Conrach i mí Feabhra 2008. Ba iad an Dr John Walsh, Scoil na Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh agus Dr Máirín Nic Eoin, Coláiste Phádraig a d'fheidhmigh mar chomhstiúrthóirí ar an Tionscadal. Tá sé mar chuspóir ag an Meitheal um Theagasc na Gaeilge ar an Tríú Leibhéal siollabas teanga agus áiseanna teagaisc agus foghlama a dhearadh agus a fhorbairt do mhic léinn na Gaeilge ar an tríú leibhéal, siollabas a bheadh bunaithe ar Fhráma Tagartha Chomhairle na hEorpa d'Fhoghlaim Teangacha. Le cabhair cómhaoinithe ó Fhoras na Gaeilge agus le tacaíocht ó ocht gcinn déag d'institiúidí tríú leibhéal ina bhfuil an Ghaeilge á teagasc, tá Céim 1 den Tionscadal – siollabas agus áiseanna teagaisc agus foghlama don Chéad Bhliain Ollscoile – réidh le seoladh anois. 'Tá an Siollabas nua bunaithe ar leibhéal B2 den Fhráma Tagartha Eorpach d'Fhoghlaim Teangacha. Tá sé dírithe ar fhorbairt scileanna an fhoghlaimeora, idir scileanna ginearálta foghlama agus scileanna cumarsáideacha a bhaineann go dílis le foghlaim teangacha' dar leis an Dr John Walsh comhstiúrthóir an Tionscadail. Tá ábhar an tSiollabais leagtha amach i bhfoirm topaicí a spreagfaidh féinfheasacht, feasacht teanga agus feasacht chultúrtha. Cur chuige tascbhunaithe atá i gceist agus déantar scileanna foghlama agus scileanna teanga na mac léinn a fhorbairt trí thascanna a bhunú ar théacsanna dílse Gaeilge. Is go leictreonach atá an Siollabas foilsithe, agus tá sé ar fáil ar shuíomh gréasáin an Tionscadail, www.teagascnagaeilge.ie, suíomh atá á riaradh ag an Dr Caoimhín Ó Dónaill in Ollscoil Uladh. Tá teacht ar an suíomh ar an Siollabas féin; ar ábhar samplach a léiríonn prionsabail an tSiollabais agus conas na prionsabail sin a chur i bhfeidhm sa seomra ranga; ar an bhfillteán foghlama do mhic léinn atá mar chuid lárnach den Siollabas; ar liosta acmhainní tacaíochta don mhac léinn; ar chuntas ar chúlra agus ar stair an Tionscadail a bhfuil an Siollabas mar thoradh air. -Críoch-
Monday, 7 September 2009
Major Figure in Disability Law to Speak at NUI Galway
Professor Oddny Arnardottir of Reykjavik University in Iceland is to deliver a public lecture on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at NUI Galway. The lecture, which is being hosted by the Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway, will take at 7pm on Friday, 11 September, 2009. Professor Arnardottir is one the world's leading thinkers on equality and non-discrimination law and sees the UN disability convention as advancing a fresh perspective on securing equal justice for persons with disabilities. She is co-author of the first book on the new UN Convention entitled The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities – European and Scandinavian, which she wrote with the Director of the NUI Galway Centre for Disability Law and Policy, Professor Gerard Quinn. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the first human rights treaty adopted by the United Nations in the 21st century. It seeks to secure the equal and effective enjoyment of human rights for the estimated 650 million persons with disabilities in the world. It does so by tailoring general human rights norms to their circumstances. It reflects and advances the shift away from welfare to rights in the context of disability. The Convention itself represents a mix between non-discrimination and other substantive human rights and gives practical effect to the idea that all human rights are indivisible and interdependent. The Centre for Disability Law and Policy at NUI Galway was established in 2008 and is one of the first of its type in Europe. The primary purpose of the Centre is to conduct research on best international practice to assist in the ongoing process of reform taking place here in Ireland and throughout the world. Professor Gerard Quinn said: "We are excited to host such a prominent thinker and activist on equality law and policy. Anybody interested in disability – either here in Ireland or throughout the world would benefit from her presentation". The lecture will take place in Room MY129, Áras Moyola on campus and is open to all members of the public. For further information on the lecture please contact Karen Walsh on 091 494020 or email karen.walsh@nuigalway.ie. -ends-
Monday, 7 September 2009
Director General for Research at the European Commission Begins Tour of Irish Un
José Manuel Silva Rodríguez, Director General for Research at the European Commission, begins a tour of Irish universities at NUI Galway today (Monday, 7 September). The Director General develops EU policy in the field of research and technological development, helps coordinate research activities and promotes understanding of the role of the sciences. Speaking at a welcome reception in Galway last night, NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne, said: "As the Lisbon referendum debate gathers momentum in Ireland, it is important to recognise the significant contribution which EU programmes have made to Irish universities. EU support has enabled universities such as NUI Galway to develop and to achieve world-class research standards. This investment has transformed the Irish research landscape, and has enabled Ireland to play a key role in developing Europe's research-intensive smart economy". This represents another strong reason for a Yes Vote in the forthcoming Lisbon Referendum. Director General Rodríguez was confident of the future relationship between his office and Ireland's education institutions, explaining the purpose of his visit: "Over the last five years, European research and technology policy has come of age. By bringing together the research community, industry and policy-makers, it promotes scientific excellence and addresses the fragmentation and duplication in European research that leads to wasted resources, ground lost to our global competitors and a sub-optimal impact on economic growth and job creation. Making a genuine European research area come true is now a unanimously agreed objective that features high on the political agenda". He continued: "European citizens believe in science as a tool of progress, and support a more cooperative European approach to science and technology policy. Pooling brains and resources is key to make the EU competitive globally: we are more intelligent together than on our own. Ireland has a strong scientific expertise in many areas on which your country is building and developing its research capacity. Irish research centres and enterprises already benefit from EU funding. They have joined or established research partnerships and submitted ambitious research projects. Participating in an EU-funded project opens doors and brings you knowledge, training, partners etc. This is key for your research and your development". Dr Browne added: "Much of our current research strength can be attributed to the major investment over many decades of EU research funding. Over the lifetime of Framework Programmes 5, 6 and to date in Framework 7, NUI Galway has received almost €55 million of research funding – the vast majority through the Directorate General for Research. We hope to build on this success through our Strategy for Research, which focuses on clearly identified themes based on national and regional needs, as well as institutional knowledge strengths". Director General Rodríguez will travel onto Dublin on Tuesday. -ends-
Thursday, 3 September 2009
NUI Galway Launches its Arts in Action Programme
NUI Galway today (3 September 2009) launched its new and extended Arts in Action Programme, which invites students to engage with the creative arts during their studies. Aimed at all students across the campus, Arts in Action offers access to a variety of international-standard arts events throughout the academic year. Among the highlights this year will be a workshop performance by the highly respected, Irish singer-songwriter, David Kitt. The programme also includes the multi-award winning theatre production, Stones in his Pocket by Marie Jones and a screening of the silent movie The Goldrush by Charlie Chaplin with live accompaniment from the Italian quartet Gatto Marte. In 2010, Arts in Action will feature a Traditional Arts concert with Máirtín O'Connor and Frankie Gavin, an illustrated lecture on Music Therapy, and an international Jazz concert featuring the UK's Portico. Mary McPartlan, Director of the Arts in Action Programme at NUI Galway, explains: "Established in 2006, Arts in Action is an original and unique programme which has become part of the University's extra curricular activities. The programme provides the best possible opportunity for students to experience the creative arts in an academic setting. This initiative is extremely important at a time when many efforts are being made to develop new audiences for the creative arts". The programme is part of NUI Galway's commitment to provide its students with access to new opportunities and positive life-enhancing experiences beyond the classroom. The Dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies, Dr Edward Herring, explains: "NUI Galway offers a unique student experience, and we are keen to ensure that our students receive a holistic education. The Arts in Action Programme gives students across the University the opportunity to experience drama, film, music and the visual arts. This artistic endeavour complements all that we offer students through our extensive sports facilities, vibrant societies and ALIVE volunteering programme". -ends-
Friday, 30 October 2009
New Book on Franco-Irish Connections
His Excellency the French Ambassador, M. Yvon Roé d'Albert, has launched a new book on Franco-Irish connections in the Royal Irish Academy. Edited by Professor Jane Conroy, School of Languages, Literature and Cultures, NUI Galway, this series of essays, studies and other contributions celebrates Pierre Joannon who is well known as one of the main mediators of knowledge of Irish matters in France and co-founder of Études Irlandaises, the most respected scholarly journal of Irish studies there. According to one commentator "This is a superbly edited series of stellar contributions in honour of one man to whom the whole island of Ireland deserves an enormous debt of gratitude". The contributors to Franco-Irish Connection Essays, memoirs and poems in honour of Pierre Joannon include: Kingsley Aikins (CEO, The Ireland Funds); Professsor Tom Bartlett (University of Aberdeen); John Bruton (former Taoiseach); Professor Jane Conroy (School of Languages, Literature and Cultures, NUI Galway); Denis Corboy (Director, Caucasus Policy Institute); Professor Emeritus Louis Cullen (TCD); Michel Deon (Académie Française); Sean Donlon (Former Irish Ambassador to US); Garret FitzGerald (former Taoiseach); Jacqueline Genet (Honorary President, Caen University); Frederic Grasset (former French Ambassador to Ireland); Alice Harrison; Maurice Hayes (Chairman, National Forum on Europe); Seamus Heaney (poet, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature); John Hume (politician, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize); Professor Richard Kearney (Boston College); Brendan Kennelly (poet); Professor Dermot Keogh (UCC); Sylvie Kleinman (TCD); Louis le Brocquy (painter); Professor J.J. Lee (NYU); Michael Lillis; Anne Madden (artist—one of whose oil paintings forms the cover); Jane McKee (University of Ulster); Lara Marlowe (former Paris correspondent for the Irish Times); John Montague (poet); Professor Grace Neville (UCC); Senator David Norris; Patrick O Connor (former Irish Ambassador to France); Professor Eunan O Halpin (TCD); Seamus Smith (former Irish film censor); Professor Ben Tonra (UCD); Professor Kevin Whelan (University of Notre Dame); and C. J. Woods (historian). The book is published by Four Courts Press. -ends-
Thursday, 29 October 2009
South African Freedom Fighter to Visit NUI Galway
The Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, will host a special guest lecture by Justice Albie Sachs of the Constitutional Court of South Africa on Monday, 2 November. Justice Sachs' talk 'Paved with More than Good Intentions: from Port Elizabeth via Modderklip to 51 Olivia Road' will analyse historic evictions and land laws from the Constitutional Court of South Africa. As a young Jewish man in South Africa, Sachs worked as an attorney and has been a leader in the struggle for human rights in South Africa for over 40 years. He is well known for being a freedom fighter in the African National Congress. The author of numerous books on issues of gender, law and human rights, he was twice detained without trial by the security police under the Apartheid regime. In 1966 Justice Sachs went into exile, spending eleven years studying and teaching law in England. In 1988, he was blown up by a bomb placed in his car in Maputo, Mozambique, by South African security agents, losing an arm and the sight in one eye. After recovering from the bomb he devoted himself full-time to preparations for a new democratic Constitution for South Africa. While in exile during the 1980s, he helped draft the Constitutional Court of South Africa s Code of Conduct and its statutes. In 1990 he returned home and as a member of the Constitutional Committee and the National Executive of the ANC took an active part in the negotiations, which led to South Africa becoming a constitutional democracy. After the first democratic election in 1994 he was appointed by President Nelson Mandela to serve on the newly established Constitutional Court. Dr Vinodh Jaichand, Deputy Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, comments: "The debt that South Africa, and the world, owes to Justice Albie Sachs is immense. As a political activist against apartheid he paid the price by being detained, exiled and losing an arm and an eye when the security police bombed his car. As an academic he was one of the architects of South Africa's independence, especially in drafting the much-acclaimed Bill of Rights, and as a constitutional advisor to the ANC. As a jurist he is one of the eminent voices of an internationally renowned Constitutional Court tasked with the establishment of jurisprudence that resonated with the core values of freedom, equality and dignity in a deeply divided country. This is a rare occasion to listen to one of the first-hand experts on human rights law in the world". Justice Sachs' new book by Oxford University Press, The Strange Alchemy of Life and Law provides deep insights into the way in which judging takes place. It has already become prescribed reading at two European institutions dealing with the study of human rights. The free public event takes place on Monday, 2 November, at 12.30pm in the Siobhan McKenna Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, NUI Galway. -ends-
Thursday, 29 October 2009
NUI Galway Receives Award under US-Ireland Research Programme
Dr Brian Ward from NUI Galway's School of Physics has been recognised for his success under the US-Ireland Research & Development Partnership Programme at an event hosted by the US Ambassador to Ireland in Dublin. The event saw Minister for Labour Affairs Dara Calleary gather with Northern Ireland Minister for Employment and Learning Sir Reg Empey and US Ambassador Dan Rooney to announce the partnerships on behalf of the US-Ireland R&D Partnership. The US-Ireland R & D Partnership was established to develop innovations leading to economic development and improvements in health promotion and disease prevention by bringing together expertise from academic institutes in the US, Ireland and Northern Ireland. It is led by a steering group of senior representatives from each jurisdiction, with InterTrade Ireland providing the secretariat for the group on the island of Ireland. Dr Ward's award for €463,058, the first under this initiative, was funded along with collaborators from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution from Massachussetts and Queens University Belfast. The partnership project is entitled Development of a Greenhouse Gas Ocean-Atmosphere Flux Sensor with MEMS-based Photoacoustic Technology. It will develop sensor technology to improve quantification of oceanic uptake of greenhouse gases, which is one of the biggest issues surrounding global climate change. US Ambassador Dan Rooney welcomed these partnerships, saying: "These successful projects have come through a US review process that is the international gold standard for research excellence. This clearly demonstrates the high quality of advanced research across the island of Ireland and adds greatly to its reputation as a centre of innovation that can compete on an international stage". Minister for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary said: "We see the US-Ireland R&D Partnership as an important mechanism for achieving high growth and helping bring about the economic regeneration of the island". The partners from Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the US received funding respectively from Science Foundation Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland, and the National Science Foundation. Details of the other projects supported to date can be found at www.usirelandresearch.com -ends-
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
NUI Galway Alumni Group Presents Olympian Olive Loughnane
The NUI Galway Alumni Group will present Olympian, World Silver Medallist and NUI Galway graduate Olive Loughnane, in conversation with RTÉ Sports Journalist and NUI Galway graduate Evanne Ní Chuilinn. The event will take place at 6.30pm on Thursday, 12 November, in the Staff Club, Quadrangle Building, NUI Galway. This summer, Olive took the silver medal position in the 20K walk at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin – only the fifth ever medal Ireland has won at these championships. Olive finished 49 seconds behind defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Olga Kaniskina of Russia in a season s best of 1hr 28mins 58secs, just over a minute outside her personal best at last year s Olympic Games in Beijing. This interview will give intimate access to Olive's Olympic experience in Beijing in 2008, more recently her success in Berlin this summer, and her plans for the future. The event begins with a reception 6.30pm and all graduates and friends of NUI Galway are welcome. Register online at www.nuigalway.ie/alumni by Friday, 7 November. For further information please contact Colm O'Dwyer at alumni@nuigalway.ie or 091 493750. -ends-
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
NUI Galway Calls for Business to Participate in New City Project
NUI Galway's School of Geography, in partnership with Galway City Council, is looking to gather information on green businesses and eco-buildings around Galway City for a new project, Galway Green Map. The Green Map is a locally produced chart which identifies, promotes and links environmental, social, and cultural amenities within a specific area. Dr Frances Fahy, School of Geography, NUI Galway, explains the Green Map concept: "In 2007, Galway became a member of the Green Map System, a non-profit organisation which provides a locally flexible, but globally shared framework for environmental mapmaking. These maps typically show green areas, cycle paths, green businesses, organic markets, quiet spots in the city, interesting walking routes and the cultural sites that make an area unique. Creating a Green Map for Galway is an opportunity to identify and celebrate the City's green credentials". A Youth Green Map and a wider Community Green Map have already been produced for the Galway City and are currently available at www.galwaygreenmap.ie. These maps represent a holistic representation of the places and things that people value in their communities. The Galway Green Map project was initially funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and partly organised by researchers in the School of Geography, NUI Galway, members of the City Council and the citizens of Galway City. Those interested in putting their business on the map, should contact Dr Frances Fahy, NUI Galway at 091 492315, frances.fahy@nuigalway.ie, or Sharon Carroll at 091 536564, sharon.carroll@galwaycity.ie. Please include the name, location and a brief note describing the business and why it should be on the Green Map of Galway. -ends-
Friday, 23 October 2009
NUI Galway Leads UNESCO Study to learn from Youth in Zambia
The UNESCO Child, Youth and Civic Engagement team, based at the Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, is to partake in an international collaborative research project regarding civic engagement, youth and gender in Zambia. The research project will see NUI Galway partner with the University of Zambia, the Alan Kerins African Projects and the Lifestart Project Mazabuka, Zambia. The aim is to progress a participatory research project to form a holistic picture of civic engagement opportunities provided by communities in rural and urban settings in Zambia. NUI Galway's Sheila McArdle, a Research Fellow, will travel to Zambia at the end of October to undertake fieldwork. Over a seven month period, she will gather the perspectives of young people aged 12-14 years of age, parents and guardians, and representatives of statutory and non-statutory organisations. Professor Pat Dolan, UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, NUI Galway, said: "Just as we seek ways to support vulnerable children and youth in Irish society, similarly, we have much to learn from youth and girls in particular in urban and rural Zambia – all with a view to their civic engagement, safety and mental wellbeing". This project in Zambia will contribute to the fulfilment of the UNESCO Chair's overall strategy, fitting in under the research strand, but designed to compliment the work of the other three strands, advocacy, teaching and programme development. In addition, the research findings will also be linked into the International Resilience Project, a study that initially worked with 14 communities based in 11 different countries. The International Resilience Project seeks to understand how youth around the world effectively cope with the adversities that they face in life. This knowledge may inform the development of policy to design and create child and family services that are sensitive to cultural difference. -Ends-
Thursday, 22 October 2009
NUI Galway Researchers Secure €1.7m in New Starter Investigator Research Awards
Three NUI Galway postgraduate researchers will benefit from the New Starter Investigator Research Awards announced yesterday by the Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Conor Lenihan T.D.. "It is vital that we have in Ireland the mechanism to keep and attract to Ireland highly skilled, early-stage career researchers," Minister Lenihan said as he announced Government funding of €7.9million under a new Science Foundation Ireland initiative that will help 15 highly-talented researchers at an early stage in their profession to progress towards a fully independent academic research career. NUI Galway Awardees: Dr Kimon-Andreas Karatzas, Microbiology, College of Science Title: Elucidating the Role of g-Aminobutyric Acid Metabolism in Stress Resistance and Virulence of Listeria monocytogenes Synopsis: Listeria monocytogenes is the bacterial causative agent of Listeria, a serious disease associated with significant mortality in humans. The development of disease by L. monocytogenes, the causative agent of Listeria, is thought to involve the novel gene lmo0913, a component of the GABA metabolic pathway. Dr Karatzas proposes to establish the existence of this pathway in the listeria pathogen and elucidate its contribution to acid tolerance and invasion. Dr Hongyun Tai, Network of Excellence for Functional Materials (NFB) Title: Minimally Invasive Tissue Engineering Scaffolds for Repair of the Nucleus Pulposus of an Intervertebral Disc Synopsis: Degenerated intervertebral discs (DIVD), a cause of lower back pain, is associated with significant socioeconomic costs. Therapeutic restoration of degenerated intervertebral discs presents a tissue engineering challenge to develop materials with suitable properties. Dr Tai proposes to optimise and test a candidate material which she has developed as a novel injectable scaffold system to restore damaged discs. Eva Szegezdi, Biochemistry, College of Science Title: Novel ratiometric approach to identify decisive molecular interactions of the TRAIL apoptotic machinery Synopsis: Despite extensive research, the average five year survival rate for the 20 most common cancers is still below 50%. Survival rates of tumours typically detected late (e.g. lung cancer) or difficult to remove by surgery (e.g. brain tumours) are the lowest and have only marginally increased over the last 20 years. Targeting the abnormal molecular pathways with drugs can be the key to eradicate such tumours. Resistance to cancer chemotherapy is a major public health issue with both social and economical effects. Dr Szegezdi's research aims to generate a predictive formula to determine the likelihood of a tumour's ability to respond to particular anti-cancer therapies. Announcing the first SFI Starting Investigator Research Grant (SIRG) awards, Minister Lenihan said: "These 15 outstanding individuals are among the brightest working in Irish laboratories today, and SIRG provides them with the necessary support to enable the transition from team member to independent and accomplished innovator in their respective fields. It will also allow them to recruit 15 postgraduate students". The Minister added: "SIRG is the instrument to ensure that the best trained post doctoral scientists can be both attracted to and retained in Ireland which is central to our overall national aim of building a sustainable world-class research system. SIRG not only provides financial backing but crucially also provides structured support and expert advice to these highly capable early-career researchers as they navigate through this critical period in their careers. The research of these successful awardees will focus on strategic areas such as renewable energy, cancer research, genetics and telecommunications that will benefit both society and the economy," the Minister concluded. The 15 award recipients are based in the following seven Higher Education Institutions: Tyndall National Institute, Cork (4 awards); Trinity College Dublin (4 awards); NUI Galway (3 awards); Dublin Institute of Technology (1 award); University College Cork (1 award); University College Dublin (1 award); and Waterford Institute of Technology (1 award). -Ends-
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Intercultural Health Fair at NUI Galway
NUI Galway together with the Galway Refugee Support Group (GRSG) are organising a 2nd Intercultural Health Fair to promote healthy living and equal access to health services among staff, students and all cultural communities living in Galway. The Fair will be held in Áras na Mac Léinn (Bailey Allen Hall), NUI Galway from 12 noon to 3pm on Wednesday, 4 November. Some 50 different health-related organisations will attend to provide information on services available to people living in Galway City and county. Groups in attendance will include the Rape Crisis Network, COPE, Mental Health Ireland, Cancer Care West, Bodywhys and Peer Health Workers for Asylum Seekers. Information on a range of topics will be available including mental health, sexual health and complementary health, as well as fitness, health checks and health screening. Cindy Dring, Health Promotion Officer with Student Services at NUI Galway, explained: "Our goal is to promote healthy living among the Galway community by raising awareness, providing multilingual and intercultural health information to new residents and networking to increase inter-agency referrals and resource and expertise sharing". She also expressed hope "that this event will meet the needs of students, locals and people who have just moved to the area. Personal health is very much about being informed and making the right choices. This is a great opportunity to visit a 'one-stop shop' for health information and to find out about the kinds of services and supports available on your doorstep". For a number of years GRSG has been involved in building the capacity of the refugee and asylum seeker populations to identify and advocate their health needs and concerns as part of a long-term integration strategy. Helen Bartlett, Community Development Worker with GRSG, said: "The Intercultural Health Fair is significant as it will bring together education providers, health service providers, health advocacy organisations and health service users. Many people living locally, especially those new to the area, may be unfamiliar with all the health services and health advocacy organisations available in Galway". This is a free event open to students, staff and the general public. People new to Galway are particularly welcome. There will be language assistants speaking 30 languages present to assist non-English speakers. This event is supported by the University's Community Knowledge Initiative. For further information contact lorraine.tansey@nuigalway.ie or Helen Bartlett at healthfair@grsg.ie -ends-
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Education is Theme of the 2009 Monsignor Pádraig de Brún Memorial Lecture
(Leagan Gaeilge) The 2009 Monsignor Pádraig de Brún Memorial Lecture, entitled Education for the Modern World: Science and Culture, will be delivered by Professor (Emeritus) Eugene Galanter, at 8pm on Thursday, 29 October, in the Cairnes Theatre, NUI Galway. Formerly director of the Psychophysics Laboratory at Columbia University, New York, Professor Galanter is founder of Children's Progress Inc., one of the fastest growing* companies in the US. The technology company specialises in developing computer programmes for young children that help educators pinpoint how to best challenge and support each child. Considered a pioneer educator and scientist in the field of technology in education, Professor Galanter's influence on the wider discipline of psychology has been profound. His book, co-authored and published in 1960, Plans and the Structure of Behavior, is generally held to have sparked the cognitive revolution in the psychological sciences with very significant influence upon the development of modern computerised technology. The book has been cited on over 2,500 occasions. Speaking in advance of his lecture, Professor Galanter said: "Building a new, modern architecture for contemporary education requires that we revamp the psychological foundations and much of the philosophy of education. During my lecture, I will introduce the audience to a novel description of mental growth, and a new theory of mental development known as Children's Progress". Professor Galanter has authored more than 150 books and articles on psychophysics, perception, motivation, memory, early learning, and computer-related pedagogy. His publications on education include The Ideal Teacher, The Mechanization of Teaching, and Two Models of a Student. According to NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne: "The Monsignor Pádraig De Brún lecture honours a former University president who was a renowned polymath with keen interest in the arts, the sciences and the culture of his day. Eminent psychologist, Professor Galanter will address the topic of Education for a Modern World, focusing on an area of interest shared by Monsignor De Brún. Professor Galanter's lecture is one which will interest many in Ireland today, looking at ways in which new techniques in education can address important societal issues". Professor Galanter is not only a distinguished scientist, but he served in the US Army Infantry during World War II from 1943 to 1946 for which, amongst many decorations he was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm. He has been a licensed pilot since 1959 and won a trans-continental single engine airplane speed record in 1968 flying his Beechcraft Bonanza. The Monsignor Pádraig de Brún Memorial Lecture commemorates the former University President Monsignor Pádraig de Brún who was President of UCG in 1945 - 1959. Upon retirement from UCG, he became Chairman of the Arts Council, a position he held until his death in June 1960. The public lecture is organised by the President's Office, NUI Galway. Admission is free, for further information contact 091 493431. Professor Galanter is also participating in the Silver Anniversary meeting of the International Society for Psychophysics (ISP) which will be held from today until Saturday in the Glenlo Abbey Hotel. The meeting brings together scientists from around the world and commemorates the founding of psychophysics in 1850 by physicist and philosopher Gustav-Theodor Fechner. Psychophysics is the foundational discipline in the psychological sciences. Oideachas an Téama a bheas ag Léacht Chuimhneacháin an Mhoinsíneora Pádraig de Brún 2009 (View in English) Tabharfaidh an tOllamh (Emeritus) Eugene Galanter, Léacht Chuimhneacháin an Mhoinsíneora Pádraig de Brún, dar teideal Education for the Modern World: Science and Culture ag 8pm Déardaoin, an 29 Deireadh Fómhair, san Cairnes Theatre, OÉ Gaillimh. Bhí an tOllamh Galanter ina stiúrthóir ar an tSaotharlann Sícifisice in Ollscoil Columbia, Nua-Eabhrac, agus is é a bhunaigh Children's Progress Inc., ceann de na cuideachtaí is sciobtha fáis* sna Stáit Aontaithe. Déanann an chuideachta seo ríomhchláir do ghasúir óga a chuidíonn le hoideachasóirí a fháil amach cad a thugann dúshlán gach linbh agus cad a thacaíonn le gach leanbh. Feictear an tOllamh Galanter mar cheannródaí i réimse an oideachais agus mar eolaí i réimse na teicneolaíochta san oideachas, agus is mór an tionchar atá aige ar réimse na síceolaíochta. Meastar gurbh é an leabhar a raibh sé ina chomhúdar air agus a foilsíodh i 1960, Plans and the Structure of Behavior, an chúis a bhí leis an réabhlóid chognaíoch sna síceolaíochtaí agus go raibh an-tionchar aige ar fhorbairt na nuatheicneolaíochta i ríomhairí. Tá tagairtí as an leabhar úsáidte breis agus 2,500 babhta. Mhínigh an tOllamh Galanter an méid a bheadh á rá aige sa léacht. Dúirt sé go dteastaíonn athrú ó bhun ar an tsíceolaíocht agus ar fhormhór d'fhealsúnacht an oideachais chun struchtúr nua-aimseartha a fhorbairt don oideachas comhaimseartha. Dúirt sé go ndéanfadh sé cur síos sa léacht ar fhás intinne, agus ar theoiric nua na forbartha intinne ar a dtugtar Dul Chun Cinn na Leanaí (Children's Progress). Tá breis agus 150 leabhar agus alt scríofa ag an Ollamh Galanter ar shícifisic, mothúchán, inspreagadh, cuimhne, luathfhoghlaim, agus oideolaíocht ríomhaireachta. I measc a chuid foilseachán ar an oideachas tá The Ideal Teacher, The Mechanization of Teaching, agus Two Models of a Student. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, An Dr James J. Browne: "Déanann Léacht an Mhoinsíneora Pádraig de Brún comóradh ar iar-Uachtarán na hOllscoile a raibh cáil air mar ileolaí agus a raibh an-suim aige sna healaíona, sna heolaíochtaí agus sa chultúr comhaimseartha. Labhróidh an síceolaí mór le rá, an tOllamh Galanter, faoin Oideachas sa Saol Nua-Aimseartha, agus beidh an-bhéim aige ar réimse a raibh an-suim ag an Moinsíneoir de Brún ann. Beidh suim ag go leor de mhuintir na tíre seo sa mhéid a bheas le rá ag an Ollamh Galanter, ag breathnú ar an gcaoi a bhféadfadh teicnící nua san oideachas aghaidh a thabhairt ar cheisteanna móra sa tsochaí". Ní hamháin gur eolaí cáiliúil an tOllamh Galanter, ach bhí sé in Arm Mheiriceá i rith an Dara Cogadh Domhanda idir 1943 agus 1946. Bronnadh oirnéalta go leor air as a sheirbhís san arm, ceann díobh sin an Croix de Guerre. Tá ceadúnas píolóta aige ó 1959 agus bhuaigh sé curiarracht luais tras-ilchríochach in eitleán inneall aonair i 1968 agus é ag eitilt in Beechcraft Bonanza. Déanann Léacht Chuimhneacháin an Mhoinsíneora Pádraig de Brún comóradh ar iar-Uachtarán na hOllscoile an Moinsíneoir Pádraig de Brún a bhí ina Uachtarán idir 1945 agus 1959. Nuair a chuaigh sé ar scor ón Ollscoil ceapadh ina Chathaoirleach ar an gComhairle Ealaíon é, agus bhí an post sin aige gur bhásaigh sé i mí an Mheithimh 1960. Eagraíonn Oifig an Uachtaráin, OÉ Gaillimh an léacht phoiblí seo. Níl aon táille le híoc. Tá eolas breise le fáil ach glaoch ar 091 493431. -Críoch-
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Research Project is Questioning Consumption
Researchers from the disciplines of Geography and Sociology with NUI Galway's Environmental Change Institute, and Trinity College Dublin, have recently begun a four-year research project to examine household consumption. Funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project is the first of its kind to look at sustainable consumption in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The research is seeking to address the difficult questions that remain regarding how a shift towards more sustainable consumption might be encouraged, measured and governed. Sustainable consumption describes the use of goods and services that meet people's needs while also minimising the impact on the environment. The project, entitled ConsEnSus (Consumption, Environment and Sustainability), will examine behaviour around four key areas of household consumption - transport, energy, water and food. According to ConsEnSus project co-ordinator, NUI Galway's Dr Jessica Pape: "In these times of peak oil and potential water charges and carbon taxes, never before has the question of sustainability been so important for every individual. A key output of the ConsEnSus project will be to make recommendations for local and national programmes concerning sustainable consumption policies. This will provide a platform which supports the consumer to make choices which support the environment". Dr Martina Prendergast, Development Manager of the Environmental Change Institute, said: "The Institute is delighted to support this novel project because research in the field of sustainable consumption is still in its infancy in Ireland, both North and South. While strides are being made in the area of calculating the cost to the environment of manufacturing and transporting products for consumer use, it's very early days". The research project will include face-to-face interviews with approximately 1,500 households across counties Galway, Dublin and Derry. The aim is to investigate public attitudes and awareness of the environmental impact of their consumer behaviour and the factors which influence household consumption. Dr Pape added: "In the coming months, in selected regions of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, you may just find us knocking on your door. We are really hopeful about the public's co-operation as this project is about jointly supporting individuals and the environment. The aim is to enable individuals and policy makers to make sustainable choices and take sustainable actions. So, to make it work, we need people and their input". The ConsEnSus project is funded through the Science, Technology, Research and Innovation for the Environment (STRIVE) Programme. For more information visit www.consensus.ie -ends-
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Recruitment Fair at NUI Galway
(Leagan Gaeilge) Major organisations from business, industry, the public and voluntary sectors will feature at the NUI Galway Graduate Recruitment Fair in Áras na Mac Léinn on Wednesday, 28 October, from 12.30-4.30pm. The popular annual event will showcase employment opportunities for graduates from all disciplines, with a diverse number of fields such as finance, law, retail, teaching, defence forces, consultancy and many other sectors represented. Graduates and students can attend employer presentations and gain advice and information from career and HR professionals. Seminars will run to help those attending to plan a more creative job search and a CV clinic will also be available. Major local employers such as Boston Scientific, Creganna, Medtronic and SAP will attend, in addition to international companies such as Accenture, Abbott, Intel, KPMG and Lidl. According to John Hannon, Head of NUI Galway's Career Development Centre: "Demand for NUI Galway graduates remains extremely high, reflecting on their excellent employability status. The current economic climate does of course present challenges; to be employed is to be at risk but to be employable is to be secure. Therefore this year we have also invited some organisations who provide volunteering opportunities which help develop key transferable skills and enhance employability. There will also be an opportunity to get information on postgraduate programmes available in NUI Galway". The event organiser, Louise McDermott, has some advice for those attending the Fair: "Make sure that you check out the list of attending companies and the opportunities on offer in advance so that you can plan your visit. It is a good idea to take an up-to-date CV with you so that you can have it reviewed at our CV clinic. Whatever degree you have, whether you have lots of relevant work experience or not, you need to sell yourself. First impressions are lasting ones, so come dressed for success and with a 'can do' attitude". Details on exhibitors is available from www.nuigalway.ie/careers Aonach Earcaíochta Céimithe OÉ Gaillimh (View in English) Beidh eagraíochtaí móra gnó, tionscail, ón earnáil phoiblí agus ón earnáil dheonach i láthair ag Aonach Earcaíochta Céimithe OÉ Gaillimh in Áras na Mac Léinn Dé Céadaoin, an 28 Deireadh Fómhair idir 12.30pm agus 4.30pm. Tabharfar léiriú ar na deiseanna fostaíochta atá ar fáil do chéimithe i ngach disciplín ag an imeacht bliantúil seo a mbíonn an-tóir air, agus beidh ionadaithe i láthair ó réimsí éagsúla amhail lucht airgeadais, dlí, miondíola, teagaisc, na fórsaí cosanta, lucht comhairleoireachta agus go leor earnálacha eile. Is féidir le céimithe agus le mic léinn freastal ar an gcur i láthair a dhéanfaidh fostóirí agus comhairle agus eolas a fháil ó lucht gairmiúil gairmthreorach agus AD. Beidh seimineáir ann le cuidiú leo sin a bheidh ag freastal ar an ócáid post a chuardach ar bhealach níos cruthaithí agus beidh clinic CVanna ann chomh maith. Beidh fostóirí móra áitiúla amhail Boston Scientific, Creganna, Medtronic agus SAP ag freastal ar an ócáid, mar aon le comhlachtaí idirnáisiúnta amhail Accenture, Abbott, Intel, KPMG agus Lidl. Dúirt John Hannon, Ceann Ionad Forbartha Gairmeacha OÉ Gaillimh: "Tá an-éileamh ar chéimithe OÉ Gaillimh go fóill, rud a léiríonn go bhfuil siad breá ábalta dul i mbun fostaíochta. Tá dúshláin ag baint le cúrsaí an gheilleagair mar atá faoi láthair; tá baol ar an bhfostaíocht ach tá cinnteacht ag baint lena bheith infhostaithe. Dá bhrí sin, i mbliana, tá cuireadh tugtha againn d'eagraíochtaí a chuireann deiseanna ar fáil le hobair dheonach a dhéanamh, rud a chuidíonn le daoine scileanna tábhachtacha inaistrithe a fhoghlaim agus cur lena mealltacht ó thaobh fostaíochta de. Beidh deis ann chomh maith eolas a fháil faoi chláir iarchéime atá ar fáil in OÉ Gaillimh." Tá Louise McDermott, eagraí an imeachta, ag cur comhairle orthu siúd a bheidh ag freastal ar an Aonach: "Bígí cinnte go mbreathnóidh sibh ar liosta na gcomhlachtaí a bheidh ag freastal ar an ócáid agus na deiseanna atá ar fáil roimh ré sa chaoi go mbeidh tú ábalta an chuairt a phleanáil. Smaoineamh maith a bheadh ann CV atá cothrom le dáta a thabhairt libh sa chaoi gur féidir é a leasú sa chlinic CVanna. Cuma cén chéim atá agaibh, agus bíodh neart taithí ábhartha oibre agaibh nó ná bíodh, beidh oraibh dul i bhfeidhm ar dhaoine. Cuimhníonn daoine ar feadh i bhfad ar an gcaoi a dtéann sibh i bhfeidhm orthu nuair a bhuaileann sibh leo den chéad uair, mar sin bígí dea-ghléasta agus bíodh dearcadh dearfach agaibh." Tá sonraí an lucht taispeántais le fáil ó www.nuigalway.ie/careers -Críoch-
Monday, 19 October 2009
NUI Galway Recognises Leaving Certificate Excellence
(Leagan Gaeilge) NUI Galway recently celebrated the success of a select group of first-year students who received a total €107,100 in recognition of the high points they achieved in the recent Leaving Certificate Examination. As part of the University's annual Entrance Scholarships, 63 students received €1,700 each, along with a NUI Galway scroll, at a special ceremony which included teachers and parents on Thursday, 15 October, 2009. Entrance Scholarships are given annually to new entrants at NUI Galway who reached a minimum of 560 points in their Leaving Certificate examination, except in Medicine. In Medicine 10 Scholarships were awarded, based on the combined results in the Leaving Certificate and the new Admissions Test (H-PAT Ireland). Designed to attract the best students to NUI Galway and reward their academic excellence, the awards may be held with any other scholarships or grants, including the University's extensive Sports Scholarship Scheme. NUI Galway also awards 25 Bursaries annually, each worth €1,600, to support students who take a significant proportion of their course through Irish. Speaking at the award ceremony, NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne, who presented the cheques to each individual winner, said: "We are delighted to recognise the academic talent of these 63 outstanding individuals from all over Ireland. NUI Galway strives constantly to support and promote academic excellence across all disciplines. The Entrance Scholarships ceremony is an opportunity to give special recognition to our first year students who have already shown academic prowess through their Leaving Certificate results. It is also a chance to give due credit to their parents and teachers for their contribution to such success. We welcome them to NUI Galway and look forward to nurturing their academic talent and supporting them throughout their years of study". This year Entrance Scholarships were awarded to students from 47 individual schools throughout Ireland. The winners represented 13 counties including Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Laois, Limerick, Kerry, Kilkenny, Mayo, Monaghan, Sligo, and Westmeath. Tugann OÉ Gaillimh Aitheantas d'Éachtaí a cuid Mac Léinn (View in English) Rinne OÉ Gaillimh ceiliúradh le gairid ar a fheabhas a d'éirigh le grúpa ar leith de mhic léinn chéad bhliana ar bronnadh €107,100 san iomlán orthu mar aitheantas as na pointí arda a bhain siad amach i Scrúdú na hArdteistiméireachta le gairid. Mar chuid de Sparánachtaí Iontrála bliantúla na hOllscoile, fuair 63 mac léinn €1,700 an duine, mar aon le scrolla OÉ Gaillimh, ag searmanas speisialta ar fhreastail múinteoirí agus tuismitheoirí air Déardaoin, an 15 Deireadh Fómhair 2009. Bronntar Scoláireachtaí Iontrála gach bliain ar mhic léinn, seachas mic léinn Leighis, atá díreach tosaithe ag freastal ar OÉ Gaillimh agus a fuair 560 pointe, ar a laghad, i Scrúdú na hArdteistiméireachta. Sa Leigheas, bronnadh 10 Scoláireacht, bunaithe ar thorthaí na hArdteistiméireachta agus na Tástála Iontrála nua (H-PAT Ireland) araon. Is féidir na gradaim seo, a bhfuil sé de chuspóir leo na mic léinn is fearr a mhealladh chuig OÉ Gaillimh agus a bhfeabhas acadúil a chúiteamh leo, a choinneáil i gcuideachta aon scoláireachtaí nó aon deontas eile, Scéim leathan Scoláireachtaí Spóirt na hOllscoile san áireamh. Chomh maith leis sin, bronnann OÉ Gaillimh 25 Sparánacht gach bliain ar fiú €1,600 an ceann iad agus a bhfuil sé mar aidhm leo tacú le mic léinn a thugann faoi sciar suntasach dá gcúrsa staidéir trí mheán na Gaeilge. Ag labhairt dó ag an searmanas bronnta, bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr James J. Browne, a bhronn na seiceanna ar na buaiteoirí ar fad: "Cúis áthais dúinn a bheith in ann aitheantas a thabhairt d'éachtaí acadúla an 63 mac léinn seo as gach cearn den tír. Déanann OÉ Gaillimh iarracht i gcónaí tacú le feabhas acadúil i ngach uile dhisciplín agus é a spreagadh. Deis é Searmanas Bronnta na Scoláireachtaí Iontrála le haitheantas a thabhairt dár mic léinn chéad bhliana a bhfuil a gcumas acadúil léirithe acu cheana féin bunaithe ar na torthaí a fuair siad i Scrúdú na hArdteistiméireachta. Deis atá ann freisin le haitheantas a thabhairt don obair atá déanta ag a dtuismitheoirí agus ag a múinteoirí. Cuirimid fáilte chroíúil rompu chuig OÉ Gaillimh agus táimid ag tnúth lena gcumas acadúil a fhorbairt agus le tacú leo sna blianta amach romhainn". Bronnadh Scoláireachtaí Iontrála na bliana seo ar dhaltaí as 47 scoil éagsúil ar fud na tíre. Ba as 13 chontae na mic léinn bhuacacha – Ceatharlach, An Clár, Corcaigh, Dún na nGall, Gaillimh, Laois, Luimneach, Ciarraí, Cill Chainnigh, Maigh Eo, Muineachán, Sligeach agus an Iarmhí. -Críoch-
Friday, 16 October 2009
Week of Autumn Conferrings Begin at NUI Galway
See report on RTÉ Six One News: http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1019/6news.html (Leagan Gaeilge) Over 4,000 students will graduate from NUI Galway during the Autumn Conferring Ceremonies which take place from 16-23 October. NUI Galway will also confer five Honorary Masters Degrees during the ceremonies on: Galway-born and internationally acclaimed traditional musician, Frankie Gavin; RTÉ's Northern Editor, Tommie Gorman; local soccer legend, Eamonn 'Chick' Deacy; Fr Raymond Browne for his contribution to community life; and Christian Brother, voluntary worker and author, Br Seán MacConmara. Frankie Gavin will be recognised for his lifetime contribution to Irish traditional music at home and abroad. Tommie Gorman will be honoured for his continued excellence in journalism and broadcasting. Eamonn 'Chick' Deacy will be honoured for his achievements in soccer as a former player with Aston Villa and Galway United in the 1980s. Fr Raymond Browne will be honoured for his tireless contribution to community life since his ordination in 1954, in Roscommon and through his ministry in Nigeria. Br Seán Mac Conmara will be honoured for his dedication to teaching, for his many publications and for his active engagement in voluntary organisations. Commenting on the conferring of this year s graduands, Dr James J. Browne, President of NUI Galway, said, "NUI Galway is fortunate to be associated with many outstanding honorary graduates throughout its history. This group of graduands is a very diverse and particularly worthy group. Their contributions in many spheres –music, journalism, sport, public service and education – have been outstanding, and NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to recognise these exceptional individuals". The annual Autumn Conferring Ceremonies will begin with the Adult and Continuing Education ceremonies, where awards will be conferred on almost 750 students who completed their certificate, diploma and degree courses at many locations across the country. Seachtain Bhronnadh Céimeanna an Fhómhair in OÉ Gaillimh (View in English) Bainfidh os cionn 4,000 mac léinn céim amach in OÉ Gaillimh sna Searmanais Bronnta Céimeanna a bheidh ar bun idir 16-23 Deireadh Fómhair. Bronnfaidh OÉ Gaillimh Céim Mháistreachta Oinigh ar na daoine seo a leanas le linn na searmanas chomh maith: An ceoltóir Gaillimheach a bhfuil clú agus cáil go hidirnáisiúnta air, Frankie Gavin; Eagarthóir Thuaisceart Éireann RTÉ, Tommie Gorman; an laoch áitiúil sacair, Eamonn 'Chick' Deacy; An tAthair Raymond Browne as a bhfuil déanta aige ar son an phobail; agus an Bráthair Críostaí agus an t-údar, Seán MacConmara. Frankie Gavin – tabharfar aitheantas dó as a bhfuil déanta aige ar son an cheoil Ghaelaigh sa bhaile agus i gcéin. Tommie Gorman – tabharfar onóir dó as an ardchaighdeán a gcloíonn sé leis i gcónaí i gcúrsaí iriseoireachta agus craolacháin. Eamonn 'Chick' Deacy – tabharfar onóir dó as na héachtaí a rinne sé mar imreoir sacair le Aston Villa agus le Gaillimh Aontaithe sna hochtóidí. An tAthair Raymond Browne – tabharfar onóir dó as an obair gan staonadh atá déanta aige don phobal ó oirníodh é i 1954, i Ros Comáin agus ar na misin sa Nigéir. An Bráthair Seán Mac Conmara – tabharfar aitheantas dó chomh maith as a dhúthracht i leith an teagaisc, as an iliomad foilseachán atá curtha amach aige agus as a ghníomhaí a bhíonn sé in eagraíochtaí deonacha. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr James J. Browne fúthu: "Tá an t-ádh ar OÉ Gaillimh ceangal a bheith aici leis an oiread sin céimithe oinigh den scoth ó bunaíodh í. Is grúpa an-éagsúil an grúpa céimithe seo agus is grúpa iad a bhfuil an t-aitheantas seo tuillte go maith acu. Tá an t-uafás oibre déanta acu san iliomad réimsí – ceol, iriseoireacht, seirbhís don phobal agus oideachas – agus is cúis áthais dúinn anseo in OÉ Gaillimh aitheantas a thabhairt don tsárobair atá déanta ag na daoine eisceachtúla seo". Cuirfear tús le Searmanais bhliantúla Bhronnadh Céimeanna an Fhómhair leis na searmanais Oideachais Aosaigh agus Leanúnaigh, áit a mbronnfar dámhachtainí ar bheagnach 750 mac léinn a chríochnaigh a gcúrsaí céime, dioplóma agus teastais in ionaid éagsúla ar fud na tíre. -Críoch-
Wednesday, 14 October 2009
New PhD Programme in Child & Youth Research Launched
Trinity College Dublin and NUI Galway launched an innovative structured PhD programme in Child and Youth Research on October 12th last. The programme responds directly to society's need to better understand the lives of children and young people, including those facing significant adversity, and the widely recognised need for evidence-informed policies and practices. As well as developing a whole new cohort of researchers with strong expertise in a wide range of research methods, the programme will produce cutting-edge research tailored to the needs of policy makers and service providers. Seventeen graduate students have registered for the four-year programme which will increase research and understanding of the lives of children and young people in Ireland. According to Professor Sheila Greene of the Children's Research Centre in TCD, the programme will greatly enhance existing capacity for child and youth research in Ireland, while for Professor Pat Dolan of NUI Galway's Child and Family Research Centre, a major outcome will be a research community highly responsive to the needs of those working with children and young people and the needs of children and young people themselves. This programme is the first of its kind in these islands and as well as bringing together the resources of the two research centres in TCD and NUI Galway it involves four Schools: the School of Psychology and the School of Social Work and Social Policy at TCD and the School of Psychology and the School of Political Science and Sociology in NUI Galway. The programme will include lectures from experts in other third level institutions, both national and international. The Programme Directors welcomed the support received from the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and during the launch Emily Logan, Ombudsman for Children, announced a studentship for this course has been awarded. -ends-
Tuesday, 13 October 2009
NUI Galway to Support Entrepreneurs
NUI Galway is calling on all potential entrepreneurs to join its Start Up Solution (SUS) programme. SUS is designed to rapidly establish the commercial potential of technology ideas. During the course of three months, professionals from the University's Technology Transfer Office will work closely with individuals to foster the skill set, knowledge and tools required to complete first phase market research. The programme is targeted at owner/managers from companies who have a new product under development, researchers who plan to commercialise a technology concept, and management in industry who are considering spinning out their own enterprise. The SUS programme consists of interactive workshops, case studies, one-to-one mentoring, individual and group exercises, and presentations. In this highly confidential setting, entrepreneurs will be able to establish whether to take their idea to the next level. According to Clodagh Barry, SUS Manager at NUI Galway: "Our programme has proven to be a critical success tool in adding value and commercial reality to the participant's invention". An example of a local start-up company that has previously benefited from the SUS programme is Hyperassure, a specialist in governance, risk and compliance solutions. Software development company, Roxo Technology which specialises in eLearning products, also took part in the SUS programme. For further information contact Clodagh Barry on 091 495382 or clodagh.barry@nuigalway.ie -ends-
Monday, 12 October 2009
Swiss Funding for Research into Back Pain at NUI Galway
Significant new funding from the AO Foundation in Switzerland will allow scientists at NUI Galway to pursue an innovative research strategy to help combat back pain. The strategy is based on mapping highly specific cell surface markers called glycans, to allow better differentiation between diseased and healthy tissue in the spine. By mapping these patterns, it is hoped that medical professionals will be able to distinguish different cell types with a high degree of specificity and target treatment accordingly. The AO Foundation promotes and supports research and development into the regeneration of intervertebral disc damage (IDD) which is the primary cause of lower back pain. Back pain is a predominant cause of disability and is particularly prevalent among 30-50 year olds, though it is more severe among older patients. It has emerged as the most expensive healthcare problem in the US, with reported annual costs of up to $100 billion. Professor Abhay Pandit is Director of the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB) at NUI Galway and has been developing biomaterial based therapeutic delivery systems for treatment of IDD for several years. He explains the challenge at hand: "You could think of the discs in the spine as being made up of an outer doughnut shaped ring of hard tissue. In the centre of each disc is a soft jelly-like material called the nucleus pulposus, or at least in healthy discs it is soft. With age and disease, the centre can harden, leaving it almost impossible to differentiate the nucleus pulposus tissue from the outer shell tissue of the disc. This makes degenerated nucleus pulposus tissue difficult to identify and therefore treatment is severely limited". Professor Lokesh Joshi leads the Glycosciences and Glycotechnology Research Group (GGRG) at NUI Galway which focuses on cutting-edge research surrounding complex sugars or glycans. While many studies around the world have investigated changes at a genetic level in the nucleus pulposus tissue, few distinguishing features have emerged. Now researchers from the GGRG and the NFB at NUI Galway will go beyond genetics, to track the glycans in cells of the nucleus pulposus which may provide indicators for healthy or degenerated tissues. Professors Joshi concludes: "This research programme further supports the strategy of innovation and convergence in Irish research and reinforces the financial commitment of the AO Foundation to research carried out at NUI Galway". NFB is a strategic research cluster funded by Science Foundation Ireland. -ends-
Monday, 12 October 2009
NUI Galway Offers Personal Finance Workshop
Managing personal finances will be the topic of a day-long workshop at NUI Galway on Saturday, 17 October. The workshop is entitled 'Your Money, Lets Sort It' and will provide an insight for participants into gaining control of their personal finances. The workshop is being organised by the University's Adult & Continuing Education Office as part of its Short Course Series. The popular series covers a broad range of topics from Creative Writing to Environmental Science, but this is the first time personal finance has been addressed. According to Nuala McGuinn of NUI Galway's Adult & Continuing Education Office: "Personal finance, especially in these difficult economic times, is a subject that warrants study. The course will cover several areas including, money and wealth, the psychology of money, protecting your income for your dependents and a practical guide to savings and investments". Speaking about the importance of managing finances, Gary Mahood, Financial Advisor and course tutor said: "It is more important than ever that people take control of and understand their personal finances. We have seen a harsh budget for 2009 and have the expectation of more to come. Combine this with falling house prices and stock markets means people need to be savvier about managing their money". For further information on the course, which costs €55 and runs from 9.30am–5pm, contact the Adult & Continuing Education Office on 091 495845 or visit www.nuigalway.ie/adulteducation -ends-
Thursday, 8 October 2009
NUI Galway Leaps 125 Places in World University Rankings
(Leagan Gaeilge) NUI Galway has jumped a significant 125 places, the highest leap among all Irish universities, in the newly published Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings. The ranking now places NUI Galway among the top 250 universities in the world, listed at 243 among 621 institutions. This is the second year in a row that NUI Galway has risen in the rankings, having moved up 116 places in 2008. Dr James J. Browne, President of NUI Galway said of the achievement: "This is excellent news for NUI Galway and a fitting acknowledgement of the exceptional developments in teaching and research that have taken place at this University in recent years. Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings is one of the best regarded evaluations of higher education in the world and it is great to see NUI Galway making its mark on that ranking. This increase to 243rd in the world, is the second consecutive jump for NUI Galway, and represents an increase of almost 250 places in the last two years,. This result, together with the recent award of the 2009 Sunday Times University of the Year, confirms NUI Galway's position as one of Ireland's leading universities, and a growing force on the international stage". President Browne added: "Indeed, the performance of the Irish universities in general in this year's Ranking highlights the excellent research taking place in all of our institutions and underlines the need for continued investment in research if Ireland is to maintain and enhance its position within higher education globally". NUI Galway is also now in the top 300 ranking of universities for Arts and Humanities (272) as well as Life Sciences and Biomedicine (250) in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings' discipline categories. The Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings have been running since 2004 and are amongst the highest profile global evaluations of comparative university quality. The QS World University Rankings were conceived to present a multi-faceted view of the relative strengths of the world s leading universities. The calculations leading to the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings are based on data gathered in the following categories: Academic Peer Review, Employer Review, International Faculty Ratio, International Student Ratio, Student Faculty Ratio, and Citations per Faculty (citation data supplied by Scopus). Weightings are decided upon by Times Higher Education based on its opinion of the importance of the measured criteria balanced against the effectiveness of the indicator to evaluate the intended measure. Léim 125 Áit Tógtha ag OÉ Gaillimh i Rangú Ollscoileanna an Domhain (View in English) Tá OÉ Gaillimh tar éis léim 125 áit a thabhairt, an léim is mó a rinne aon ollscoil in Éirinn, i Ranguithe Ollscoileanna an Domhain an Times Higher Education-QS. Tá OÉ Gaillimh i measc an 250 ollscoil is fearr ar domhan anois, agus an 243ú háit as 621 institiúid bainte amach aici. Seo an dara bliain as a chéile ar ardaigh rangú OÉ Gaillimh; léim sí 116 áit in 2008. Bhí an méid seo le rá ag an Dr James Browne, Uachtarán, OÉ Gaillimh faoin éacht seo: "Is an-scéal é seo do OÉ Gaillimh agus is aitheantas cuí é ar an bhforbairt eisceachtúil atá déanta ar an teagasc agus ar an taighde san Ollscoil seo le blianta beaga anuas. Tá measúnú Ranguithe Ollscoileanna an Domhain an Times Higher Education-QS ar cheann de na measúnuithe ar chúrsaí airdoideachais is measúla ar domhan agus is iontach an rud é go bhfuil OÉ Gaillimh i lár an aonaigh ann. Leis an léim seo atá tugtha ag OÉ Gaillimh chuig an 243ú háit ar domhan, an dara léim as a chéile, tá an ollscoil tar éis léim beagnach 250 áit a thógáil le dhá bhliain anuas. Léiríonn an toradh seo, mar aon leis an ngradam a bronnadh orainn le gairid mar Ollscoil na Bliana 2009 an Sunday Times, go bhfuil OÉ Gaillimh ar cheann de na hOllscoileanna is fearr in Éirinn agus go bhfuil an tionchar atá aici go hidirnáisiúnta ag fás." Dúirt an tUachtarán an méid seo a leanas chomh maith: "Go deimhin, léiríonn a fheabhas a d'éirigh le hOllscoileanna na hÉireann i gcoitinne i Rangú na bliana seo an taighde den scoth atá ar bun inár n-institiúidí ar fad agus léiríonn sé an gá atá le hinfheistiú leanúnach sa taighde má táthar le seasamh na hÉireann laistigh den ardoideachas go domhanda a choinneáil agus a neartú." Tá OÉ Gaillimh i rangú an 300 ollscoil sna Dána agus sna Daonnachtaí (272) agus sna hEolaíochtaí Saoil agus sa Bhithleigheas (250) anois chomh maith i gcatagóirí disciplíní Ranguithe Ollscoileanna an Domhain an Times Higher Education-QS. Tá Ranguithe Ollscoileanna an Domhain an Times Higher Education-QS ar bun ó 2004 agus tá siad ar na measúnuithe domhanda ar chaighdeán ollscoileanna is mó a mbíonn aird ag an bpobal orthu. Bunaíodh Ranguithe Ollscoileanna an Domhain an QS le léargas ilghnéitheach a thabhairt ar láidreachtaí scothollscoileanna an domhain. Bíonn na torthaí as a dtagann Ranguithe Ollscoileanna an Domhain an Times Higher Education-QS bunaithe ar shonraí a bhailítear sna catagóirí seo a leanas: Athbhreithniú Acadúil ó Phiaraí, Athbhreithniú Fostóra, Cóimheas Dáimhe Idirnáisiúnta, Cóimheas Mac Léinn Idirnáisiúnta, Cóimheas Dáimhe Mac Léinn, agus tagairtí de réir Dáimhe (Scopus a chuireann na sonraí tagairtí ar fáil). Socraíonn an Times Higher Education na hualuithe bunaithe ar an tuairim atá aige faoi thábhacht na gcritéar tomhaiste i gcomparáid le héifeachtacht an táscaire leis an tomhas atá i gceist a mheas. -Críoch-
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
One of the World's Leading Mathematicians to Visit NUI Galway
NUI Galway's de Brún Centre for Computational Algebra is pleased to announce a forthcoming public lecture by leading mathematician Professor Efim Zelmanov, member of the Advisory Board of the Centre. Professor Zelmanov is recognised as one of the greatest algebraists of modern times. In 1994 he was awarded the Fields Medal, commonly known as the 'Nobel Prize' for mathematicians. His public lecture takes place at 3pm, Wednesday, 14 October, in the NCBES Seminar Room, Orbsen Building, NUI Galway. According to Dr Dane Flannery, of the de Brún Centre for Computational Algebra: "Professor Zelmanov is one of the most profoundly gifted mathematicians working in the world today. There is no Nobel Prize in mathematics, and the Fields Medal is recognised as its equivalent. This honour is awarded only to mathematicians under 40 years of age whose discoveries have revolutionised mathematics. We look forward to benefitting from Professor Zelmanov's insights when he visits NUI Galway". Born and educated in the former Soviet Union, Zelmanov received his doctorate from Novosibirsk State University in 1980 at the age of 25. His doctoral dissertation completely changed the branch of mathematics known as Jordan Algebras. In 2001 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, USA, and was at that time the youngest member in the Academy's Mathematics division. Professor Zelmanov holds the Rita Atkinson Endowed Chair in Mathematics at the University of California, San Diego. He was previously a Professor of Mathematics at Yale University. Professor Zelmanov was awarded the Fields Medal for his solution of the Restricted Burnside Problem. This fundamental and longstanding algebraic conjecture was the focus of intense research activity by many leading mathematicians throughout the 20th century. Professor Seán Tobin of the Department of Mathematics, NUI Galway, solved a special case of the problem in 1954. Dr Flannery added: "NUI Galway is fortunate indeed to have Professor Zelmanov visiting us. We hope that everyone who attends his lecture gains an appreciation of the nature of mathematical discovery and creativity". Further information is available from Dr Dane Flannery on 091 493587. -ends-
Founded in 1845, we've been inspiring students for 170 years. NUI Galway has earned international recognition as a research-led university with a commitment to top quality teaching.
National University of Ireland
T. +353 91 524411
Get Directions Send Us an Email
Twitter Facebook YouTube LinkedIn RSS Pinterest
© 2017 National University of Ireland, Galway. All Rights Reserved.