Galway, 22nd May 2006 – NUI Galway will host its first International Advisory Board meeting for the Community Knowledge Initiative around the area of civic engagement in universities and society on 25th and 26th May 2006. This will be a joining of high profile academics and people who are committed to the vision of change in society, as well as an opportunity for the CKI to take recommendations for the future of the project.

The role of active participation is being entrusted to less people and the area around the ability to identify and understand social and public policy in order to increase active engagement will be discussed. Amongst the high profile people that will be at this meeting will be Professor Ahmed Bawa, Academic Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of KwaZulu Natal, and Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, founder of Focus Ireland.

Professor Bawa went from being a President's Awardee to the Ford Foundation and today works with the University of KwaZulu Natal around policy and the role of education in changing society. He contributes to the change of society of South Africa and beyond and takes a special interest in social responsibility.

Sister Stanislaus was the first religious Sister to be appointed by the State as a member of a Health Board. She was a founder member of the National Federation of Youth Clubs, chaired what is now the Combat Poverty Agency, and founded Social Innovations Ireland to identify new and emerging needs. She is also an author of several books and has written a wide range of articles, as well as lectures on social policy issues. She has a vision of change in Irish society and works daily to contribute to that vision.

Additionally attending will be Reverend Bill Lies, University of Notre Dame, Dr. Dean McGovern, Campus Compact, Professor J.M. Monaghan, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Ms. Moira Swinbank, TimeBank, UK, and Ms. Elena Saraceno, The Unit of Consistency of Rural Development in the Directorate General of Agriculture and Rural Development, European Commission.

The CKI is a venture at NUI Galway that promotes partnership with communities and instils in students a sense of civic engagement and active citizenship. Through a volunteering project entitled ALIVE and community based/service learning modules in academic programmes, the CKI hopes to connect the students on a deeper level with their community, underpinning each person's civic responsibility.

- ends – For further information, please contact Lorraine McIlrath, CKI Project Coordinator at 091 495234 or email lorraine.mcilrath@nuigalway.ie.