News Archive

The Irish Software Research Centre (Lero), in conjunction with the discipline of Business Information Systems at NUI Galway, recently welcomed female transition years’ students from Galway secondary schools for its inaugural Transition Year Innovation workshop. The purpose of the workshop was to heighten awareness of the many exciting opportunities and careers in the ICT sector for women. According to recent Accenture Ireland research, women constitute only 25% of the workforce in STEM related jobs. The workshop was funded by a grant from the GoogleRISE Award. The Lero group at NUI Galway is lead by Professor Kieran Conboy, Dean of the University’s College of Business, Public Policy and Law, and was one of 37 worldwide recipients of this award in 2015, in recognition of its ongoing education and outreach programmes throughout Ireland. During the workshop the students from Holy Rosary College in Mountbellew, St. Brigid's in Loughrea and the Salerno Secondary School in Salthill, were tasked with designing a mobile app for a health and fitness club. To complete their assignment, the students formed three and four member teams, with each team supported by mentors: Carol Guilfoyle and Christina Callanan, Hewlett Packard; Emma Curley, Accenture; Orla Shaughnessy, Storm Technology; Saima Clohessy, Fidelity Investments; Elizabeth Grier, Jessica Tyrrell and Lillian Hughes, fourth year students of the Business Information Systems programme, and Ann O’Brien, Coleen Griffin and Mary Loftus, NUI Galway PhD candidates. Each workshop session featuring a talk from female ICT professionals on their experience of working in technology, before introducing the teams to the activity for the team break out session that followed. The breakout sessions involved “hands on” learning for the Transition Year students, working with their mentors on activities such as systems analysis, user interface design, application development, innovation thinking, collaboration and presentation skills. “We were delighted with the great reaction and engagement of the Transition Year students with the format and conduct of the workshop, with the student, mentors and organisers enjoying the experience,” said Neil Keane, lead organiser of the workshop. The event was organised by Neil Keane, Ann O’Brien and Coleen Griffin, with support from Lero, the Business Information Systems discipline NUI Galway, Hewlett Packard, Storm Technologies, Fidelity Investments, and the Accenture centre for Innovation, Dublin. -Ends-

Innovative New Business Degree for NUI Galway The new Bachelor of Commerce (Global Experience) course at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics in NUI Galway adds another innovative degree to the school’s portfolio of global business programmes. Formerly known as the Bachelor of Commerce (International Experience) this NUI Galway degree has been significantly enhanced by extending study abroad opportunities through English, to China, Australia and the United States in addition to existing partner countries throughout the European Union. “This new degree offers the unique opportunity of a work placement and a study abroad in the same year, while still delivering a broad business degree combined with a business specialism in final year. This four year degree is designed to prepare students for the challenges of working in today’s global business environment, explained Programme Director, Dr Gerard Turley. Students complete modules from all different areas of business in the first two years of the degree. In year three, students undertake a work placement and/or study abroad. In final year, students specialise in one of the following eight streams: Accounting and Performance Measurement; Economics and Public Policy; Management of Human Resources; Marketing Management; Digital Business and Analytics; Finance; Business Law; or International Business. Speaking at the official launch of the new programme, Dr Tom Acton, Head of NUI Galway’s J.E Cairnes School of Business and Economics said: “The Bachelor of Commerce (Global Experience) builds on the success of 100 years of business education at NUI Galway. It is offered in addition to the full suite of business degrees in NUI Galway including the highly popular Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce (International with Continental Language), Bachelor of Commerce (Gaeilge), Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting), Bachelor of Science in Business Information Systems and Bachelor of Science in Financial Mathematics and Economics.” President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne said: “Studying abroad in the business schools of leading universities whilst immersed in the culture of our partner countries is a strategic element of preparation of the student for a successful career in international business. The introduction of partnerships in China, Australia and the United States results in a truly international business degree which builds student networks and understanding on a global scale.” Dr Ann Torres, Vice-Dean of Internationalisation at NUI Galway, said, “In order to flourish future business graduates will need to adapt to an ever more global work environment. Global business requires globally confident and culturally aware graduates. The Bachelor of Commerce (Global Experience) course responds to the needs of employers and will produce highly sought after graduates in all areas of business.” For more information please contact the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics 091 492 612 or email business@nuigalway.ie. ENDS

NUI Galway’s Societies Office has launched their Spring Programme highlighting the number of major events which will take place on campus this semester. With 115 societies the programme is packed with a variety of theatre, music, dance, guest speakers, debates, workshops and classes. As part of the Spring Programme, the Societies will present the Midterm Festival, from 8-12 February, to promote involvement in the social and cultural life of the campus. In this first year, the Festival will celebrate the arrival of spring with many of the events open to the public. Festival highlights include: Galway University Musical Society (GUMS) production of ‘The Addams Family’, at the Black Box Theatre. The African Caribbean Society will be hosting their version of the hit TV programme “Take me Out”. Dramsoc will host a workshop with the award-winning Blue Teapot Theatre Company, Performing Arts School and Outreach programme for people with intellectual disabilities. The Literary and Debating Society’s annual Alumni Debate. Witless Band Competition, organised by the Music Society and Rock Society. Other events in the Spring Programme include: Rainbow week, organised by GigSoc (LGBT). Potterfest Galway, organised by Pottersoc, a family friendly weekend for Harry Potter fans. Dramsoc will host the National Student Awards (ISDA) in five theatres across the city and on campus featuring over 25 productions from colleges all over Ireland. The Choral Society will host the National Choral Intervarsity. Dansoc will present ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. Mental Health Week organised by Psychology Society. Brain Awareness Week organised by Neuro Society. A number of conventions and conferences will also feature including: Writers Convention; Fansci ‘Itzacon XII’ a Fantasy and Science Fiction Convention 2016 Convention; Cumann Staire Irish History Students Association, 66th Conference; the Association of Celtic Students of Ireland and Britain; and JugglingCon Galway 2016. Throughout the year the societies engage in numerous outreach and schools programmes, such as schools debating competition, organised by the Literary and Debating Society, the annual Schools Musical Awards, organised by the Musical Society, Suas Society facilitate homework clubs in local schools and the Bike Gang Society promote cycling and sustainable transport with schools and youth groups. Societies work with community groups through the world and fundraise extensively for charity, raising over €224,000 last year, and a number of charity events will also feature in this year’s programme. According to Ríona Hughes, NUI Galway Societies Officer and Chairperson of The Board of Irish College Societies, said: “In addition to significantly contributing to the social, cultural and community life of the campus and Galway’s wider community, the societies also play a vital role in educating and preparing their members and in particular their committee members to fully realise their potential as engaged contributing members of society, ensuring they receive a holistic education and graduate as skilled leaders with integrity, creativity, vision and passion for life.” Last year the Societies Office launched their new leadership programme which aims to instil positive leadership qualities and train the society committee members in the necessary skills to run successful societies, which deliver a quality experience for their members and target communities. The programme also aims to explore how people learn and the role of experimental learning through student led extra-curricular activities. The outcomes of the initial pilot programme have been very positive showing a clear correlation between skill ‘shortfalls’ as identified by employers and the skills the committee members identified they had learnt such as communication, problem solving, confidence and team work. A full list of events taking place is available at www.socs.nuigalway.ie, where you can also subscribe to the mailing list, or call the SocsBox, Áras na Mac Léinn on 091 492852. In addition to the box office at the SocsBox, which is open 10am – 7pm weekdays and until 5pm on Fridays, the Societies Office has also launched their new on-line webstore at www.socsbox.nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

Two new smoke-free zones are launched outside some of the University’s busiest buildings NUI Galway has introduced two smoke-free zones on campus. The new smoke-free zones are centred around two designated smoking shelters in the north and south campus, and cover some of the most popular buildings on campus, including the James Hardiman Library, the Arts Millennium Building, the Engineering Building, Áras Moyola and the Cairnes Building. In 2013, a University-wide survey was carried out to gauge the campus community’s attitudes towards smoking at NUI Galway. While an outright ban on smoking was rejected, a majority of staff and students expressed their preference for restricting smoking to designated areas only. Since then, a working group of University staff and Students’ Union representatives has been working on designing and implementing the smoke-free zones. While it will take some time to build awareness about the new smoking restrictions, there is already a marked reduction in smoking at many building entrances. The new smoke-free zones are supported by both the University and the Students’ Union, and members of the Student Cancer Society are helping to grow awareness around the campaign. Like many public places, smoking creates second-hand smoke and litter on the campus, in particular at the entrances to buildings. The new smoke-free zones are aimed at making the University a cleaner and healthier place for everyone to work and study. Signage on the new designated smoking shelters includes information on supports to quit smoking. Commenting on the new smoke-free zones, Vice-President for the Student Experience, Dr Pat Morgan said: “A healthy campus will deliver long-term benefits for all our community. One of the first steps is to establish smoke-free zones.  Students and staff are united in this particular initiative.” For more information on why and where NUI Galway is going smoke-free, visit: www.nuigalway.ie/smokefree. -Ends-

Have you ever wondered how scientists photograph the thousands of tiny plants and animals that live in a drop of seawater? A day-long workshop to further unravel the mysteries of imaging plankton will be hosted by NUI Galway and the Strategic Marine Alliance for Research and Training (SMART) on Monday, 14 September, 2015.   The event entitled Imaging Marine Microorganisms: Microscopy and Photography of Plankton is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency and will be held in NUI Galway’s old Civil Engineering Building now known as Block E (Room 1002).   The workshop is part of the SMARTSkills series which supports early stage researchers in developing the practical ‘blue’ skills required to understand our seas and oceans. The day will include lectures by leading Irish and international researchers, and practical sessions describing and demonstrating imaging methodologies and sample preparation techniques.   The workshop will conclude with a public lecture in the evening by Wim van Egmond curator of the ‘Micropolitan Museum of Microscopic Art Forms’ at 7pm in the Aula Maxima, Quadrangle, NUI Galway. Wim’s life-long interest in natural history combined with the fact that he grew up a few kilometres from Anthony van Leeuwenhoek who developed the first microscope, may explain his choice of photomicrography. His lecture will showcase astonishing images of the microscopic marine achieved with modest and accessible equipment and instrumentation and we hope will inspire researchers and citizen scientists alike. The public lecture is free and everyone is welcome.   If you have any queries regarding the events please see http://www.smartseaschool.com/content/smartskills-2015. For queries please contact smart@gmit.ie or Dr Yvonne Lang at yvonne.lang@nuigalway.ie. This event is supported by funding from EPA Grant (EPA 2014-HW-DS-3) and EPA Event Support Grant (2015-CONF-70). The workshops are facilitated by the Centre for Microscopy and Imaging, NUI Galway. -ends-

NUI Galway recently conferred special certificates on the ninth cohort of ‘graduates’ from its Youth Academy. 305 primary school children from across the Western region received their certificates, with more than 1000 friends and family attending the ceremony. Established in 2012, the Youth Academy aims to inspire entry to university by introducing primary school students and their families to university life. Since its foundation, almost 1500 students have graduated from a variety of courses held on Saturday mornings ranging from Mandarin to Art, Engineering to English Literature, Drama to IT and The World of Cops and Robbers to Social Innovation. The Youth Academy runs for a six-week period and works with high ability fourth, fifth and sixth class primary school children, to support their learning and academic development, in partnership with their primary schools. Speaking at the event, Vice-President for Innovation and Performance at NUI Galway, Professor Chris Curtin, said: “The Youth Academy is a very important initiative by this University.  We feel that it responds to the educational needs of our most important young citizens and gives talented young students the opportunity to get experience of learning in a university. We are committed at NUI Galway to fostering the sharing of knowledge across the boundaries of the University and into the community. I hope that initiatives such as the Youth Academy can highlight how the University can and does serve its community, not only here Galway but in society in general.” For further information on the courses and participation please contact Geraldine Marley, NUI Galway Youth Academy Coordinator, at youthacademy@nuigalway.ie. -ENDS-

Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland invest €2.2 million in a new clinical research network for blood cancers Irish patients to be among the first in the world to test new, potentially life-saving treatments   A new national clinical research network was launched today at the Lambe Institute for Translational Research at NUI Galway by the Minister for Skills, Research & Innovation, Mr Damien English TD, which will bring fresh hope for blood cancer patients in Ireland. The newly established Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BCNI) represents a multimillion euro investment in cancer research by the Irish Cancer Society and Science Foundation Ireland. The €2.2 million investment has established a new virtual clinical research network that will offer early stage haematology clinical trials, providing blood cancer patients in Ireland with the opportunity to be among the first in the world to test new, potentially life-changing, drugs and treatments. This joint investment with Science Foundation Ireland comes on foot of the Irish Cancer Society’s strategy to establish and support collaborative cancer research initiatives to bring Irish clinicians, scientists and population researchers together to increase the pace of discoveries. This new national cancer research initiative is also supported by the pharmaceutical industry. Commenting on this significant investment in cancer research, Minister for Skills, Research, and Innovation, Mr Damien English TD said: “The establishment of Blood Cancer Network Ireland by Science Foundation Ireland and the Irish Cancer Society will bring real and tangible benefits to Irish cancer patients by helping to develop new treatments for blood cancer. It is in line with the Government’s policy of investing and focusing excellent scientific research that impacts positively on Ireland’s economy and society.” Over the next five years, Blood Cancer Network Ireland (BCNI) hopes to make novel drugs and treatments available to patients with all types of blood cancers across Ireland. The first clinical trials being rolled out through BCNI will bring fresh hope, in particular, to patients with difficult to treat blood cancers. Patients with Multiple Myeloma (MM) or Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) will be among the first to take part in early phase clinical trials to test the safety and effectiveness of experimental and potentially life-saving drugs that are in development. Early stage clinical trials test the safety, efficacy, dosage, and side effects of new drugs and treatments on a small number of patients, usually at an advanced stage of disease. These trials are the first hurdle in the licensing process in the development of experimental drugs and treatments. BCNI will be established across the country through clinical research facilities in NUI Galway, University College Cork, and St James’s Hospital/Trinity College Dublin and the Irish Clinical Oncology Research Group (ICORG) will also be a partner in this national network. The research initiative will be led by Professor Michael O’Dwyer, Professor of Haematology at NUI Galway, and will also involve Professor Mary Cahill, Clinical Professor of Haematology, University College Cork; Professor Paul Browne, Professor of Haematology, Trinity College Dublin; Dr Eva Szegezdi, NUI Galway, and Dr Harry Comber, National Cancer Registry of Ireland, as co-lead investigators. This new clinical research network will establish a blood cancer biobank to collect and analyse patient samples to further our knowledge and understanding of blood cancers and an enhanced registry, in association with the National Cancer Registry of Ireland, to collect information about the treatment, outcomes, and quality of life of patients with blood cancers in Ireland. Director of Blood Cancer Network Ireland and Professor of Haematology at NUI Galway, Michael O’Dwyer, said: “This investment will put Ireland on the map in terms of developmental therapeutics in blood cancers. We are now in a position to attract cutting edge Phase I/II trials to Ireland giving Irish patients the earliest access to promising new treatments, while the development of a dedicated biobank and registry will greatly enhance our efforts in the areas of translational, population and health economics research. Overall, this investment will have many potential benefits: it will make Ireland internationally competitive in blood cancer research, increase access to expensive medicines free of charge with consequent savings to the taxpayer, enhance research and development in Ireland, contribute to job creation, and most importantly of all, benefit patients.” Head of Research at the Irish Cancer Society, Dr Robert O’Connor, said: “We are delighted to partner with Science Foundation Ireland to fund this innovative cancer research initiative that will bring new hope for blood cancer patients across the country. The Society is investing in research that is making a real difference to patient lives and this investment is another example of the vital and impactful cancer research that is being facilitated thanks to the support of members of the public who donate to us. Blood Cancer Network Ireland is the second collaborative cancer research initiative to be rolled out by the Society and ultimately it will give blood cancer patients new treatment options and hope for the future.” Professor Mark Ferguson, Director General of Science Foundation Ireland and Chief Scientific Adviser to the Government of Ireland, said: “A key goal of Science Foundation Ireland’s strategy Agenda 2020 is to develop significant strategic partnerships with industry, charities and international funders to support excellent and impactful research in Ireland. We are pleased to partner with the Irish Cancer Society and industry to support the establishment of Blood Cancer Network Ireland. This new clinical research network will bring direct benefits to cancer patients, support new drug discovery through clinical trials and increase our research competitiveness.” For further information about this new national research initiative visit www.bloodcancers.ie. ENDS

Winners selected from over 5,000 submissions from 255 institutions worldwide   NUI Galway student, Jonathan O’Rourke has been awarded a 2015 Undergraduate Award, an international academic awards programme that identifies top students across the globe through their innovative undergraduate research. A further ten NUI Galway students were highly commended, ranking in the top 10% of submissions internationally. Overall NUI Galway ranked in the top 30 for its student performance in the 2015 UA programme. Cited as the ultimate champion of high-potential undergraduates, and often referred to as a “Junior Nobel Prize”, The Undergraduate Awards is the world’s largest academic awards programme, recognising excellent research and original work across the sciences, humanities, business and creative arts. Jonathan O’Rourke, from Tramore, Co. Waterford, was announced winner of the Undergraduate Award in the Classical Studies & Archaeology Category for his paper entitled Self and the Other: The Construction of Barbarian Identity in Antiquity. The Undergraduate Awards 2015 programme received 5,117 submissions from undergraduates in 255 universities across 39 countries. Winners are the top performers in each of the 25 category. Louise Hodgson, Executive Director of The Undergraduate Awards, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for NUI Galway and its undergraduates. This year saw an NUI Galway student take first prize in this category for the second year in a row. Only the very top students from each university can submit their coursework, and The Undergraduate Awards identifies the very best of the best. With over 5,000 submissions from so many universities this year, the competition was extremely tough. Congratulations to all our 2015 Winners and Highly Commended Entrants.” Highly Commended entrants were brought together to meet their fellow awardees at the annual UA Global Summit in Dublin recently. The Summit was addressed by the philosopher AC Grayling, physicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, human genome sequencer Craig Venter, and the world’s youngest professor, Dr Alia Sabur, among many more speakers and facilitators. -Ends-

Study seeks participants aged 18-25 years old to examine common experiences of feeling disconnected or detached from one’s sense of self or their surroundings The School of Psychology at NUI Galway is conducting a research study on people who experience feelings of being disconnected or detached from themselves and their surroundings. Adults aged 18-25 years old are invited to participate in the study, with findings hoping to better inform professionals working within the mental health service. Recent research in mental health has identified that it can be common for people to experience unwanted thoughts and feelings of being more or less whole, or that the world is less real to them than at other times. This has been found to be a common phenomenon among the general population, but for some people it may cause them some distress. These experiences can be influenced by stress and fatigue, with most people not admitting to experiencing feelings of disconnect and detachment, for fear of being perceived as different or strange. International studies have found that people are more willing to report these experiences in surveys rather than disclose it to a doctor. The aim of this research is to normalise these common feelings and thoughts which people may have, and to determine whether they perceive them in a negative way. The study is particularly interested in people who may have experienced emotionally upsetting events or feelings in childhood, and evaluate if they are more likely to be affected by disconnected experiences in a more distressing way. The participants’ mood, anxiety and stress levels will also be measured, in order to establish if all these related issues impact on them in the here and now. The study is being carried out by Aoife Ó Laoide, a Psychologist in Clinical Training at the School of Psychology in NUI Galway, under the academic supervision of Dr Jonathan Egan, Deputy Director of the University’s Doctorate Programme in Psychological Science. Ms Ó Laoide is interested in examining this phenomenon and understanding how psychological factors, such as childhood experiences, current stress, anxiety, and mood might interact with these common experiences of feeling disconnected from yourself or your surroundings. Miss Ó Laoide said: “We are seeking people for the study who have ever felt ‘unreal’ or in a ‘dream-like’ state. People who experience a feeling of detachment or disconnection from themselves and their surroundings. We want to investigate this relatively common phenomenon that no one wants to admit to, in order to explore how it may impact on an individual and their overall psychological well-being, with the hope of informing future clinical practice.” For those aged 18-25 years old who wish to participate in the study please visit the online survey link at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/feelingunreal  For further information contact Aoife Ó Laoide at a.olaoide1@nuigalway.ie ENDS

NUI Galway ‘Yeats & The West’ Exhibition continues with the addition of a recently acquired portrait of Lady Gregory in 1912 William Butler Yeats, poet, playwright, politician, and Nobel prize-winner for literature, always looked west. Through rare books, art, music, drama, and film, the Yeats & the West exhibition at NUI Galway discovers what the west meant to him, and what this might mean for us. As part of this exhibition of original materials that are unique to the West of Ireland, NUI Galway has added a recently acquired portrait of Lady Gregory painted by the artist Gerald Festus Kelly in 1912. Lady Augusta Gregory was 60 at the time this portrait was painted for The Abbey Theatre, and established in her career as folklorist, translator, and playwright. She is depicted wearing mourning clothes for her late husband Sir William Gregory, not entirely in keeping with her energetic personality. The portrait is currently located in the Reading Room of the James Hardiman Research Building as part of the Yeats & The West collection. Celebrating Yeats2015 the Yeats & the West programme continues with an exclusive tour of the exhibition by the curators and events include a talk about ‘Yeats and the act of dying’ by Professor Kevin Barry from the Moore Institute at NUI Galway, and a Yeats & the West closing event next January featuring talks and readings by scholars, artists, and writers. Dr Adrian Paterson, lecturer in English and curator of the exhibition at NUI Galway, said: “I think people forget that Yeats was not just a poet, he was a cultural revolutionary. To put it differently you might say he was a collaborator, an entrepreneur, an artist and a man who made things happen. The west was the landscape of Yeats’s poetry. It was also a wellspring of songs, stories, folklore, artwork, drama and crafts. The exhibition takes a close look at his poetry. But it also highlights his collaborations, and the songs and plays and artwork and politics of those around him that shaped modern Ireland. It’s a western revolution.” Highlights of the Yeats & the West exhibition include watercolours from a 1900 Galway sketchbook by Jack B. Yeats, never-before seen paintings by Jack Yeats and Gerard Dillon, a wealth of visual material from artists and photographers from Fergus Bourke to Nicolas Fève, film footage and touchscreens, and rarely seen images, manuscripts, and books from archive collections in NUI Galway. Archive treasures include the Lady Gregory Collection, the Abbey Digital Archive, and the Lyric Theatre Belfast. Yeats & the West also highlights the gifted artists of Yeats’s own family, in original handprinted books from the Cuala Press and images of the Dun Emer embroideries from Loughrea’s St. Brendan’s Cathedral. A complete collection of the Cuala Press broadsides designed by Jack B. Yeats will also be on show. “Cuala Industries was essentially a feminist collective”, said Dr Paterson. “It was nationalist, too, but not in a narrow way, and they turned their hands to everything. The Broadsides feature original designs by Jack Yeats and other artists such as Harry Kernoff that are then coloured by hand. The later editions represent the only major collaboration between the two Yeats brothers.” The exhibition also features material from the Arthur Shields Collection, a spectacular resource of letters, photographs, and first editions. Arthur Shields was an actor at the Abbey Theatre involved in the Easter Rising of 1916, who acted in Yeats and O’Casey’s revolutionary plays, took the Abbey on tours to America, and then appeared in Hollywood films, making for a remarkable story. Yeats & the West tells a story of going west to find those places, real and imaginative, that change our sense of where and who we are. The exhibition runs until the end of January 2016 in the Hardiman Research Building at NUI Galway. The Yeats & the West programme is supported by the Moore Institute and James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway, Galway City Museum, the National Library of Ireland, Loughrea Cathedral, the Yeats Thoor Ballylee Society and Yeats2015. ‘The throats of birds: W.B. Yeats and the act of dying’ talk with Professor Kevin Barry will take place on Tuesday, 15 December at 5pm in Room G011 in the Hardiman Research Building at NUI Galway. The talk is free and open to the public. The Yeats & The West exhibition is open daily from 9am-5pm in the Hardiman Research Building at NUI Galway. Visit: yeatsandthewest.org ENDS

The Health Promotion Research Unit at NUI Galway delivers promising findings from national study in the health behaviours of our children   Dr Leo Varadkar TD, Minister for Health today, 9 December 2015, launched the main findings from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Ireland Survey 2014, carried out by the Health Promotion Research Unit at NUI Galway. The HBSC study is a cross-sectional study conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Europe.  Findings in the report are based on 13,611 school students from 230 schools across the county and are compared with data from the last HBSC survey in 2010. In welcoming the report, Minister for Health, Dr Leo Varadkar stated: “I welcome the decrease in smoking levels and drunkenness as well as the increase in fruit and vegetable consumption among children in Ireland. I am concerned about children’s exposure to second hand smoke and the ease at which young people report being able to purchase cigarettes. There are also still a worrying number of children going to bed hungry and skipping breakfast. If we can convince children that healthy habits and lifestyles are worth pursuing, then we have got a better chance of these children maintaining healthy behaviours and habits into adulthood. Being healthy and preventing disease is a key focus of Healthy Ireland.” Commenting on the findings, Principal Investigator Dr Saoirse Nic Gabhainn stated: “This report brings welcome good news about the health behaviours and well-being of children in Ireland with a decrease in smoking, alcohol and cannabis use. Further, the majority of children in Ireland report having high life satisfaction. However there are areas of children’s lives where we need to continue to encourage positive healthy behaviours particularly around physical activity and nutrition.” Key Findings 2014 (Main Study, 10-17 year olds) A decrease in the proportion of children reporting tobacco, alcohol and cannabis use from 2010.  Overall 8% report that they currently smoked (12% in 2010); 21% report ever being really drunk (31% in 2010) and 8% report cannabis use in the last 12 months (9% in 2010). New to the study this time, young people were asked about their exposure to second hand smoke in their family home and family car (12% reported adults allowed to smoke in family home; 16% report adults allowed to smoke in family car). Children were asked about cyberbullying. Overall, 13% of children report ever being bullied in the past couple of months by being sent mean messages and 15% ever being bullied in the past couple of months by someone posting unflattering or inappropriate pictures of them online without permission. Overall, 27% of young people aged 15-17 years old report having ever had sex. An increase in the proportion of young people who report eating fruit and/or vegetables more than once a day (fruit: 23% 2014 vs. 20% in 2010) (vegetable: 22% 2014 vs. 20% in 2010).  There is a decrease in the proportion of young people who report eating unhealthy foods.  Overall, 27% report eating sweets daily or more (37% in 2010) and 13% report soft drink consumption daily or more (21% in 2010). The proportion of young people who report excellent health, feeling very happy with their life and high life satisfaction has remained stable or unchanged from 2010.   Study Context The survey runs every four years and in 2014 there were 44 participating countries and regions (www.hbsc.org).  The 2014 Irish HBSC survey, carried out by the Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway is the fifth round of data collection in Ireland. The overall study aims to gain new insight into, and increase our understanding of young people’s health and wellbeing, health behaviours and their social context. As well as serving as a monitoring and a knowledge-generating function, one of the key objectives of HBSC has been to inform policy and practice. A total of 13,611 children aged 9-18 from 230 schools across Ireland participated in the 2014 survey.  Overall, 59% of invited schools and 84.5% of invited children participated.  This report includes findings from the HBSC main study, which includes children from 5th class to 5th year and middle childhood, which includes children in 3rd and 4th class in primary schools. For the first time in the Irish HBSC survey, children and young people from across the country identified new priorities for the study and these findings are also presented in this report. Click the link to view the Irish HBSC survey. ENDS

Ireland 1916-2016: The Promise and Challenge of National Sovereignty An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. and Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys T.D., today (10 December) announce a major National Conference as a key part of Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. NUI Galway will host the major national academic conference of the 1916-2016 commemoration next year, on the theme, Ireland 1916-2016: The Promise and Challenge of National Sovereignty. This conference will run 10-12 November 2016 and will include academic contributions from a broad range of Ireland's universities and institutes of technology, as well as from a number of leading international figures. The Department of Education and Skills is also delighted to support this conference and has reserved some funding within its Ireland 2016 commemorative programme for the project. This major international conference will facilitate an intensive exploration of two dominant and connected themes: - The vision and aspiration invested in an independent Irish state by idealists and thinkers of the revolutionary generation - The challenges facing the Irish sovereign state in 2016 – and the visions and horizons of ambition that should inspire the Irish people as they face the future Speaking at the announcement, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. said: “This is an opportunity to acknowledge the role of third level institutions in Irish life and the contribution they make to helping us examine our history, reflect on our achievements and look to our shared future. The conference is a national initiative and an invitation to all our third level institutions to participate, engage and contribute our best thinking at this unique moment in Ireland’s history.” Minister Heather Humphreys said: ”Next year, all of our third level institutions will be a hive of activity; hosting debates and discussions on the Rising, the last 100 years, and the future. This flagship National Conference, to be hosted in NUIG, will examine the ideals of the 1916 Leaders and the challenges facing the 2016 generation. Our third level sector will help us to understand our history better as we commemorate the centenary of the Easter Rising, and to consider what Irishness means to us as a nation a century later.” The conference will convene 10-12 November 2016 and will be addressed by several leading international speakers. Among those who have already confirmed they will participate in the conference are: Louise Richardson, Vice Chancellor of Oxford, Roy Foster, historian, and academics Professors Kevin O'Rourke, Mary Daly, Philip Pettit, Brendan O'Leary, and Dr Maurice Manning. The conference will also be addressed by Conference Patron Michael D. Higgins, Uachtarán na hÉireann. Major plenary sessions are planned on The Promise of 1916; Culture and Identity in a Globalized World; Economy, Society and the Well-Being of Citizens; and The Challenges, Promise and Responsibility of Education in the 21st century. The conference will conclude with a session on Political Futures and New Paradigms. Conference Chair and Chancellor, National University of Ireland, Dr Maurice Manning, said: “Ireland’s Decade of Centenaries has provided a wonderful opportunity for our nation to take stock and to examine 100 years of Irish independence. As the 100th anniversary year draws to a close in November 2016, this national academic conference will enable a wide ranging reflection on how Ireland – a small country can position itself globally for the next period of its development. We believe this is a great opportunity for Irish academics and global commentators to reflect on Irish identity and independence and to look forward at Ireland in a globalised future.” There will be a programme of public events associated with the conference which will be open to the public. A detailed programme will be available in early 2016 and updated on www.ireland.ie Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway welcomed the announcement: “NUI Galway is very pleased to host this national academic conference on our campus next year. We look forward to welcoming colleagues from all Irish higher education institutions to our campus for an important discussion on Ireland 1916-2016: The Promise and Challenge of National Sovereignty. We also embrace the public dimension of this event and will ensure wide participation in a public programme of talks, exhibitions and events on the campus and across the city.” ENDS

NUI Galway to host regional heat of one of the biggest science communication competitions in the world and is seeking scientists with a passion for public engagement As part of the recent Galway Science & Technology Festival Exhibition, NUI Galway launched ‘FameLab’, one of the biggest science communication competitions in the world. For the first time ever the University will host a regional heat in the competition and the organisers are calling for entries now. If you think you can explain a scientific concept to a general audience, in just three minutes, then why not enter? You could become the new face of science, represent Ireland at the 2016 FameLab International finals in the UK, and open doors to global opportunities in science communication. The competition is open to scientists, mathematicians and engineers across Ireland working in industry, business, research, academia, education, public service or other sectors, including specialist post-primary science teachers and third-level students of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects. Training for entrants will take place in Galway on Tuesday, 12 January with the Regional heat scheduled for Tuesday, 9 February 2016 at An Taibhdhearc Theatre in Galway. The application deadline to enter is Friday, 31 December 2015. Successful candidates who make it through to the initial regional heat, will be invited to attend an all-expenses paid Communication Masterclass that will help them develop invaluable STEM media and presentation skills. The Communication Masterclass will take place in Dublin on the 19 and 20 March, 2016. The aim of each presentation is that the audience and judges should be left inspired and enthused about science. The winner will be a charismatic presenter who makes the science easy to listen to, entertaining, exciting and who is not only able to communicate the science but who can share their passion for it. The FameLab Ireland Final will be held at the Science Gallery in Dublin on Thursday, 7 April 2016 and participants will be judged by leading researchers, media personalities and science policy makers on the content, clarity and charisma of their presentation. To register your interest and take part in the FameLab Galway competition, apply to: http://www.britishcouncil.ie/famelab/enter-competition/apply Please note that the competition is not open to people who are already working professionally in public engagement with science, including: • Press or PR officers, even for science-related organisations • Artists who work on science-related themes • Performers whose shows are about science or engineering • Science centre staff who work exclusively or mainly with the public • Journalists and broadcasters (as their main or only job) • Non-specialist teachers Contact famelab@ie.britishcouncil.org if you are unsure about your eligibility. ENDS

A research professor at NUI Galway helped honour his previous supervisor for winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2015, awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm yesterday Thursday, 10 December. Professor Bob Lahue from the Centre for Chromosome Biology at NUI Galway, trained as a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Professor Paul Modrich of Duke University in the United States. Professor Modrich, the James B. Duke professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Duke University’s School of Medicine, was one of three scientists to share the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for landmark discoveries over four decades of work in DNA repair. The Nobel Committee cited one of the Lahue-Modrich publications as groundbreaking. The Nobel Committee recognised Professor Modrich’s work on mismatch repair, which acts as a genetic spellchecker to preserve the DNA. Defects in mismatch repair are now known to cause certain hereditary forms of colorectal cancer. Genetic testing of cancer patients helps identify those with mismatch repair defects, providing information which is important in guiding their treatment. Commenting from the Nobel Prize ceremony, NUI Galway’s Professor Lahue said: “Our DNA is damaged every day in every cell. DNA repair is a fix-it machine that repairs the damage and keeps our genetic information safe. It was tremendously exciting to discover how mismatch repair worked. Paul is an outstanding supervisor and I feel very lucky to have trained in his laboratory. It was wonderful to see him honoured with a Nobel Prize for his seminal work.” Professor Lahue has worked since 2007 at NUI Galway’s Centre for Chromosome Biology in the Biosciences Research Building. Science Foundation Ireland, the Irish Research Council and the Health Research Board have funded his research. ENDS

Abbey Theatre/NUI Galway Digital Archive Partnership makes content from years 1904 – 1939 available online to the public -Offering fascinating behind the scenes views of the Abbey Theatre during the years of W.B. Yeats’s involvement in the theatre -Insight into leading figures from Irish Literary Revival -The struggle for funding -Insights into a pre and post-independence Ireland Monday, 14 December, 2015: As the Yeats 2015 celebrations draw to a close, a most fitting unveiling will take place today (Monday 14 December) as the Abbey Theatre Minute Books will be made available to the public for the first time on a new website. Collectively, the minute books amount to nearly 1,000 pages, covering some of the Abbey’s most significant events from the period 1904-1939. These minute books are now being published as part of the Abbey Theatre and NUI Galway Digital Archive Partnership (2012-2015). A Digital Journey Through Irish Theatre History, the Abbey Theatre - NUI Galway Digital Archive Partnership is the largest digital theatre project ever undertaken, and heralds a new era in Irish theatre scholarship, both nationally and internationally. Previously unseen, the Abbey Theatre Minute Books date from 1904 to 1939 and include the period in history when both Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats were involved in the management of the Abbey Theatre. The Abbey Theatre minute books contain notes from meetings of the theatre’s Board of Directors. They offer a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of the theatre, showing how the Abbey’s managers dealt with a variety of issues, from choosing plays to determining how much to pay their actors. Along the way, we find important information about leading figures from the Irish Literary Revival and beyond: not just W. B. Yeats, Lady Gregory and John Millington Synge but Sean O’Casey, Lennox Robinson, Teresa Deevy, Sean O’Faolain, Frank O’Connor, and many others. We also learn about great Irish actors such as Molly Allgood, Ria Mooney, Barry Fitzgerald, Cyril Cusack and many more. NUI Galway Professor of Drama Patrick Lonergan said that the minute book will be of huge interest to theatre scholars, historians, and anyone with an interest in Irish culture: “the story of the Abbey Theatre is in many ways the story of our nation in microcosm. This online resource shows the Abbey Theatre and NUI Galway working together to reveal new aspects of that theatre’s story – and, by extension, new aspects of the story of Ireland. Users of the site will be able to search easily through hundreds of pages of records, and can move between the handwritten originals and carefully transcribed webpages. And all of this is available entirely free of charge to readers anywhere in the world.” The minute books allow us to understand better how theatres are run. Yeats wrote about his approach to theatre business in a poem that was tellingly called “The Fascination of What’s Difficult”, cursing “plays/ that have to be set up in fifty ways”. Here we find Yeats encountering all sorts of difficulties - from the threat of government censorship of Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars in 1926 to the leaking of his late play Purgatory to a Jesuit priest in 1938. And those difficulties are indeed fascinating. We also learn much about the day to day activities of keeping a theatre in business: the struggles to find appropriate funding, the actors’ requests for extra money or time off, and the maintenance of the building. And of course we learn much about Ireland, both before and after independence. The Abbey Theatre famously was the first state-subsidised theatre in the English-speaking world, earning funding in 1925 from the newly independent Irish Free State. Bryan McMahon, Chairman of the Abbey Theatre said:  “The Abbey Theatre is proud to reveal, for the first time, our early Minute Books, an exciting milestone in our ground-breaking digital archive partnership with NUI Galway.   It is wonderful to manifest digitally the inner workings of the national theatre during its formative years.  These Minute Books give us fascinating insights into the management style and business acumen of W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory and the contribution made by the Board of Directors.  Indeed, the Minute Books reveal that Yeats was so integral to the Abbey Theatre, that Lennox Robinson, playwright and Board member, was dispatched to France to assist in the repatriation of his remains.  As we all know, it was an unsuccessful mission.  The Abbey Theatre is delighted that in this Yeats’ commemorative year, the full story of W.B. Yeats as theatre maker can be fully revealed.” In total, the Abbey Theatre and NUI Galway are making available seven minute books, including: 1904-1905 – outlining the foundation of the theatre, its relationships with other theatres in Ireland, and its evolving approach to its actors and patron Annie Horniman. 1908-1912. The book is primarily a record of plays to be performed as the theatre moves through the period. It also details actors’ issues, training and staging practicalities. 1912-1939. This book contains minutes of the company’s annual general meetings, and thus is different from the other publications, with some overlap in the minute books from 1929-39. 1925-1931 After a hiatus, the Abbey Theatre Board of Directors resumes taking minutes in 1925, following the Free State government’s decision to fund the theatre. A central topic of debate here is the fate of Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars. 1932-1936. The theatre grapples with ongoing financial difficulties, responds to the death of Lady Gregory, and its actors are offered the opportunity to make movies in Hollywood. Ernest Blythe formally joins the Board. 1936 to 1937. While covering a relatively short period, this minute book gives a fascinating account of the Abbey’s relationship with Teresa Deevy. We also find growing tensions between the Board and the Abbey company of actors. 1937 to 1939. Dominated by negotiations with the Irish government for the creation of a new theatre, which would house the Abbey Theatre and Gate Theatre (the outbreak of war in 1939 meant that this plan was never completed). Also notable here is the production of Yeats’s final plays, in particular the controversial Purgatory, which appeared at the Abbey Theatre Festival in 1938. This is a major milestone in this ground-breaking digitisation project which has brought the most advanced digital technology to bear on one of the world’s most historic theatre archives. The unprecedented access to the historic material enabled by its digitisation has far reaching benefits for students and researchers of the University. The unveiling of the Abbey Theatre Minute Books goes one step further, bringing this project to a public audience for the first time. The Abbey Theatre Minute Books can be viewed www.nuigalway.ie/abbeytheatreminutebooks/ ENDS

Academy integrates medical education with clinical delivery for medical doctors of the future  An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD today (14 December 2015) officially launched the Mayo Medical Academy, an NUI Galway partnership with Saolta University Health Care Group and Mayo University Hospital for the training of doctors. The Academy is housed in a purpose-designed facility located in the former chapel on the grounds of Mayo University Hospital. This is a major investment by NUI Galway into Clinical training in Mayo, one of a series of proposed medical academies in the West/North West region. Construction of similar facilities at Sligo and Letterkenny University Hospitals is almost completed and they will be opened early in the New Year. Speaking at the Launch, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD said: “ I welcome this investment into clinical training facilities for medical students at Mayo University Hospital. This is a tremendous contribution to medical education and research in the west of Ireland. The ongoing development of the Medical Academies by NUI Galway and Saolta Health Group is an important strategic investment in the North-West region. The Mayo Medical Academy will support university medical education at Mayo University Hospital and thereby enhance its reputation and significantly benefit the local knowledge economy.” Medical Education and Clinical Delivery The new Mayo Medical Academy will allow doctors of the future to fine tune their clinical skills under the watchful eyes of tutors and lecturers covering all medical specialties. 60 students per semester from third, fourth and final medical years rotate through Mayo University Hospital for one year clinical training. The co-location of the Academy with the hospital is deliberate as it allows students to attend didactic teaching in the Academy and also bedside teaching in the hospital. One of the strengths of the NUI Galway Medical School Academies is the ratio of both tutors to students and also of students to patients. Speaking at the launch of the Mayo Medical Academy, NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne said: “As well as being enormously important for the clinical education of our students, the real benefit of this partnership is to the health system across our region. Our relationship with Saolta University Health Care Group through the Mayo Medical Academy brings a range of tangible benefits: including better learning outcomes for medical students; better treatment rates for patients, with increased personnel on wards; and better opportunities for recruitment and retention of top staff in hospitals across the region through association with the University. Many people and organisations have given their energy to see this project come to fruition and NUI Galway is very pleased to be opening the first of its new Medical Academies in Mayo today.” Mayo General provides students with excellent exposure to a wide variety of specialities. From January 2016 onwards, the Mayo Medical Academy and Mayo General will also be welcoming student as part of the School’s new Junior Internship programme called iJuMP (Intern Junior Mentoring Programme). The School of Medicine promotes the development of its graduates to a level of excellence in preparedness for clinical practice, allowing them to function as a competent doctor in a changing, complex and demanding working environment. Final year medical students will from January be working on the wards as part of a team and functioning as junior interns. They will be supported by supervising consultants and will work closely with current interns to learn everything about the clinical environment first hand. The medical curriculum at NUI Galway is a five-year programme with an annual intake of approximately 180 students.  The curriculum is innovative and integrates the life sciences with clinical practice, provides for early patient exposure, immersion in a variety of clinical environments and, from the 2015/16 academic year onwards, will also be emphasizing intern preparedness to a greater extent. Commenting, Professor Kevin Barry, Consultant Surgeon and Dean of the Medical Education said, “Mayo University Hospital has always had very close links with third level institutions, particularly NUI Galway and GMIT.   The development of the Academy means that Mayo University Hospital will become part of an officially recognised teaching network. Providing students with a positive and rich experience within our acute hospitals will enable Mayo University Hospital and the wider Saolta Group, attract and retain first-class consultant and non-consultant hospital doctors.” Mayo Medical Academy Building Mayo Medical Academy is housed within the boundaries of a previous Catholic Church. The original structure was built at a cost of £3,400 in the early 20th century and was used for religious purposes during the period 1902 to 2010. This building, which is strategically located across from the main public entrance to Mayo University Hospital, has been sensitively restored into a multipurpose teaching facility, which is destined to become the subject of much favourable architectural comment in the future. As the original building was subject to a historic preservation order, all aspects of the church were carefully retained during the heritage restoration project which began in February of this year and was completed one-week ago. The design team consisted of Taylor Architects, Castlebar, Co. Mayo and the work was undertaken by the local construction firm of Mountain View Securities. The entire project was funded by NUI Galway at a cost in the region of €2.2 million. The final result comprises a stunning and innovative architectural design, combining the best of old and new. The building encompasses many features that facilitate a flexible approach to teaching and the various spaces within the building are designed to accommodate different student group sizes simultaneously. Emphasis is placed on Internet and WiFi connectivity within the building, including various teleconferencing links to NUI Galway. A lecture theatre, clinical skills space and student reading room comprise some of the many attractive features of the Mayo Medical Academy. Students will have 24-hour access to facilities on the ground floor, enabling easy transfer from the hospital to a more personal learning environment. Charlie Meehan, General Manager Mayo University Hospital added, “The development of a teaching academy at Mayo University Hospital comes at a critical time in the development of our health services nationally. This facility will enhance the hospital’s reputation and contribute over time to even higher standards of patient care in all of our clinical departments. The vision of the Academy is to integrate medical education with clinical delivery and develop an ecosystem that positions the hospital as a progressive facility that delivers the highest quality patient care together with excellent medical training and research.”    ENDS

The first ‘NUI Galway Mini Med School’ is taking place next January and February 2016 to encourage and inspire the next generation of healthcare professionals. The programme is aimed at Transition, 5th and 6th year students and will be run on campus on the 27 January and the 3, 10 and 17 of February 2016. NUI Galway Mini Med School is designed to give students a taste of what it would be like to study a healthcare-related degree at the University, while encouraging them to pursue their interests. It is the second initiative of its kind in Ireland along with the College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). The Mini Med School is a four-week interactive course and in its first year the theme will focus on Cancer and Oncology. The course will cover Clinical Medicine, Nursing, Research and The Future of Oncology. Each session will take place from 7pm to 9.30pm at NUI Galway and will include two speakers, a question and answers session with nursing and medical students, and an interactive medical activity. Students who attend can familiarise themselves with activities that NUI Galway students are involved in as part of their health care degree, engage and learn conceptual and practical aspects of oncology and its health care implications, and have the opportunity to meet and discuss healthcare studies with current NUI Galway medical and nursing students. Mini Med School is designed for any Transition, 5th and 6th year secondary school students from the Republic of Ireland. Registration will open on 16 December and will close once the 150 places available have been attributed. Note that registration is a first-come, first-serve basis and that participants must attend the four sessions of the event. NUI Galway Mini Med School is a voluntary initiative created, planned and organised by students from the NUI Galway Cancer Society with the support of the College of Science and the College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. It is supported by the Emergency Medicine Society (EMSSI), the Irish Coast Guard, the University’s Cell EXPLORERS programme, the Irish Cancer Society and by an NUI Galway Students’ Union EXPLORE Innovation Initiative project led by first year Medical Student Rosemary James and Dr Muriel Grenon from the School of Natural Sciences. If you have any questions please contact minimednuig@gmail.com. For the latest information on program developments, follow MiniMed on Twitter @NUIGminimed #NUIGminimed16 or Facebook www.facebook.com/nuigminimedschool/ or visit our EXPLORE website www.su.nuigalway.ie/explore-projects/2015-2016-projects. Those interested in attending must register online, at the Mini Med School Eventbrite website: http://NUIGalwayminimed16.eventbrite.ie ENDS

Radiation from a very distant galaxy has been detected by the VERITAS telescopes in Arizona, surprising astronomers. This galaxy is so far away that the radiation has been traveling toward us for at least 7.6 billion years, ultimately reaching Earth. In April 2015, after traveling for half the age of the Universe, a flood of powerful gamma rays from the galaxy PKS 1441+25 generated a torrent of light in our atmosphere that was captured by the VERITAS (Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System) cameras. VERITAS uses a system of four 12-metre diameter mirrors and cameras that takes 500 billion “pictures” every second. They detected very-high-energy gamma rays, with energies tens of billions of times the energy of ordinary visible light. Details of the detection have been published in Astrophysics Journal Letters. The primary analysis of the VERITAS data was carried out at NUI Galway’s Centre for Astronomy. Dr Mark Lang, a corresponding author on the scientific letter commented: “We were surprised to detect very-high-energy radiation from such a distant object. We had expected that it would be absorbed by the extra-galactic background light (EBL), a type of cosmic fog that fills the Universe. This allows us to make an important measurement of the light emitted by all stars over the history of the Universe.” PKS 1441+25 is a quasar in which material swirls into a super-massive black hole which has a mass of millions of times that of the Sun. Some of the material gets channeled into jets and propelled outwards at almost the speed of light. We are looking down the barrel of one of these jets. PKS 1441+25 is one of the farthest sources of very-high-energy gamma rays ever to be detected by ground-based instruments like VERITAS. The galaxy was also detected by NASA’s Fermi satellite and the MAGIC observatory based in the Canary Islands. NUI Galway undergraduate astronomy students Crystal Cloherty and Adam Moylan had the opportunity to study the PKS 1441+25 data as part of a University summer research internship programme. “We were thrilled to think we were looking at an outburst of radiation that happened when the Universe was only half its current age”. Co-author Dr Gary Gillanders from the Centre for Astronomy remarked “For a number of years Ireland has had no national funding scheme to support fundamental research of this type; it has been a real challenge for us to participate in an international scientific collaboration. Following the publication of the Government’s new science strategy we eagerly look forward to the re-emergence of financial support for basic research. This is essential if we want our students to be exposed to cutting-edge discoveries.” VERITAS is an international collaboration of over thirty institutions in the US, Canada, Germany and Ireland, including NUI Galway, UCD and Cork IT. ENDS

Barry Foley, a fourth year Occupational Therapy student at NUI Galway, has won a National Award for Volunteering in the category of Health and Disability at the Volunteer Ireland awards. The awards aim to celebrate and recognise the thousands of remarkable people across the country who selflessly gives their time and talent to benefit others.  Originally from Barna, Co. Galway, Barry was nominated for the award by Ability West, where he has been a volunteer there since 2011 working. Ability West is a non-profit organisation that provides services and supports to over 520 individuals with intellectual disability throughout the City and County. Barry said: “I was embarrassed to win as I don’t volunteer for awards, but now that I have, I would like to see if there is a potential to use this opportunity to get other people involved in some way. I’m hoping that by sharing the stories of volunteers to break down any barriers that people may have to volunteering, including shyness, lack of confidence or social anxiety.”     Linda Keane from Ability West said: “Barry enthusiastically embraces and promotes equality for people with an intellectual disability and encourages service users to reach their potential. Barry, a qualified fitness instructor, brings a number of groups to the gym, develops work out plans for individuals and encourages them to see it through, while promoting healthy living lifestyles.” “Barry has made a difference to the lives of so many.  In my 10 years as Volunteer Manager, no volunteer has shown our service users more what they are capable of achieving in such a positive way.  He treats them the same as he does other people.  Most importantly, when he brings our service users to the gym, he shows the wider public that people with an intellectual disability can set goals and work hard to achieve them”, continued Linda. Lorraine Tansey Student Volunteer Coordinator said, “At NUI Galway our student volunteering programme ALIVE seeks to connect students with great skills to community partners that can host them and offer them a positive experience. We are grateful to community groups like Ability West who provide support and acknowledgement to volunteers.” ENDS         

An NUI Galway graduate, Caoimhe Joyce Hearne was among a special group of inspirational young people presented with the Gaisce Gold Award by President Michael D. Higgins for her outstanding community work and significant personal achievement at a special ceremony in Dublin Castle recently. Originally from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Caoimhe graduated from NUI Galway with an Honours Bachelor of Science (Podiatry) degree in November 2015. Caoimhe volunteered with a Barretstown Summer Camp and also carried out an 85km walk along the East Munster Way which ran through Tipperary and Waterford. She was a member of the NUI Galway Boat Club and rowed competitively with the club, and was also a member of the NUI Galway Gaisce committee where she went on to become a Bronze PAL, providing bronze participants with advice and guidance as they complete their Bronze Gaisce challenge. As well as her primary degree, Caoimhe also completed a Dioploma sa Ghaeilge in NUI Galway. Gaisce – the President’s Award is a programme that aims to foster and develop young people's potential. It is a guided and supported framework that is provided for young people to explore their natural skills and gain confidence in their abilities, while contributing to their community. This year 47 Gaisce Gold Awards were presented to young people who excelled and achieved their goals. The Gaisce Gold Awardees successfully completed five challenge areas for 52 weeks or more – developing a personal skill, volunteering in their community and participating in physical activity. The Awardees also embarked on a five-day outdoor adventure journey and a week-long residential project as part of their Gaisce Award challenge.  Speaking about her Gold Award, Caoimhe said: “I would definitely advise people to try out the Gaisce challenge, whether it be bronze, silver or gold. It is great to set goals and to challenge yourself to achieve each goal to the best of your ability. Doing Gaisce in college really provided me with a memorable college experience. I got the chance to join various clubs and societies and meet great groups of people outside my course.” -Ends-

Channel Mechanics will leverage the funds to expand its flagship cloud channel management platform, channelIT, into the U.S. and drive employment in Galway NUI Galway client company, Channel Mechanics, developer of the first cloud-based channel enablement SaaS (software as a service solution), channelIT, just announced a $2.3 million round of angel funding. The funds will be used to expand channelIT to U.S. customers and increase Channel Mechanics' presence there as well. Angel funding has come from principal investors Enterprise Ireland, Konstantin Sidorov from RRC Business Telecommunications Ltd., and Karl Flannery from Knowledge Transfer Ireland and long-time ICT industry executive. “The development of our U.S. operations has been the highest priority for Channel Mechanics,” said Kenneth Fox, CEO of Channel Mechanics. “We are excited by the growth opportunities in the global market and believe we have the potential to become a very large international success story. With our global headquarters in Galway, the funding will drive employment and expertise in this key market area. The associated benefits which would accrue to Galway and surrounding regions are significant.” Headquartered at the Technology Transfer Office in the Research & Innovation Centre at NUI Galway with offices in the UK and U.S., Channel Mechanics is an ambitious company founded by IT industry subject matter experts in channel design, channel operations, channel sales and e-commerce. Leveraging this expertise, Channel Mechanics developed channelIT, which provides manufacturers with the tools, data and insights to turn great sales ideas into easily executable market promotions and sales programs, through the right channel partner and to the right customer. “If you look at the channel and how relationships between each component operate, the potential for innovation is truly astronomical,” said Konstantin Sidorov, lead investor for the round. “By using this platform to optimise operations and activities within the channel, enterprises win on all sides by identifying and eliminating ineffective marketing programs and tailoring existing and new ones to produce even better results.” “Enterprise Ireland is delighted to support the Channel Mechanics expansion and growth in the U.S. market,” added Edel Coen, VP of Enterprise Software at Enterprise Ireland USA. “Its channelIT platform is a game-changer in the area of SaaS Sales Enablement and a shining example of true innovation coming from Ireland.” Channel Mechanics currently supports a dozen customers worldwide, including Cisco, Zebra Technologies and Sonus Networks. For more information or to schedule a demonstration of channelIT, visit www.channelmechanics.com or watch the Channel Mechanics Explainer Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvXH7FfnChU ENDS

TTO supports the identification of 450 new technologies leading to 130 patents, 120 licences to industry, 33 spin-out companies and creates over 750 jobs   The Technology Transfer Office (TTO) at NUI Galway celebrated its tenth year in 2015. During that time, TTO has supported companies to achieve over €53million in investor funding, with those companies going on to create over 750 jobs. In addition NUI Galway’s Technology Transfer Office has identified more than 450 new technologies that have led to 130 patents, 120 licences to industry and 33 spin-out companies. The Technology Transfer Office has supported an environment, which promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, new business ideas while at the same time supporting commercial outcomes for the benefit of academics, entrepreneurs, NUI Galway, and society in general. Director of the Technology Transfer Office in NUI Galway, Mr David Murphy said: “We are very proud of the journey TTO has undertaken over the last 10 years and we are excited about the next 10 years. This is an exciting time to be involved in innovation. The combination of world-leading research, financial supports, access to global partners and markets allow us a great opportunity to develop and disseminate new knowledge. We look forward to working with our partners in the region, researchers, students, local companies, associations, and Knowledge Transfer Ireland to help achieve the ambitious research and development targets outlined in Innovation 2020.” Many recent highlights can be seen from the NUI Galway supported start up’s and Business Innovation Centre clients including former NUI Galway client company Apica Cardiovascular Ltd., which was acquired by Thoratec Corporation, a world leader in device-based mechanical circulatory support for an upfront cash payment of $35 million and potential future milestone payments of up to $40 million. NUI Galway client company Channel Mechanics Ltd. secured second round funding to bring resources’ from 15 to 50 and help scale the business globally. And client company Protek Medical Ltd. was recently acquired by Molex Ireland Holdings, leading to the expansion of Research and Development work being carried out at NUI Galway’s Business Innovation Centre. NUI Galway spin-out company Orbsen Therapeutics Ltd. has received funding of €6 million from the European Union for cell therapy treatment for combating kidney disease. While spin-out company FotoNation Ltd. and Science Foundation Ireland created a €1.5 million research project at NUI Galway that will seek to address technical challenges associated with the development of improved imaging quality for smartphone cameras. Two other NUI Galway spin-out companies include NVP Energy, who recently won two innovation awards in April 2015 for their wastewater treatment technology, and Embo Medical Ltd., the first spin-out from the BioInnovate programme, who secured a significant first round of investment of €3 million. For further information on how TTO at NUI Galway can assist with research, commercial opportunities, business supports, and start up development please email technologytransfer@nuigalway.ie or phone +353 (0)91 493694 or visit www.tto.nuigalway.ie   ENDS

Ireland’s National Awards Honour the Best Higher Education Teachers in the Country Tuesday, 22 December, 2015: Two NUI Galway Lecturers were among 16 higher education staff representing eleven different institutions recognised as exemplifying excellence in teaching at the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Award ceremony, which took place in Dublin recently. The NUI Galway winners were Dr Karen Doyle, Lecturer in Physiology and Principal Investigator with the Galway Neuroscience Centre, and Dr Michel Dugon, Postdoctoral Researcher in Zoology. Institutionally-led, and established to identify exceptional teachers who focus on learning impact, the 2015 experts have been identified from a wide range of disciplines. They show that brilliant teaching is a complex challenge, involving a mix of high-level subject expertise, a strong focus on students and innovative approaches to teaching in a world that is increasingly digital. In announcing the awardees, Dr Terry Maguire, Director of the National Forum said: “The National Forum is committed to learning from and very proud to showcase the valuable impact that these exceptional teachers are having on student learning throughout Ireland’s higher education sector.” -Ends-

NUI Galway leads multidisciplinary research project that will position Ireland as a leading innovator for aquaculture resulting in increased competitiveness A new joint multidisciplinary aquaculture project between NUI Galway and Athlone Institute of Technology will significantly improve production management and efficiencies at inland aquaculture sites. MOREFISH, which is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, aims to develop and test new innovative technologies and processes. Led by Dr Eoghan Clifford from the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway and Professor Neil Rowan from Athlone Institute of Technology, the project addresses critically important needs identified by industry end-users, including the potential for advanced aeration technologies, efficient production management and deployment of next-generation disinfection technologies. This timely multidisciplinary research project will position Ireland as a leading innovator for established and emerging problem solving for aquaculture. The overall aims are to enhance production efficiency and sustainability in Irish onland aquaculture, leading to increased competitiveness for the sector, together with improved fish health, resulting in reduced finfish diseases and mortalities due to improved operating conditions. Dr Eoghan Clifford from the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway, explains: “Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food sectors in Europe where Ireland is the seventh largest producer of aquaculture in terms of volume of high value fish species and with exports of Irish aquaculture products supporting approximately 2,000 direct jobs. However, there is an increased need to develop innovative technologies in order to increase both Irish and broader European fish stock densities and productivity, along with simultaneously optimising energy and water consumption.” Professor Neil Rowan from Athlone Institute of Technology, added, “This project brings together a critical mass of engineering and scientific expertise from industry stakeholders and policy-makers, commercial operators and international experts who can respond directly to pressing issues identified through industry scoping. Indeed, the central novel theme that embodies MOREFISH is the generation of new knowledge on the application of management processes and alleviation of finfish diseases through the development of innovative solutions for sustainable freshwater aquaculture applications. Pilot studies are underway in freshwater aquaculture sites in Ireland using what are beyond-state-of-the-art approaches.” The NUI Galway team of (Dr Richard Walsh, Dr Richard Fitzgerald, Mr Alan Kennedy, Mr Ronan Cooney) and the Athlone Institute of Technology team of (Dr Alex Tahar, Dr Andy Fogarty, Ms Sarah Naughton and Dr Siobhan Kavanagh), envisage that MOREFISH will provide real time impact for pressing challenges facing fish farmers that will ultimately help increase fish biomass yields, productivity and stocking densities, mitigate contamination and cross-infection, and reduce production costs and waste. For further information about MOREFISH visit: http://www.morefish.ie/ or on Twitter @MOREFISHproject ENDS

NUI Galway achieves highest success rate in attracting EU Horizon 2020 funding for research and innovation NUI Galway continued to excel in delivering outcomes for research activities throughout 2015. It achieved the highest success rate in attracting EU Horizon 2020 funding for research and innovation. Over the next five years, NUI Galway aims to secure its place in the top 200 universities worldwide while securing €100 million in competitive EU research funds. These and other goals are outlined in ‘Vision 2020’, the University’s Strategic Plan 2015-2020. NUI Galway set an ambitious goal to achieve €100 million throughout the seven year lifespan of the EU Horizon 2020 programme. And having won €15 million in 2015, are already ahead of target. Reflecting on a significant year for research at the University, Professor Lokesh Joshi, Vice-President for Research in NUI Galway, said: “Given the diversity of research being carried out at NUI Galway, our ambition is to become leaders in research and contribute significantly to ‘Innovation 2020’, Ireland’s five year strategy on research and development, science and technology. Innovation 2020 sets out the roadmap for continuing progress towards the goal of making Ireland a Global Innovation Leader, driving a strong sustainable economy and a better society.” Professor Joshi added, “We are incredibly proud of our research community and aim to enhance and develop this area across the University while continuing to form collaborative partnerships with industry. A clear indicator of our success as a university is how relevant our research is to our community and how it positively impacts upon society.” In 2015, several units at NUI Galway have achieved great levels of success. The Research Office has experienced a hugely successful year in many research disciplines across campus. Five of its up and-coming research leaders won European Research Council (ERC) grants, a rare feat for a University. In 2015, Research at NUI Galway resulted in the University being ranked at number 40 among the top 100 organisations from the Horizon 2020 programme with an EC contribution of almost €17 million. And out of the Top 100 organisations involved in Horizon 2020 projects NUI Galway was ranked at number 47. This year has also seen the US-based Blackstone Charitable Foundation extend its campus entrepreneurship Programme ‘Blackstone LaunchPad’ outside the US for the first time, to include NUI Galway. The Programme at NUI Galway is being established in partnership with Galway University Foundation, with an overall award of €1.3 million. This award will establish a partnership between NUI Galway and two other Irish universities, to introduce entrepreneurship as a viable career option and provide over 50,000 students with a network of venture coaches and an entrepreneurial support service. E-CAM, a new centre of excellence for supercomputing, of which the Irish Centre for High-End Computing (ICHEC) based at NUI Galway will be a major partner, was awarded €4.8 million to develop vital software components for the simulation of materials, including biological systems and advanced food for health and pharmaceuticals. The €4.8 million investment will support the EU’s efforts to become a world leader in the next generation of supercomputing. More than 150 robust software modules and associated applications will be created through the E-CAM centre over the next five years. The investment forms part of a wider €140 million euro investment by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation. The investment will support the EU’s efforts to become a world leader in the next generation of supercomputing. ICHEC will co-host the first E-CAM workshop in 2016. The Insight Centre for Data Analytics at NUI Galway was established in 2013 by Science Foundation Ireland with funding of €42 million over six years. During 2015, Insight enjoyed considerable success in acquiring additional competitive funding of over €5.4 million by the Insight Galway team. €4.7 million came from the EU Horizon 2020 programme demonstrating the remarkable connectivity that Galway's data analytics research team has with institutes across Europe. Insight received further funding support from Enterprise Ireland demonstrating a strong link to indigenous SMEs, funding from the Irish Research Council, support from Science Foundation Ireland through their TIDA programme and significant funding from private industry. The confidence that private industry has shown to date in the research carried out by Insight is testament to the relevance of data analytics research in solving real life enterprise issues. For 2016 Insight plans to further grow its research income, to increase multidisciplinary research particularly within NUI Galway and to further leverage its strong position as a recognised international leader in data analytics, academically and across multiple domains such as eGovernment, Healthcare & Lifesciences and business enterprises. CÚRAM, the SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices, has been established at a pivotal point in the medical device industry in Ireland and Europe, as there are large markets with unmet clinical needs. CÚRAM's research builds on and enhances existing technology for the development of the next generation of medical devices to radically improve health outcomes for patients. A significant collaboration with Arch Therapeutics in 2015 will see CÚRAM work to advance an AC5 Surgical Hemostatic Device™ through the first clinical trial, leading up to potential commercialisation and develop pipeline applications for new products. CÚRAM has also been successful in 2015 securing funding of almost €24 million under the EU Horizon 2020 Programme. €12 million of this will fund two projects under the Research and Innovation Action (RIA), Personal Health Care programme and a further €12 million will fund three Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks – European Training Network projects, all to be coordinated by CÚRAM investigators. Looking to the next five years, NUI Galway will continue to maximise the potential of its research to have a global impact on society and significantly enhance the University’s international profile, attracting the best students, teachers and researchers. ENDS

SUSI (Student Universal Support Ireland), the national Awarding Authority for all higher and further education student grants, will be the feature talk at NUI Galway’s Autumn Postgraduate Open Day on Wednesday, 11 November, from 12 - 4pm in the Bailey Allen Hall, Áras na Mac Léinn. The SUSI talk, which will take place at 12.45pm and again at 1.45pm, will provide students with an opportunity to gain information on the funding opportunities and application process available to them. The Open Day will showcase over 400 of NUI Galway’s full-time and part-time postgraduate programmes, including taught and research masters, and doctoral research options. The Open Day will focus on the benefits of doing a postgraduate programme and the practicalities of making an application. With over 3,500 postgraduate students currently attending NUI Galway, over 70 information stands will provide details on postgraduate opportunities at the University, with academic staff and current students on hand to answer questions about specific courses. Information on scholarships schemes such as the Hardiman Scholarship and the Taught Masters Scholarship, fees and other practical considerations will also be made available to prospective students on the day. Celine O’Donovan, Senior Marketing Officer at NUI Galway, comments: “A postgraduate qualification broadens your skills-set, defines your areas of expertise, increases your specialist knowledge, and can improve your job prospects. Over 91% of NUI Galway graduates are currently employed or are in further study within six months of graduating, which is higher than the HEA national average for postgraduates.” Throughout the day postgraduate students will have the option of attending talks on funding opportunities and applications available to them, career prospects and progression, and there will also be information on how to apply for a postgraduate course. Irish graduates are ranked first in Europe in terms of how employers rank graduates, and postgraduate study boosts employability. The number of postgraduates in employment has grown consistently in recent years and NUI Galway’s well-established links with industry allows them to take the first step in building their career. NUI Galway offers a wide range of fourth level courses, developing programmes based on its traditional academic strengths of Arts, Social Sciences, Celtic Studies, Commerce, Medicine, Nursing, Health Science, Law, Engineering, Informatics and Science. These areas have been augmented with innovative research centres in areas as diverse as Biomedical Science and Engineering, International Human Rights, Digital Media and Film Studies, and Regenerative Medicine. New courses being introduced for 2016 include an MSc in Biomedical Genomics and a part-time MSc in Medical Technology and Regulatory Affairs. To view NUI Galway’s new and unique postgraduate programmes and to book your place at the Open Day visit www.nuigalway.ie/postgraduate-open-day  or simply call in on the day. To apply for an NUI Galway postgraduate course visit www.pac.ie/nuigalway. -Ends-

BBC Science programme presenter, Professor Iain Stewart will deliver a Geology public lecture at NUI Galway on Monday, 9 November. The lecture, ‘Between a Rock and a Hard Place: communicating geology to society’, is a collaboration between Galway Earth and Ocean Sciences Student Society, Galway Geological Association and NUI Galway’s Earth and Ocean Sciences. Professor Iain Stewart is Professor of Geoscience Communication with the University of Plymouth and has worked on several science programmes for the BBC, including the BAFTA nominated ‘Earth: The Power of the Planet’. His research interests are in the broad area of Earth hazards and natural disasters, particularly in terms of investigating past major earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions in the Mediterranean region. Geoscientific knowledge and understanding lies at the heart of many of the most critical societal issues that faces us in the 21st century. The pressing human challenges of natural disaster reduction, energy supply and security, and mineral and water resource management, rest on geological foundations. And yet, outside of the academic and industrial geoscience community there is a limited appreciation of Earth Science, especially among policy makers and the wider public. It is for that reason that professional geologists are increasingly encouraged to communication more broadly what they do and what they know. This talk will use a decade of experiences in popularising geoscience to explore ways in which geologists can make our subject connect better with the public, and in doing so develop more effective strategies for meaningful public engagement. Dr Alessandra Costanzo, of NUI Galway’s Geofluid Research Group and Earth and Ocean Science said: “Professor Stewart is world renowned for his ability to communicate the fundamental principles of geological science to a wide audience of both technical earth scientists as well as the lay audience. It is indeed an honour to welcome such a high profile communicator to NUI Galway.” The lecture will take place in the Colm O’hEocha Theatre, Arts Millennium Building at on Monday, 9 November at 7pm. Places are limited and places can be reserved at www.eventbrite.ie. -Ends-

Mr Tomi Reichental, a survivor of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, will give a talk about his experience of the Holocaust in the Seminar Room of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway on Sunday, 8 November at 1pm. Tomi Reichental was born in 1935 in Piestany Slovakia. In 1944 at age nine, he was captured by the Gestapo in Bratislava and deported to Bergen Belsen concentration camp with his mother, grandmother, brother, aunt and cousin. They were taken to detention camp Sered in Slovakia where the elusive Nazi War Criminal Alois Brunner had the power of life or death. When he was liberated in April 1945, he discovered that 35 members of his extended family were murdered. His grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins all died in the Holocaust. Recounting the sights and smells at the concentration camp Tomi Reichental said: “Typhoid and diphtheria were the biggest killers, but people were dying of starvation and cold in their hundreds. First the bodies were removed and burned, but later they were just piling up in front of our barracks, there were piles of decomposing bodies. The soldiers who liberated Belsen in April 1945 said they could smell the stench for 2 miles before they reached the camp. In the camp I could not play like a normal child, we didn’t laugh and we didn’t cry. If you stepped out of line, you could be beaten up even beaten to death. I saw it all with my own eyes.” Professor Ray Murphy from the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, said: “Tomi is one of the last surviving witnesses to the Holocaust. As such, he feels compelled to speak out so that the victims are not forgotten and we do not repeat the mistakes of the past. For most of his life Tomi did not speak of the atrocities he bore witness to, but in recent years he has become an advocate for tolerance and compassion. His story is a story of the past. It is also a story for our times. The Holocaust reminds us of the dangers of racism and intolerance, providing lessons from the past that are relevant today. One of the lessons we must learn is to respect difference and reject all forms of racism and discrimination.” Reichental has lived in Dublin since 1959. In 2004, for the first time in 60 years, Reichental broke his silence and began to speak about his experiences during the Holocaust. Thousands of students in schools all over Ireland have heard his story, and an RTÉ documentary film called I Was a Boy in Belsen was based on Tomi’s life. The film was directed by the Emmy award winning producer Gerry Gregg and retraces the events that swept away the Jewish presence in Central Europe from the point of view of a boy who couldn’t understand why. To mark his 80th birthday on the 26 June 2015, the Board of Trustees of HETI (Holocaust Education Trust of Ireland) established a scholarship in Reichental’s name. It will be awarded annually in perpetuity to a deserving candidate to enable her or his participation in one of the Holocaust education programs. The scholarship is in recognition of Reichental’s immense contribution that he has made to Holocaust awareness and education over the years. The talk at NUI Galway will be followed by a Q&A session and Reichental will sign copies of his book I Was a Boy in Belsen. Admission is free but early arrival is advised. -Ends-

Enactus, an international, not-for-profit organisation, provides a platform for third-level students to create community development projects Four students from NUI Galway recently attended the Enactus World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa. Orlagh Reynolds, Billy Delaney, Aaron Molloy and Leanne Burke travelled as part of a group of 40 Irish students representing Team Ireland at the Enactus World Cup 2015 in October. Enactus is an international, not-for-profit organisation which provides a platform for third-level students to create community development projects, while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders of the future. A total of 5,000 students, from 36 countries, gathered at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg for the three-day international conference which saw some of the world’s brightest, innovative and entrepreneurial students present their social enterprises to some of the world’s leading business figures with the hope of being crowned the Enactus World Champion. This year's World Cup winners were the UK, with their incredible projects focused on Education, Equality and Empowerment. One highlight of the World Cup was the opportunity that all students had to attend interactive, collaborative sessions with business leaders from many leading companies such as KPMG, Coca-Cola and Unilever focused on various global social issues. Billy Delaney, one of the NUI Galway students who travelled to the World Cup, said: “I attended KPMG's session on Sustainable Development. It provided students with a platform to discuss and investigate the Sustainable Development Goals. In a group with students across the world we brainstormed and delivered solutions. This approach educated me on a global level and allowed me to see the bigger picture.” Another highlight of the World Cup was the chance to experience the beauty and culture of South Africa, as well as the culture of all other teams. Commenting on the trip student Aaron Molloy said: “The Enactus World Cup is one of those enlightening, experiences that you will never forget. The ‘rainbow nation’ truly offered all the international guests the warmest of welcomes.” For more information on Enactus NUI Galway email enactus@socs.nuigalway.ie or visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NuiGalwayEnactus/. -Ends-

Minister of State at the Department of Health with special responsibility for Primary Care, Social Care and Mental Health, Kathleen Lynch T.D., today (Tuesday, 3 November) launched a series of video clips of NUI Galway students discussing mental health issues. Organised by NUI Galway’s Student Counselling Service with financial support from the University’s Students Project Fund, the five short video clips show students talking directly to camera about their experiences of mental health difficulties and how they overcame their problems with help from the counselling service. The initiative sets out to get students to openly discuss their difficulties with a range of issues including depression, anxiety, procrastination and perfectionism, in a bid to reduce the stigma about these issues and also to increase awareness of the help available on campus. Last year 1,187 students attended the University’s Student Counselling Service with the biggest presenting issue being anxiety, which in the past two years has overtaken depression as the number one student issue. The Counselling Service hopes that by showing students willing to participate in the project, it will lead the way in de-stigmatising mental health and motivate other students to seek help to overcome their difficulties. Speaking at the launch Minister Lynch said: “21st century technology has obviously enhanced many aspects of our daily lives, and this process will inevitably continue. However, we all must be conscious that societal change does not impact negatively on our core human needs, by contributing to isolation or increased mental health pressures generally. In developing solutions to address emerging change, I very much welcome the new Student Counselling Service initiative being launched in NUI Galway today. This will ensure that no student has to face mental health issues on their own, and the initiative being rolled out today may prove beneficial for other colleges.” Chloe Lappin, a student who has taken up the challenge to speak openly about these topics, discloses: “Each time I am given the opportunity to speak openly about my mental health challenges, my confidence increases with respect to my ability to talk openly about an issue I once kept hidden for many years. I hope my video appearance highlights the fact that if you choose to seek support, and make a commitment to addressing your challenges, change can occur and there are plenty of people around you to help make those changes possible.” Jimmy Mc Govern, Students’ Union Welfare Officer in NUI Galway, responds: “I applaud this attitude and in my opinion any issue that affects your wellness or prevents your student experience from reaching its full potential is an issue you should address.” Bea Gavin, Head of NUI Galway’s Student Counselling Service, also asserts: “These videos convey a powerful message of hope for students, which is that whatever challenges they face, they can be overcome. The students who took part demonstrated a deep commitment not only to caring for their own mental health, but they have also used their experiences to help others. They are role models with whom students can both identify with and be inspired by.” For advice on mental health issues or to view the videos please visit www.nuigalway.ie/counsellors/ or email counselling@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-