News Archive

Release date: 20 January, 2003 Newly appointed Writers-in-Residence at NUI Galway Two new Writers-in-Residence have taken up their posts within the English and Irish Departments at NUI Galway. After a full appraisal of their residency schemes, the Arts Council has devised a new structure of long-term writer-in-residency University Partnerships of two to three years duration and NUI Galway is the first university to implement this new scheme under the Council s new Arts Plan. Mike McCormack and Pádraig Ó Cíobháin are the new writers-in-residence. Born in London, 1965, Mike McCormack has lived all his life in the west of Ireland. Educated in Louisburgh, Co. Mayo, he took a degree in English and Philosophy in NUI Galway in 1988. In 1996 he published his first book, a collection of short stories, Getting It In the Head, which won the title of 'New York Times Book of the Year' and 'Guardian Book of the Year'. This was followed two years later by his first novel, Crowe's Requiem. Both books appeared in American and Norwegian editions. Mike lives in Galway city and is currently finishing his second novel. Novelist and short story writer, Pádraig Ó Cíobháin hails from the Corca Dhuibhne Gaeltacht in Co. Kerry and is no stranger to NUI Galway having tutored previously at Scoil na Gaeilge on campus. A novelist and short story writer, Ó Ciobháin has won prizes at the Oireachtas and at Listowel Writers Week. The Arts Council and Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge awarded him a bursary to write a Galway-based novel entitled Ré an Charbaid. His other works include Le Gealaigh, Ar Gach Maoilinn Tá Síocháin, Tá Solas ná hÉagann Previous writers-in-residence at NUI Galway have included Cathal Ó Searcaigh, Rita Ann Higgins, John McGahern, Ré Ó Laighléis, Pat McCabe and Vincent Woods. The purpose of the residencies is interaction between the writer and student/staff population and the community, and development of the writer s own work. Watch out for details of creative writing workshops and special readings coming up soon. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418

Release date: 7 January, 2003 Environmental Conference at NUI Galway to explore wide-ranging programme of topics 'ENVIRON 2003', the 13th Irish Environmental Researchers Colloquium, will take place this week in NUI Galway, from 8th –10th January. The conference, which is hosted by the University's Environmental Change Institute (ECI), will address methods of environmental management as well as approaches being taken by those who have responsibility for environmental policy. Keynote speaker at the conference is the noted broadcaster and author, Mr Eamon de Buitléar who will give a talk on Wednesday, at 7.30 p.m., entitled "Life in the Wild". The conference, which will be officially opened by Professor James Browne, Registrar, NUI Galway, will look at all aspects of the environment including Agriculture and Forestry; Marine and Coastal Research; Ecosystem Management and Waste Management. More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the conference, which will also include contributions from environmental stakeholders in local government and industry. It will feature over 100 oral presentation and 80 poster presentations and bring together virtually all scientific disciplines engaged in environmental research in Ireland. The event is a unique forum for the exchange of new data, views and ideas between basic researchers and professionals engaged in environmental management and protection, as well as providing an opportunity to explore environmental issues in a broader societal and economic context. Some of the topics that will be addressed by the speakers include Public Attitudes towards Waste Management; Environmental Law in relation to Fisheries Policy; Environmental Monitoring and Analysis; and aspects of Ecosystem Management and Biodiversity. 'Environ 2003' is the annual meeting of the Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ESAI). Ends Information: Máire Mhic Uidhir. Press & Information Officer. Tel: 091 750418

Press release: 3 February, 2003 NUI Galway announces Awards for Outstanding Graduates The NUI Galway Alumni Awards will be presented at the Fourth Annual Gala Banquet in the Radisson SAS Hotel, on Saturday, 1 March, 2003. Funds raised at the banquet will support the University's Access Programme, which has been developed to provide educational opportunities for those whose socio-economic backgrounds have prevented them from participating in third-level education. Awards will be presented in five categories to graduates who have made a distinctive contribution in their chosen careers. Through the awards programme, the University recognises individual excellence among the more than 43,000 graduates worldwide. Hewlett-Packard Award for Literature, Communications and the Arts Sean McGinley, Actor McGinley has an impressive list of credits in film, theatre and television. His portrayal of Charlo in the four part television series Family brought him both critical and popular acclaim. His film credits include John Boorman s The General, Neil Jordan s The Butcher Boy and Michael Collins; Jim Sheridan s The Field and Mel Gibson s Oscar winning Braveheart. His theatre performances have won him Best Actor Award for Whistle In The Dark, and The Shaughran. McGinely currently plays Fergal Collins in the RTÉ original drama On Home Ground. ntl: Award for Engineering, IT and Mathematics John McGowan, Vice President Technology and Manufacturing Group, and Director, Corporate Services of Intel Ireland An Engineering graduate of 1970, McGowan has occupied senior management positions in Intel for many years. He is a fellow of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland, and a member of the Institute of Directors. The Association of Consulting Engineers of Ireland honoured him with the Engineer of the Year Award in 2000. Intel has a major wafer fabrication facility in Leixlip, designated Ireland Fab Operations (IFO). Bank of Ireland Award for Business and Commerce Pádraig Ó Céidigh, Owner, Managing Director of Aer Arann Express. Ó Céidigh first worked as an accountant and later taught for several years in Coláiste Iognáid, Galway. He studied law and started his own legal practice in Galway City. In 1994, he purchased Aer Arann with Eugene O'Kelly when it was merely a passenger service, operating up to 25 flights per day between Connemara Regional Airport and the Aran Islands. Under their ownership, Aer Arann, now called Aer Aran Express, has expanded to become the fastest growing regional airline in Europe. Pádraig was recently named Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2002 in Ireland. Medtronic AVE Award for Health Care and Medical Science Professor Maurice Manning, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology – Medical College of Ohio. A Science graduate of 1957, Dr. Manning has been doing peptide hormone research since 1961 and has worked with two Nobel Prizewinners at Cornell University Medical College and at Rockefeller University. His lab supplies scientists with molecules that are used in the investigation of various subjects, including hypertension, cancer, kidney disease, memory and childbirth. He holds 12 patents and his lab designed the original molecules that contributed to the development of a new drug — currently undergoing clinical trials — to prevent premature birth. There also is a peptide named after him, the Manning Compound, which blocks the actions of vasopressin (the hormone that affects blood pressure and body fluids) on the receptors in blood vessels. NUI Galway Award for Law, Public Service and Government: HE Sean O'hUiginn, Ambassador - Embassy of Ireland, Berlin After graduating from NUI Galway in 1967 with an MA degree, Sean O'hUiginn entered the Department of Foreign Affairs as a Third Secretary and moved through the ranks of the Department in various positions both in Ireland and abroad. While serving in the Anglo-Irish Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs, O'hUiginn was deeply instrumental in fostering the Irish peace process and the all-party negotiations in Northern Ireland that eventually resulted in the triumph of the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. As ambassador to the United States (1997-2002), he continued to be closely involved in the implementation of the agreement. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418; Mobile: 087-2986592

Release date: 17 February, 2003 NUI Galway Symposium to explore Women's Voices in Islam The Women's Studies Centre at NUI Galway is hosting a Symposium entitled 'Exploring Islam: Women's Voices' at 10.00a.m. on Saturday 22 February 2003, in the Arts Millennium Building, NUI Galway. Panelists will include Professor Shaheen Ali (Warwick); Dr Fauzia Ahmad (Bristol); Dr Nancy Lindisfarne (London); Hebah Nashat (Galway); Nuria Dunne (Galway); and a representative from the Islamic Cultural Centre, Dublin. All are welcome to attend. The significant increase in the number of Muslims now living in Ireland has not been matched by an increase in an ability to comprehend the nature of the relationship between Muslims and their religion – particularly those living in non-Muslim countries – or the relationship between Muslims from different regions of the world. In the current political climate, in which there is an increasingly singular and homogeneous understanding of the usually negative differences between 'east' and 'west,' it seems more difficult than ever to explore the diversity of voices that make up the Islamic world. This diversity includes Islamic women who are often presented as having been silenced by their own belief systems, but who are, more often than not, actually silenced by misunderstanding and misinformation from non-Muslim sources. The Symposium is designed specifically to facilitate an exploration of the diversity of Muslim women's voices, and forms part of the Women's Studies Centre's commitment to promoting a better understanding of women and their relationship to the various societies in which they live. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418

Press Statement: 31 March, 2003 Flies may help curb one of Agriculture s greatest scourges It is a very serious problem for most farmers in the west of Ireland. Urban dwellers are familiar with it from radio advertisements promoting products for its eradication. What is it? It's liver fluke – often regarded as one of the world's greatest agricultural pests. However, scientists in NUI Galway, with the help of Mother Nature, are well on the way to arresting the scourge of liver fluke, thus saving the Irish and global economy millions of Euro each year. Scientists led by Dr. Mike Gormally at the Applied Ecology Unit (AEU) at the National University of Ireland, Galway have been investigating marsh fly biology. Research over the last three years by Rory Mc Donnell (PhD student) and Collette Mulkeen (Honours Environmental Science student), have produced encouraging results. It is possible that a humble group of insects called marsh flies might indeed prove to be the liver fluke's Nemesis. Liver fluke parasites live in the bile ducts of sheep, cattle, deer, rabbits and even humans. The eggs pass out of the host animal with its dung, hatch into a larvae and must then find a special type of snail, called a mud snail, in order to complete its development. After reproducing up to 600 times within the snail, new larvae emerge, crawl up blades of grass and form weather-resistant cysts, which are then ingested inadvertently by passing grazing animals. The immature flukes then penetrate the gut wall and make their way to the bile ducts causing extensive liver damage along the way. Enter the marsh fly! Dr. Mike Gormally and his team at NUI Galway have discovered that several Irish marsh fly species attack, kill and feed on the mud snail, which is so crucial to liver fluke development. Marsh flies, which are generally no bigger than a common house-fly, are yellowish-brown in colour and are found on all continents except the Antarctic. "In Ireland, we have 52 different kinds and they are usually found in marshy areas," explains Dr. Gormally. " If mud snail numbers can be reduced in an area by releasing these insects, then the incidences of liver fluke in livestock is also likely to decline." The NUI Galway research is aimed at gaining an understanding of the growth patterns, feeding behaviour and habitat requirements of these snail-killing flies. "This information is essential before we can release these insects into fluke-prone areas and expect them to do their job," says Rory McDonnell, who is currently finishing his Ph.D thesis. "We need to know the conditions they prefer, how long they feed on snails, how many snails they kill and which kinds they like most," he says. Results to date show that these insects are voracious predators that are easily reared under laboratory conditions for release into problem areas. The next step in the NUI Galway research is the release of marsh flies into areas where liver fluke is a problem and assessing their efficacy in the wild. This is a crucial stage as the marsh flies will have to deal with factors such as predation, competition, diseases and adverse weather conditions which they were not faced with in laboratory testing. It is perhaps difficult to see how such a small organism as liver fluke can be such a scourge to world agriculture but the statistics speak for themselves: · Liver fluke costs the global economy US$2,000 million (€1,850 million) annually. · 600 million animals are now infected worldwide. · 2.4 million people are now parasitised by liver fluke (the chief avenue of human infection is by eating watercress contaminated by liver fluke cysts). · In Ireland (where the disease is common in wet pastures), liver fluke cost our agricultural sector €25 million in 2001. "Traditional methods of keeping fluke at bay, such as land drainage, are no longer an option in most areas, now that many Irish wetlands are a priority habitat for conservation," says Collette Mulkeen. Modern control methods using drugs which target adult and immature flukes in livestock, were initially very successful but the development of resistance by flukes to many of these chemicals has now raised considerable concern. McDonnell points out that; "If the global economic loss due to liver fluke is reduced by a meagre 0.5% by using marsh flies, then the world will be US$10 million better off and it will be a lot less worrying having to eat a watercress salad"! Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418; 087-2986592

Press statement: 27 March, 2003 Mandela to visit Galway The President of NUI Galway, Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh announced today (27 March) that former President of South Africa and world statesman, Nelson Mandela, will be conferred with an Honorary Degree at the University, on Friday, 20 June, 2003. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418; 087-2986592

Release date: 13 March, 2003 Nobel Prize Winner to give public lecture at NUI Galway Professor Sir Paul Nurse, FRS, who with two colleagues, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2001, will deliver a public lecture entitled "Controlling the Cell Cycle," at 8.00 p.m., Friday 28 March 2003, in the O'Flaherty Theatre, NUI Galway. Director of Cancer Research UK, Paul Nurse, identified, cloned and characterized with genetic and molecular methods, one of the key regulators of the cell cycle, CDK (cyclin dependent kinase). CDK drives the cell through the cell cycle by chemical modification (phosphorylation) of other proteins. All organisms consist of cells that multiply through cell division. An adult human being has approximately 10,000 billion cells (or 10 trillion cells), all originating from a single cell, the fertilized egg cell. In adults there is also an enormous number of continuously dividing cells that replace dying cells. Before a cell can divide it has to grow in size, duplicate its chromosomes and separate the chromosomes for exact distribution between the two daughter cells. These different processes are coordinated in the cell cycle. Nurse and his colleagues, Timothy Hunt and American scientist, Leland Hartwell, made seminal discoveries concerning the control of the cell cycle. They identified key molecules that regulate the cell cycle in all eukaryotic organisms, including yeasts, plants and animals. These fundamental discoveries have a great impact on all aspects of cell growth. Defects in the regulation of the cell cycle may lead to the type of uncontrolled proliferation observed in cancer cells. Understanding this process may open new possibilities for cancer treatment. In October 2001, Nurse, Hunt and Leland were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discoveries of "Key Regulators of the Cell Cycle." Using yeast as a model system, Paul Nurse's 'eureka moment' came when he discovered the gene CDC2, which has a key function in the control of cell division. In 1987 Nurse isolated the corresponding gene in humans, and it was later given the name CDK1 (cyclin dependent kinase 1). Nurse showed that activation of CDK1 is dependent on reversible phosphorylation, i.e. that phosphate groups are linked to, or removed from, proteins. On the basis of these findings, half a dozen different CDK molecules have been found in humans. Nurse was not born with the proverbial 'silver spoon' in his mouth. Brought up in London, where his father worked as a mechanic and his mother as a part-time cleaner, he attended Harrow Grammar School where his classmates came from far more privileged backgrounds. Although naturally gifted at science subjects, Nurse failed O-Level French, thus preventing entry to University. However, an enlightened professor at Birmingham University recognised his talent and arranged entry for the brilliant young student to the School of Biology. "Apart from being a fantastic scientist, Paul has a tremendous sense of humour, which makes him great company", says Professor Noel Lowndes, of NUI Galway's Department of Biochemistry, who was a colleague of Nurse's for some years at Cancer Research, UK. " He is a child of the Sixties who threw himself into the radical student politics of the time." Even now, Nurse retains that spirit of adventure. The man, with a passing facial resemblance to the actor Robin Williams, can be seen in the environs of Cancer Research UK, weaving in and out of traffic on his 500cc gleaming Kawasaki, purchased with the proceeds of the Nobel Prize. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418; 087-2986592

Release date: 6 March, 2003 NUI Galway announces €250 million Strategic Plan HIGHLIGHTS: Seven strategic priorities outlined by University President to tackle issues and challenges facing NUI Galway in what will undoubtedly be challenging times for the third-level education sector as a whole Implementation of Plan will establish NUI Galway as a world class centre of learning and research Plan focuses on attraction of students, research capabilities, recruitment and retention of highly motivated staff, national and regional influence of the University, the Irish language, organisational structures and funding Initiatives to be undertaken in year one of Plan include: developing a new student cultural and recreational centre, an awards scheme to recognise teaching excellence, a proactive policy in relation to third-level education through Irish and a fundamental re-appraisal of the 1929 Act Targets and deadlines to be put in place on an annual basis to ensure strategy is implemented in full National University of Ireland, Galway today (Thursday 6 March 2003) publicly unveiled its strategic plan for the next five years. The Strategic Plan for NUI Galway 2003 – 2008, which will cost over €250m to implement, is a clear statement of the strategic direction and aims of the University over the next five years. Wide-ranging consultation with staff, students and other interested groups took place in the development of the Plan, to ensure their full involvement in the strategic planning process, and detailed background research was undertaken. Seven strategic priorities have been identified under the Plan which aim to: Enhance the relative attractiveness of the University for Irish and international students; Further strengthen the research reputation and ethos of the University; Attract and retain high-quality staff through recognition and reward; Maximise the University's contribution at national and regional levels; Promote the Irish language in the work of the University; Improve organisational structures and; Secure resources to implement the Strategic Plan. Commenting on the strategic planning process and the future direction of the University, Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway said: "The Plan launched today builds on an era of development for NUI Galway. Since 1995, the University has had a number of successes in terms of building and enhancing upon its research and teaching experience. What we have set out to do with this Plan is to continue the momentum and build upon those successes, and in a real and practical way (and I can't over emphasise this enough) deal with, and overcome a range of challenges facing the third level sector as a whole. Make no mistake about it – this is not just another report – this is a blueprint for the future success of this institution, a blueprint that my management team and I are committed to over the coming years to ensure that it is implemented in full." Continuing he said, "Attraction of students in a declining population and an ever increasing competitive marketplace is a key priority. Under this plan a number of student-centred measures including the development of campus facilities, enhancement of teaching quality, student supports and services, will take place to ensure that increased numbers of traditional and, importantly, non traditional students will choose to study at NUI Galway. Our second priority is to strengthen our growing research reputation – so important to the University and the country as a whole. We see NUI Galway playing a leading role nationally and internationally in this field. Our strategic focus will look at new and innovative ways of recruiting and motivating staff – it will also look at new structures and approaches to support the sustainable development of the Irish language. This process will include a full review – completed by this summer - of the provisions of the 1929 Act". The NUI Galway Strategic Plan clearly sets out actions that will take place within the first year of the plan and actions to be carried out over the full period of the plan. Commenting on its implementation, President Ó Muircheartaigh stressed that the Plan was ambitious, but realistic. He maintained that the Plan would be revisited on an annual basis to review activity against pre-set action plans. "Each member of the management team, including myself, has taken responsibility for specific strategic priorities, to ensure that on an annual basis, plans and initiatives are being implemented," he said. Concluding he said: "Delivering on the seven key priorities will ensure that we retain the competitive edge which has established NUI Galway as a first-rank educational institution by international standards. While acknowledging and being fully cognisant of the particular challenges which the changing economic climate may present to NUI Galway and indeed the wider third level educational system, we look forward with enthusiasm to the next five years, confident on the basis of this Plan that NUI Galway will continue to show dynamic leadership in research, teaching and student support". Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press and Information Officer, NUI Galway. Tel: 091 750 418 =========================================== Preas ráiteas: 6ú Márta, 2003 Plean Straitéiseach €250 milliún Fógartha ag OÉ, Gaillimh BUAICPHOINTÍ: Seacht dtosaíocht straitéiseacha arna leagan amach ag Uachtarán na hOllscoile chun dul i ngleic le saincheisteanna agus le dúshláin atá i ndán do OÉ, Gaillimh agus d'earnáil an tríú leibhéal i gcoitinne. Ionad foghlama agus taighde ar chaighdeán domhanda a bheidh in OÉ, Gaillimh ach an Plean a chur i ngníomh Leagann an Plean béim ar mhic léinn a mhealladh, ar chumais taighde, ar earchú agus ar choinneáil foirne, ar thionchar náisiúnta agus réigiúnach na hOllscoile, ar an nGaeilge, ar struchtúir eagraíochtúla agus ar mhaoiniú Áirítear ar an tionscnaimh a dhéanfar i mbliain a haon den Phlean: pleananna críochnaithe d'ionad nua mac léinn; scéim dámhachtainí chun aitheantas a thabhairt do shártheagasc; polasaí gníomhach i leith oideachas triú leibhéil tré Ghaeilge agus athbhreithniú bunúsach ar fhorálacha Acht 1929 Spriocanna agus spriocdhátaí le leagan síos ar bhonn bliantúil d'fhonn cur i ngníomh iomlán na straitéise a chinntiú Nocht Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh a plean straitéiseach do na cúig bliana amach romhainn inniu (Déardaoin, 6 Márta, 2003). Is ráiteas soiléir é Plean Straitéiseach OÉ, Gaillimh 2003 – 2008, a chosnóidh thart ar €250 milliún lena chur i ngníomh, faoi threo agus aidhmeanna straitéiseacha na hOllscoile do na cúig bliana amach romhainn. Déanadh comhchomhairle dhian leis an bhfoireann, le mic léinn agus le grúpaí eile i réiteach an phlean, d'fhonn a rannpháirtíocht iomlán sa phróiséis stráitéiseach a chinntiú. Tá seacht dtosaíocht straitéiseacha aitheanta faoin bPlean agus is iad seo a leanas na haidhmeanna atá acu: Tarraint na hOllscoile i measc mac léinn Éireannach agus idirnáisiúnta a mhéadú i gcomparáid le hOllscoileanna eile; Éiteas agus cáil taighde na hOllscoile a láidriú tuilleadh; -1- Foireann ar ardchaighdeán a mhealladh agus a choinneáil trí aitheantas agus luach saothair a thabhairt dóibh; An méid a dhéanann an Ollscoil ar leibhéal náisiúnta agus réigiúnacha a uasmhéadú; An Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn in obair na hOllscoile; Struchtúir eagraíochtúla a fheabhsú, agus; Acmhainní a fháil chun an Plean Straitéiseach a chur i bhfeidhm. Agus é ag labhairt faoin bpróiseas pleanála straitéisí agus faoi threo na hOllscoile amach anseo, is é a dúirt an Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, Uachtarán na hOllscoile: "Tógann an Plean a seoladh inniu ar thréimhse forbartha in OÉ, Gaillimh. Ó 1995 i leith, d'éirigh go maith leis an Ollscoil ó thaobh taithí taighde agus teagaisc a threisiú agus a fheabhsú. Is é a chuireamar romhainn a dhéanamh leis an bPlean seo ná leanúint ar aghaidh leis an móiminteam agus tógáil ar an rathúlacht sin, agus déileáil ar bhealach réadúil agus praiticiúil (agus ní féidir liom an iomarca béim a chur air sin) leis an réimse dúshlán atá in ndán don earnáil tríú leibhéal ina hiomláine agus na dúshláin sin a shárú. Ná bíodh aon cheist agat faoi – ní gnáth-thuarascáil eile í seo – is gormphrionta í do rathúlacht an fhorais seo amach anseo, gormphrionta a mbeidh an fhoireann bainistíochta agamsa agus mé féin tiomanta dó sna blianta amach romhainn lena chinntiú go ndéanfar é a cur i ngníomh ina iomláine." Lean sé ar aghaidh agus dúirt sé: "Is príomhthosaíocht dúinne é mic léinn a mhealladh chugainn féin i ndaonra atá ag titim agus i margadh ina bhfuil an iomaíocht ag fáil níos géire de shíor. Faoin bPlean seo, cuirfear roinnt bearta dírithe ar mhic léinn i gcrích, lena n-áirítear saoráidí an champais a fhorbairt, caighdeán an teagaisc a fheabhsú, tacaíochtaí agus seirbhísí do mhic léinn a fheabhsú, lena chinntiú go roghnóidh níos mó agus níos mó mac léinn traidisiúnta agus mic léinn neamhtraidisiúnta, go háirithe, OÉ, Gaillimh. Is é an dara tosaíocht atá againn ná an cháil taighde atá orainn a threisiú – cáil atá fíorthábhachtach don Ollscoil agus don tír i gcoitinne. Chímid ról ceannróideach a bheith ag OÉ, Gaillimh sa réimse sin go náisiúnta agus go hidirnáisiúnta. Féachaidh ár bhfócas straitéiseach ar bhealaí nua agus nuálacha maidir leis an bhfoireann a earcú agus a inspreagadh – féachaidh sé chomh maith ar struchtúr agus cuir chuige nua chun tacú le forbairt inmharthana na Gaeilge. Mar chuid den phróiseas sin déanfar athbhreithniú – a thabharfar chun críche faoin samhradh seo – ar fhorálacha Acht 1929." Leagann Plean Straitéiseach OÉ, Gaillimh gníomhartha amach go soiléir, gníomhartha a tharlóidh laistigh den chéad bhliain den Phlean agus gníomhartha a dhéanfar i rith thréimhse iomlán an phlean. Agus é ag labhairt faoi chur i ngníomh an phlean, dúirt an tUachtarán Ó Muircheartaigh go raibh an Plean uaillmhianach, ach réadúil san am céanna. Dhearbhaigh sé go bhféachfaí ar an bPlean ar bhonn bliantúil chun athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an ngníomhaíocht i bhfianaise riachtanas gnímh réamhshocraithe. "Tá gach ball den fhoireann bainistíochta, agus mé féin san áireamh, tar éis cúram a ghlacadh orainn féin as tosaíochtaí straitéiseacha ar leith, d'fhonn a chinntiú go bhfuiltear ag cur pleananna agus tionscnaimh i ngníomh ar bhonn bliantúil," a dúirt sé. Mar fhocal scoir, dúirt sé: "Má chomhlíontar na seacht dtosaíocht cinnteofar go mbeidh an lámh in uachtar againn san iomaíocht, lámh in uachtar atá bainte amach ag OÉ, Gaillimh mar fhoras oideachais den chéad ghrád de réir caighdeán idirnáisiúnta. Agus sinn ag aithint agus go hiomlán ar an eolas faoi na dúshláin shonracha a d'fhéadfadh a bheith in ndán do OÉ, Gaillimh de bharr an geilleagar a bheith ag athrú de shíor agus, go deimhin féin, an córas oideachais tríú leibhéal a bheith ag athrú, táimid ag súil go fonnmhar leis na cúig bliana amach romhainn, agus muinín againn de bharr an Phlean seo go leanfaidh OÉ, Gaillimh uirthi ag léiriú ceannaireacht dhinimiciúil i dtéarmaí taighde, teagaisc agus tacaíochta do mhic léinn." Críoch Eolas ó: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Oifigeach Eolais, OÉ, Gaillimh. Teil. 091-750418; 087-2986592

Release date: Tuesday 11 March, 2003 Frequent attenders to Irish Emergency Departments: they will always be with us Report shows high number of psychosocially vulnerable patients The problems of Irish Emergency Departments have received much publicity recently. An often-suggested solution is for frequent Emergency Department attenders to be encouraged to attend their general practitioner and other community based services. A paper just published by Irish researchers in the prestigious American Annals of Emergency Medicine shows this to be simplistic, as such patients are already frequent attenders to their general practitioner and other community services. In addition, the study confirms that these patients are a psychosocially vulnerable group with multiple needs. This is the first study in Ireland to have followed such patients from the Emergency department (ED) to the community. The report found that frequent attenders to Emergency Departments: Made heavy use of other health services. They had visited their general practitioner more frequently and were more likely to have used public health nursing services, community welfare services, social work services, addiction counselling, and psychiatric services in the previous year compared to non-frequent ED attenders. Made more other hospital visits and had spent more nights in the hospital than non-frequent attenders. Had poorer psychological well-being, as measured by the General Health Questionnaire – 12 (QHQ 12), than non-frequent ED attenders. Reported lower levels of perceived social support. Were more likely to have presented with psychological problems Alcohol and drug use were much more frequently reported in the medical charts of ED frequent attenders compared to non-frequent ED attenders. The study was carried out in the ED of St James's Hospital Dublin, comparing a group of 100 frequent attenders to the ED with a group of 100 non-frequent attenders in terms of their general health service use and their clinical, psychological and social profiles. Patients were interviewed as they attended the ED, and patients' general practitioners were contacted to validate attendance data. Patients' medical charts were searched for evidence of psychological problems and alcohol or drug abuse. Ms Molly Byrne of NUI Galway said that 'this is further evidence that ED frequent attenders complement, rather than substitute, such heavy use of ED with heavy use of both primary and hospital services'. Mr Patrick K Plunkett, St. James's Hospital, noted that 'these patients are a psychosocially vulnerable group. It is important that service providers and policy makers take this vulnerable patient profile into account, as they endeavour to meet the service needs of these patients, as well as deal with resource problems in the country's Emergency Departments'. The study was carried out by Ms Molly Byrne and Prof Andrew Murphy of the Department of General Practice, NUI, Galway; Drs Patrick Plunkett and Alistair Murray, of the Department of Emergency Medicine, St James's Hospital, Dublin; Prof Hannah Mc Gee, of the Health Services Research Centre, Department of Psychology, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and Prof Gerry Bury, of the Department of General Practice, UCD. This study is published in the March issue of Annals of Emergency Medicine and is available on the Annals Web site (www.mosby.com/AnnEmergMed). Ends For further information please contact: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418; 087-2986592 Ms Molly Byrne, Department of General Practice, NUI Galway. Tel. 091-512

Release date: 3 March, 2003 New EU Directive to insist on Employer-Employee Consultation A one-day conference taking place in NUI Galway on Friday, 7 March, will address the EU Directive on Information and Consultation, that all Irish companies will have to implement by 2005 (some smaller companies will have until 2007). Ireland is one of only two member states, the other being the UK, that do not have a permanent and statutory system for information and consultation. "The Directive is potentially the most significant piece of employment legislation to emerge from the European Union to date," according to Dr Tony Dundon, of NUI Galway's Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC), which is hosting the conference. "It will give all employees, in organisations employing more than either 20 or 50 people, the right to be informed and consulted on matters currently affecting their jobs and those likely to impact on their future work life," says Dr Dundon. The NUI Galway conference will bring together a number of key experts in the field, including policy makers, academics and researchers, They will review the current situation in Ireland, in terms of how far companies are from the requirements of the Directive and also what the Irish Government may or may not do in drafting legislation for compliance. Stressing the importance of the Directive for Irish companies, Dr Dundon commented: "When implemented, this Directive will create a new legal framework for collective representation that marks a significant departure from the traditional voluntarist approach adopted in this country." Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 750418

Release date: Monday 28th April 2003 New Deep Sea Research Centre established at NUI Galway At some ten times the size of Ireland's land area, our seabed is a resource of major significance and there now exists a whole new body of knowledge that allows us to pursue biological and ecological studies in deeper water as never before. NUI Galway's Martin Ryan Institute (MRI) has just announced the setting-up of an Irish Centre for Offshore Biological and Ecological Studies (ICOBES). The centre, in collaboration with national and international partners, will address the serious deficit of knowledge on the animals of the deep ocean floor and on their relationships with their environment. These animals constitute a highly important resource in their own right – ecologically and commercially. "Their presence determines in no small way the 'health' of the seafloor, and they play an important, as yet poorly understood, role in the food web of the deep sea", says Professor Brendan Keegan, Chairman of the new research centre. "This is extremely important when, with the decline of many traditional fisheries (e.g. the cod), our attention is being turned towards new food species from deeper waters." "If we are not to make the same mistakes again, we have, amongst other requirements, to be able to identify the diversity of animals in question. We must know their biology (e.g. when and how often do they reproduce) and their ecology (e.g. who eats whom and what other effects they have on their habitats)", says Professor Keegan. NUI, Galway has built up an international reputation in marine taxonomy - the identification of marine plant and animal species. Many of its graduates have endured with this interest in their own work places, such as the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology and Aqua Fact International Services Ltd. This survived the rising attractiveness of molecular taxonomy (identifying species on the basis of their genetic composition), which saw many institutions world wide turn away from the classical approach of identifying whole animals and plants on the basis of their "shape and make". "It was indeed very strange that, even in the face of widespread concern over the permanent loss of species, expert recognition of marine plants and animals continued to decline", observes Professor Keegan. " There is growing awareness of the urgent need to re-acquire these impoverished skills", he said. Ireland, as a whole, has had little marine taxonomic expertise beyond our shallow coastal waters. "This is regrettable, given the increasing interest in the offshore/deep sea area and its natural resources", says Professor Keegan. "However, the Seabed Survey commenced by the Geological Survey of Ireland in 2000 represents an extraordinary first effort to understand this resource". Under funding recently received from the Higher Education Authority, Galway's Martin Ryan Institute has formed and equipped a team of young graduates to carry out complementary studies of this kind. They will look to the Marine Institute for the use of its vessels, RV Celtic Voyager and RV Explorer and to the Geological Survey for its storehouse of newly won information on the sea floor. According to Professor Keegan, the new ICOBES centre will take the obvious next step in bringing together all interested parties, and through a pooling of expertise and equipment, optimise on these new research opportunities. All interested organisations are being invited to have a representative on an ICOBES Advisory Group. In addition to the actual researchers based in the Martin Ryan Institute, NUI Galway will also provide secretariat facilities, library, database and newsletter access. It will also maintain biological reference collections, in parallel with the National Museum and the Museum and Galleries of Wales and provide important technological support and training. "This is one instance where, given that Irish expertise is pretty thin on the 'sea-floor', the more cooks the better the broth", concluded Professor Keegan. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway Tel. 091 750418; 087-2986592

Release date: Wednesday 16th April 2003 NUI Galway appoints Director to Huston School of Film and Digital Media NUI Galway is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Rod Stoneman to the post of Director of the Huston School of Film and Digital Media at National University of Ireland, Galway. Mr Stoneman has been CEO of the Irish Film Board since its re-establishment ten years ago. Prior to that he was a Deputy Commissioning Editor for Channel Four television in the UK. The Huston School of Film and Digital Media at NUI Galway will be launched by Angelica Huston at a Gala Banquet to be held in Los Angeles on May 2nd 2003. The school has been founded with the support of the Huston family, commemorating their long association with "St. Cleran's", John Huston's family home in Co. Galway. Additional support has been provided by Coca Cola HBC. "We are delighted to welcome the appointment of Mr Stoneman, as Director of the new Film School", said Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway. "He brings wide industry experience and an international profile to this exciting and innovative project". The Huston School of Film and Digital Media has been founded with the ambition of training a new generation of filmmakers, making use of the latest digital technology. Its inaugural programme, beginning in September 2003 will be a Masters programme in Screenwriting. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer. NUI Galway. Tel. 091-750418; 087-2986592

NUI Galway Scientist wins Optical Society of America award The Optical Society of America (OSA) has announced that the recipient of its C. E. K. Mees Medal 2003 is Professor Christopher Dainty, of NUI Galway. The award recognizes his achievements in the field of Optics. The C. E. K. Mees Medal was established in 1961 in memory of C. E. K. Mees,who contributed much to the development of scientific photography, and acknowledges a recipient who exemplifies the thought that optics transcends all boundaries, interdisciplinary and international. Chris Dainty was chosen as the 2003 recipient for his contributions to the understanding and application of speckle phenomena and for leadership in the international optics community. Professor Dainty is Science Foundation Ireland Professor of Experimental Physics at NUI Galway and is President of the European Optical Society. His research has spanned a wide variety of topics in optical imaging, propagation and scattering. His early work focused on laser speckle and astronomical speckle interferometry. However, by the early 1980s, he became interested in measurement of atmospherically induced scintillation and phase fluctuations, as well as enhanced backscattering from rough surfaces. More recently, he has been involved in low-cost adaptive optics and its applications, and in the optics of the eye. His advanced research uses novel electronics, computer power and light-sensing devices to improve our view of the world. Known as "adaptive optics", the approach is already being used to enhance the images captured by earth-based telescopes. Adaptive optics is a technology developed by astronomers to compensate for the deleterious effects of atmospheric turbulence in astronomical imaging. Dainty is applying adaptive optics to the human eye, primarily to produce very high-resolution images of the retina in vivo. Reversing the optical system could provide "super-vision" that would enable people to see better than "20/20". In the same way that applied optics can clean up a telescope image, Dainty is using the technique to get a clearer view of the back of the retina. A cleaner image of retinal cells can help diagnose disease, but also opens the possibility of sharper vision, he says. Other applications include "line-of-sight" cable-free optical communication links that operate in all weathers, more powerful microscopes and CDs with greatly increased storage capacity. Dainty's research programme also includes basic and applied studies in the fields of smart optics, light scattering and propagation through random media. Smart optical systems are ones where both the optical elements and the detector are programmable, allowing complex tasks to be performed with potentially very low cost devices: consumer digital cameras are one product area that could benefit from smart optics. On a related theme, Professor Dainty is also coordinating an EU Research Training Network, "SHARP-EYE" from his base in NUI Galway. Ends

Release date: 23rd May 2003 SFI awards major Research Centre to NUI Galway Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) has announced major funding for three new Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSETs) at NUI Galway, Royal College of Surgeons and UCC. The three successful centres received their awards against competition from 23 other applicants. The new Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) at NUI Galway will receive €12m from SFI over the next five years (with a review for further funding after two years), with significant resource investment being contributed by Hewlett-Packard s European Software Centre in Galway. DERI will conduct basic and applied research on the Semantic Web and Semantic Web-enabled Web Services, and on the innovative implications of this emerging technology for industry and society. The importance of this research to business and the public alike is evidenced by the already enormous use of the Web as a tool for communication, accessing and distributing information and conducting business. Traditional Web technology has stimulated the development of entirely new methods of accessing markets, distributing product information and connecting dispersed commercial partners. However, the success of the Web has made it increasingly difficulty to find, sort, present and maintain the information distributed globally. Fortunately, the Semantic Web provides a way of handling this explosion of information and DERI will be at the forefront of this step into the second generation of Web technology. Conceived by the architects of the original web, the Semantic Web is still in its infancy, but when fully developed it will enable computers to talk meaningfully to each other. The new Institute will be directed by Prof. Dieter Fensel, a leading figure in Semantic Web research world-wide, and co-directed by a leading industrial researcher, who brings significant experience to DERI from the US. Prof. Fensel plans to build the number of research staff in DERI to over 60 post-graduate and post-doctoral researchers by 2008. DERI will be a rich collaboration between NUI Galway researchers from the Computer Integrated Manufacturing Research Unit, the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change, the Departments of Information Technology and Electronic Engineering and key industrial researchers from HP's European Software Centre in Galway. In addition, DERI will attract world-class researchers from around the globe. While DERI will be based on the NUI Galway campus it will also have a laboratory at the HP European Software Centre, allowing easy physical and intellectual exchange of researchers between academia and industry. DERI has also developed strong academic links with the Next Web Generation Group at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, through joint projects headed by Prof. Fensel, and plans to foster an extensive researcher exchange programme with the Group. In a research area that demands team-work and global collaboration, this international sharing of ideas and personnel will greatly enhance the potential of DERI to establish itself as a world-leader in the Semantic Web. The involvement of Hewlett-Packard's European Software Centre in Galway is particularly important for DERI s mission to support the future development of indigenous Irish industry. In the commercial world, where software technologies for different parts of a business have not been based on a common foundation, there are serious problems with trying to connect these various data-handling applications. Semantic Web-enabled Web Services will allow the development of simple interfaces between these applications. With over 100 interconnected systems and interface technology ranging over 30 years, HP s European Software Centre represents an ideal 'real-life' laboratory in which the research carried out by DERI can be case-studied and applied. Ends

Conferral underlines NUI Galway's global human rights activity The world's elder statesman, Nelson Mandela visits NUI Galway today (Friday 20 June 2003) to be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws. The visit and conferral emphasises the work the University has, and continues to carry out, as a leading world-centre of research on global human rights issues. Commenting, Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway said: "As a university, NUI Galway is committed to the study and promotion of human rights and global humanitarian law. This is demonstrated through the ongoing work of the University's Irish Centre for Human Rights. It is therefore a fitting and momentous occasion for NUI Galway to welcome Mr. Mandela to this University". He added, "While we honour Mr. Mandela with an honorary doctorate, it is actually he who honours us by his presence today at NUI Galway". Continuing he said: The values and beliefs that have shaped the life of Nelson Mandela continue to drive and shape reform, not only in South Africa and the African continent but throughout the world. His visit to NUI Galway underlines a genuine commitment and engagement on the part of this institution to those ideas of human rights, justice and equality for all. The visit and conferral of the Honorary Doctorate to Nelson Mandela can be viewed live via the University's website at: www.nuigalway.ie/mandela To mark the visit, the University has also organised an International Development Conference on Friday 20 June, which will focus on the key themes in economic development, human rights and development co-operation. It will look at opportunities for enhanced and innovative partnerships with African states, and consider in conjunction with Irish aid practitioners, the particular role Ireland can play in these areas. Speakers include Professor William Schabas, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway; Michael D Higgins, T.D.; Justin Kilcullen of Trócaire and John O'Shea of Goal. Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway, Professor William Schabas said: "The main objective of the conference will be to honour Nelson Mandela's visit to NUI Galway, and his ongoing work on behalf of the disadvantaged. In addition, the conference will seek to inform the public debate on development issues and contribute to the dialogue in policy formulation, and to review and highlight key developing world priorities." Ends Issued on behalf of NUI Galway by Drury Communications, contact Orla Benson / Paddy Hughes at Tel: +353 1 260 5000 / +353 87 8033262 / +353 87 616 7811 For reference: Máire Mhic Uidhir Press Officer, NUI Galway Tel: +353 91 750 418 / +353 87 298 6592

NUI Galway Conference on Economic Development, Human Rights and Aid A new partnership for Africa's Development – Ireland's Role To mark the visit of Nelson Mandela to NUI Galway, the University is organising an International Development Conference which will take place from 11.30 to 5.00 p.m., on Friday, 20 June, 2003, in the Siobhán McKenna Theatre, Arts Millennium Building. The conference will focus on key themes in economic development, human rights and development co-operation. The proceedings will focus on the opportunities for enhanced and innovative partnerships with African states, and consider in conjunction with Irish aid practitioners, the particular role Ireland can play in these areas. Speakers at the conference will include Professor William Schabas, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway; Michael D. Higgins, T.D., Justin Kilcullen of Trócaire and John O'Shea of Goal. The main objectives of the conference are to inform the public debate on development issues and contribute to the dialogue in policy formulation; to review and highlight key development priorities; and to honour Nelson Mandela's visit to NUI Galway and his ongoing work on behalf of the disadvantaged. Ends

Bank of Ireland Fellowship in International Human Rights Law to be established in honour of Nelson Mandela's visit to Galway Bank of Ireland has announced the establishment of a fellowship to be awarded to a distinguished scholar from a developing country studying at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway. The fellowship will be established to commemorate the visit of Nelson Mandela to the University to receive an honorary degree on June 20th. Hundreds of applicants are expected to apply for this prestigious fellowship. Applications will be considered by a special academic panel chaired by Professor William A. Schabas, Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. "This important fellowship will make a most significant contribution to the academic research capacity of the Irish Centre for Human Rights", said Professor Schabas. "Since the Centre began activities in early 2000, it has quickly become the Irish think tank with respect to issues on the cutting edge of international human rights law. The fellowship will strengthen its international reputation for excellence and innovation." Professor Schabas went on to say that the requirement that the fellow comes from a developing country is particularly important. "Research from developing countries suffers from inadequate resources, and we believe a fellowship like this can help in a modest way to correct the imbalance," he said. Mike O Grady, Regional Manager Area Office West at Bank of Ireland said, "Nelson Mandela is a towering figure in human rights. We were glad to be able to recognise his historic visit to Galway by establishing a fellowship for a scholar from a developing country." Ends

From 7 – 10 June 2003 the Irish Centre for Human Rights will host the Fifth Biennial Conference of the International Association of Genocide Scholars. Over 150 delegates from throughout the world will participate in this prestigious international event. Genocide, often called "the crime of crimes", is defined by human rights law as the racist destruction of an entire group. The keynote address will be delivered by Gerald Gahima, the Attorney General of Rwanda. He will give an account of his experience in the pursuit for justice in post-genocide Rwanda. Other notable speakers include the Honorable Howard Wolpe, Former Congressman from Michigan and Special Presidential Envoy of the U.S. to the Great Lakes Region of Africa, Ben Kiernan, Professor of History and Director of Genocide Studies Program, Yale University and Professor Israel Charny of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide, Jerusalem. The Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights and chair in human rights at the University, Professor William A. Schabas will discuss the implications for international law of the ad hoc international criminal tribunals. This conference will involve over forty panels discussing a variety of topics, including the genocide of indigenous peoples, the effects of genocide on survivors, prevention of genocide, the role of mass media, international law and genocide, the role of truth commissions and denial of genocides. Scholars from the numerous countries, including Canada, Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States and Israel will participate in this event. The International Association of Genocide Scholars is at the forefront of research and study on the subject of genocide and the Irish Centre for Human Rights is honoured to be hosting this conference. Ends

Preparations well underway for visit of Nelson Mandela to NUI Galway Preparations are at an advanced stage for the impending visit of Nelson Mandela to NUI Galway. The Nobel Laureate and former Prime Minister of South Africa will be conferred with an Honorary Doctorate of Laws on Friday, 20 June 2003 at the University. It is expected that huge numbers of people will come on campus to welcome Mr Mandela on his historic visit to Galway. Mr Mandela will arrive on campus at 5.30 pm. Members of the public are invited to view the arrival and the colourful academic procession from the Quadrangle to the conferring hall at Áras na Mac Léinn/Student Centre. Designated Viewing Areas will provide excellent vantage points for the public. Details of these locations, which will be supervised for crowd safety by the Gardaí, will be published in due course. The ceremony will be relayed live to large screens in the Kirwan, Dillon and Larmor Theatres. Admission to these venues will be by ticket only. Tickets will be issued on a first come, first served basis to members of the public and should be collected in person from Áras Fáilte, the University's Visitor and Information Centre, from Monday 9 June. To mark this historic event, NUI Galway and HEAnet will host the first-ever live webcast from the campus. This will enable alumni, staff and friends all over the globe to enjoy this auspicious occasion. In order to access the live video-stream, log-on to www.nuigalway.ie/mandela for instructions and test page to check you can view the webcast. "This is a momentous occasion for the University and for Galway," said Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway. " We are delighted to be able to facilitate public access to the event and look forward to making this a memorable and exciting occasion for as many people as possible. Now approaching his eighty fifth birthday, Nelson Mandela is one of the world's greatest statesmen and it is a singular honour for us to welcome him to Galway." Ends

The first custom-built facility to produce farmed marine finfish is being established in NUI Galway's MRI Laboratories in Carna, Connemara. With support from Údarás na Gaeltachta, the €600,000 facility will commence operation in the autumn (2003) with the pilot commercial scale production of juvenile cod in a research project funded by the Marine Institute. Wild cod stocks have been severely depleted in recent years resulting in the imposition of quotas and conservation measures. The combined landings of wild cod in the waters off Ireland and UK have plummeted from an average of 75,000 tonnes per annum to less than 25,000 tonnes of cod since the mid 1990s. "Cod is perhaps the best known species of white fish in the North Atlantic with a readymade market of millions of consumers on both sides of the Atlantic", according to Declan Clarke, Development Manager at NUI Galway's Martin Ryan Institute. "There is a strong market opportunity for farmed cod in Ireland and other European countries. Technology developed for cod will also be readily transferable to other white fish species, including haddock, hake and halibut," he said. Research at the MRI Laboratories will support emerging commercial development in terms of Ireland's marine finfish brood stock programmes, live feed production and fish health. Micheál Corduff, Marine Project Executive, Údarás na Gaeltachta said, " This is a very exciting project with tremendous potential for sustainable development, commercial success, and job creation." This project is part of an inter-agency initiative to develop new species and technologies, which involves the Marine Institute, NUI Galway, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Department of the Marine. Ends

The recently elected President of the International Criminal Court, Philippe Kirsch, will be the keynote speaker at a one-week course organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway from 19-26 July 2003 in Galway. Now in its fourth year, the one-week course provides students, diplomats, journalists and other interested professionals with a comprehensive introduction to the operational and political issues concerning the Court. President Kirsch headed the negotiations that resulted in the creation of the Court. He was elected a judge in February 2003, and President of the Court the following month. He will lecture on the establishment of the Court, including the 1998 Rome Conference and subsequent developments. Speakers at the course include Ambassador David Scheffer, who led the United States delegation at the Rome Conference and Professor William Schabas, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights and author of Introduction to the International Criminal Court. The International Criminal Court became fully operational in June 2003, following the election of its judges, the Prosecutor and the Registrar. The Court is authorised to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed since 1 July 2002. The Irish Centre for Human Rights, founded in 2000, is based at NUI Galway, where it is affiliated to the Faculty of Law. Besides organising specialised courses on relevant themes, like the International Criminal Court course, it offers a degree programme of post-graduate studies in international human rights law and engages in a range of individual and contract research projects. Ends

Six distinguished individuals from Ireland and overseas were conferred with honorary degrees from NUI Galway today, (June 27th 2003). Professor Kader Asmal, Mayor Richard M. Daley, Rev. Fr Andrew M. Greeley, Mr Joseph Higgins, Right Rev John RW Neill and Mrs Brίd Rodgers received honorary degrees from the University in recognition of the contribution they have each made in affecting fundamental, positive change for disenfranchised and minority groups and society as a whole. This conferring ceremony follows the conferring of Nelson Mandela last week and further underpins NUI Galway's commitment to the study and promotion of Human Rights and also its work in the area of development and social inclusion which has enhanced the lives of local communities in Ireland and fostered global links with institutions and organisations. The President of NUI Galway, Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh said, "NUI Galway is proud to recognise the achievements of these individuals whose contributions to harmonisation in society has had a profound impact on the lives of so many. It is fitting that we honour these individuals at NUI Galway where our values and beliefs foster a culture and spirit of justice, equality and opportunity for all. Kadar Asmal who is currently Minister for Education in South Africa, has made an immense contribution to the establishment of an apartheid-free South Africa. His integrity and commitment to social change has touched the lives of many, including us in Ireland where he succeeded in drawing support for the Irish anti-apartheid movement by highlighting the plight of an oppressed people. Mayor Richard Daley has earned a national reputation in the United States for his work in developing innovative, community-based programmes to address education, public safety, neighbourhood development and other challenges unique to the urban setting. We are proud to honour him in NUI Galway today and to acknowledge his extraordinary achievements in improving the quality of life of the citizens of Chicago, many of whom are Irish. Fr Andrew Greeley is a rare combination of priest, politician and author. Imbued with a strong sense of social justice, he has improved the lives of many individuals through the provision of schools and churches, while creating a special place for the Irish people in Chicago. The best selling priest-novelist in the world, his books provide a unique and important insight into the history of the Irish in Chicago as an ethnic group and their integration into American society. It is fitting that we honour Joseph Higgins with an honorary degree. His entrepreneurial flair and dedication to driving indigenous industry has assisted in establishing Galway as an industrial and digital hub where local expertise achieves global success. We honour Archbishop John R Neill for his commitment to inclusiveness as exemplified in the ordination of women in the Church of Ireland. Archbishop Neill served on the NUI Galway Governing Authority for a number of years and demonstrated deep concern for issues of development in the West region. He has also been an active advocate of ecumenism in this country. Brίd Rodgers who is Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Northern Ireland Executive, has dedicated her life to the pursuit of equality and social justice. She is being honoured today for her tireless efforts in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland". Ends

Astronomers at NUI Galway have discovered and measured for the first time, a link between the intensity of optical light and the intensity of radio waves from a Pulsar. Their work, published in the latest edition of the journal Science, has important implications for our understanding of how these enigmatic objects work. Pulsars, which were first discovered by the Irish astronomer Jocelyn Bell in 1967, have defied a full theoretical understanding despite more than thirty years of study. What is a pulsar? Dr Andy Shearer who led the NUI Galway research team explains that when a large star dies its life ends with a large explosion - a supernova - one of the most energetic events in the universe. "Some supernovae can result in the formation of what is known as a neutron star," he says. When a neutron star is young (e.g., 100,000 years), it emits a flash or 'pulse of radiation every time it rotates - it is now known as a pulsar. According to Dr Shearer, explaining the pulse and hence the conditions around a neutron star has baffled astronomers for the past thirty years. "Understanding the pulsar phenomena remains one of the unsolved problems in astrophysics," he says. The focus of the NUI Galway team was the 'Crab' Pulsar, which rotates 33 times a second. The team took simultaneous observations of the Crab pulsar at both radio and optical wavelengths. The NUI Galway-built TRIFFID camera, using Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology, recorded the optical signals at the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) in La Palma and the radio signals were recorded using the Dutch radio observatory at Westerbork, Holland. "We observed over 10,000 Giant Radio Pulses and discovered, for the first time, that there is a link between the radio and optical signals from pulsars," said Dr. Shearer. In post analysis, the radio and optical arrival times were linked to better than a 10 millionth of a second despite the radio and optical observatories being over 2000 kilometres apart. The importance of this discovery lies in the fact that to date no convincing explanation describes all the possible observations of pulsars. "Our limited knowledge of the workings of a plasma in the extreme conditions around a pulsar has meant we do not know what causes the brief flashes of radio waves, light, X-ray and gamma ray signals that are characteristic of these enigmatic objects", says Dr. Shearer. Indeed most theoretical studies have looked at either the radio waves or the optical but not both. "Our observations have, for the first time, linked emission from these two parts of the electromagnetic spectrum - and in doing so ruled out some of the competing models," said Dr Shearer. "We hope that future observations - particularly of the polarisation of the radio and optical radiation will lead, finally, to a complete understanding of how pulsars work." Ends

The recently formed Human Rights for Change organisation will hold a one-day conference in the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway, on Saturday October 4th, 2003. The conference, entitled 'Global Trade and the Implications for Human Rights,' aims to provide an academic platform at which the various aspects of trade liberalisation as pursued by the international community, may be critically examined and discussed in the light of their implications for human rights. While the most serious impact of globalisation has been on the economic, social and cultural rights of people and peoples in the Third World, both academia and civil society in western countries have consistently focused on the enforcement of civil and political rights. This imbalance in study, research and lobbying has resulted in either an incomplete or incorrect understanding of the nature of economic, social and cultural rights throughout the First World. Some of the main issues that will be discussed at the conference include Accountability and Responsibility of Multi-National Corporations; Human Rights Implications of Development policy; the Impact of International Trade on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Global Arms Trade; Trade and the Environment; Women's Rights and Children's Rights. Speakers at the conference will include Professor William Schabas, Director, Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUI Galway; Jim Loughran, Amnesty International; Angela Hegarty, University of Ulster and Dr. Eleanor Doyle, University College Cork. Ends

The Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland (AOTI) acknowledges that a programme leading to a B.Sc. in Occupational Therapy has commenced in NUI Galway and that the process of accreditation is now in train. While formal approval to proceed with the programme is awaited, the AOTI and the University have committed themselves to a process which will lead to such approval, subject to the accreditation procedures of AOTI. NUI Galway is very happy with the outcome and looks forward to continuing cooperation with the AOTI. Ends

Professor Gerard Quinn, Faculty of Law, NUI Galway, has been nominated by Rehabilitation International (RI) as its representative on a new United Nations Working Group to draft a treaty on the rights of persons with disabilities. RI is a global conglomerate of disability NGOs and is chaired by Lex Freiden who is also chair of the US National Council on Disability. The new UN Working Group which is composed of States as well as independent experts, will meet in January and aims to produce the first working draft of a treaty. Professor Quinn co-authored a leading Study for the United Nations on the treaty in 2002 and is academic co-ordinator of an EU Network of Disability Legal Specialists. "It is an honour to be part of the Working Group. Its work will be truly historic and exciting," said Professor Quinn. " A legally binding treaty will hopefully make a big difference to the 600 million persons with disability who live mostly in developing countries. It will reinforce the reform process at home and will help to engender reform where it currently does not exist. I am proud that NUI Galway can play its part in the treaty drafting process, which has a truly global significance. It shows that quality research can make a positive difference in the policy process," he said. Ends

Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway has described the Government's decision, to 'pause' capital spending under the Government's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI) for 2003, as a cause of very serious concern to the Third-Level sector, and urged the Government to honour its commitment to Third Level Education in the interests of making Ireland more competitive in a global context. Dr Ó Muircheartaigh's comments were conveyed at a conferring ceremony today (Monday 20 October 2003) in the University, where he also referred to the Government's current approach to PRTLI capital programme as potentially disastrous from both an institutional and a national point of view. He emphasised that NUI Galway and other universities were working to maximise income from all sources, including private fundraising and revenue generating activities. "The Universities and private philanthropy are playing their part in strengthening the education sector. I call on Government to honour its commitment to higher education in the interests of making Ireland more competitive," he said. Continuing, "Irish universities not only provide the innovation capable of stimulating new production, they also generate a skilled and flexible workforce which is vital in meeting the challenges of the 21st century". Dr. Ó Muircheartaigh outlined that the construction of a new engineering facility was a capital project priority for NUI Galway and that to meet the demand for engineers across all sectors, undergraduate numbers at the University at the very least need to be maintained. However, this would be impossible without adequate Government funding to build a new facility. "The existence of a flagship Engineering building will play a decisive role in attracting further direct inward investment to the region as it has done in the biomedical and other sectors," he said. Praising the Government's record in state support for research over the last four years with initiatives such as Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) & Programme for Research in Third-Level Institutions (PRTLI), he described the need for continued research and capital funding of education as being of national strategic importance. His comments were made in a week when NUI Galway will confer degrees and diplomas on over 3,247 graduates in 17 conferring ceremonies throughout the week. These remarks follow the announcement last week of a donation of €18 million from Atlantic Philanthropies for three new projects on campus - the largest single gift in the University's history. Ends

National University of Ireland Galway has announced the immediate development of three new capital projects totalling €80 million, as part of the first phase of a development programme contained in the University's recently adopted Strategic Plan 2003 - 2008. The projects, to be started immediately, include a new Graduate School of Business, a new Engineering Building, and a major new Sports Centre and Cultural Facilities for the University's 13,800 students, as well as associated essential infrastructural developments. Announcing this initiative, University President, Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh stated "We in NUI Galway have been very deliberate about our planned development over the next 5 years. These three projects reflect key components of the strategic plan, and I am delighted that we can now proceed towards their completion. This decision would not have been possible without the support for these projects of Atlantic Philanthropies, who recently confirmed a donation of €18m to the University. This represents the largest single gift to the University in its history." The announcement of this donation coincides with the public launch of the University's fundraising campaign - entitled The People & Place Campaign – which has a target of €50m from private sources. The campaign is part of a projected overall €250 million investment in seventeen new buildings, academic programmes and student facilities at the University. John MacNamara, Chairman of Galway University Foundation welcomed the announcement. "With support from Atlantic Philanthropies and other donors The People and Place Campaign is now over half-way to its target. This is a great endorsement of NUI Galway's vision, and I hope friends and graduates of the University will become involved with the Campaign in order to ensure we meet these ambitious targets." The People & Place Campaign has grouped its seventeen projects around eight themes. Further information is available on www.nuigalway.ie/foundation President Ó Muircheartaigh said that he hoped that the University's efforts to fundraise from the private sector would "highlight to Government that we intend to maximise income from all sources" and went on to call on Government, for its part, to continue its policy of investment in education in order to accelerate Ireland's development as a leading "knowledge economy". Student leaders also welcomed the announcement. Tony McDonnell, Student's Union President, said that these developments "would greatly enhance the sports and cultural dimension of student life on campus, as well as provide much-needed academic facilities in engineering and business." Ends

Honorary Master degrees will be conferred on five individuals during the October conferring ceremonies which take place next week from the 20 – 24 October, 2003. Those conferred include the following: · Jim Callery (M.A) A native of Elphin, Co. Roscommon, Mr. Callery, a successful businessman, has an abiding interest in local history. In 1979, he purchased Strokestown House with the intention of retaining the land and selling on the house. However, he decided that the house was a vital part of our national heritage and embarked on the most significant private restoration project in Ireland. The house, which dates back to the 1600s was restored and opened to the public in 1987. The Irish National Famine Museum was built in the stable yards of the house and opened in 1994. · Frank Canavan (M.Ed.) Former headmaster of Coláiste Iognáid, Galway, Mr. Canavan continues his commitment to professional development through membership of the Curriculum Development Association, Education Committee, ASTI, membership of and attendance at Congresses of Heads of European Jesuit Schools. · Brendan Flynn (M.Ed) Vice-Principal of Clifden Community School, Mr. Flynn has been closely associated with Clifden Arts Festival which began in 1977. He has been Director of the Festival for the last 26 years. He was appointed to the Arts Council in 1998 and has edited the 'Clifden Anthology 1' and the 'Clifden Anthologe 2', which include submissions from literary figures who have been associated with the Festival through the years. · Tom Connolly (M.R.D) From Clifden, Co. Galway, Mr. Connolly is a leader in local and community development in West Connemara. He is Chairman of the Clifden and District Community Council and Director and Chairman of the Western Regional Tourism Organisation. · Pádraig Mac Gréine (M.A.) Born in 1900 in Co. Longford, this 103-year old is still active as a teacher and scholar. He is best known for his work with the Irish Folklore Commission. He has collected stories, fables and descriptions of customs, in particular those of the travelling community. He collected most of the material for the collection "To shorten the Road: Traveller Folktales of Ireland," and his work is also included in "The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing." Ends

An initiative which encourages students to combine learning with volunteer work is commencing at NUI Galway this week. Known as "ALIVE" or "A Learning Initiative and the Volunteering Experience," the course, which has been established under the University's Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI), is an effort to recognise the potential support students can make to various communities. The initiative is based on service learning: a pedagogy of action and reflection, which is fairly new to Ireland. "Service Learning is a form of experiential learning where students apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills to address genuine community needs," explains CKI Project Manager Jacinta Barrins. "It enables students to bring their knowledge base to the benefit of a wide range of organisations and to take their learning from that experience back to the classroom, where the analysis becomes a significant part of their education." The proposed course builds on the strong tradition in some faculties of staff involvement in community activities and on student-initiated and student led volunteer activities currently underway at NUI Galway. The course, which is available to all NUI Galway students, combines 12 hours of lectures with an additional 45 hours of volunteering over two semesters. The student chooses a not-for-profit organisation to work with from partnerships developed by CKI which include a number of organisations under the umbrella group of Galway Volunteering Network, IRD, Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo, and Galway Leader Companies. According to Jacinta Barrins, "NUI, Galway is currently promoting the development of student-led projects on campus. We hope that students will create their own student initiated and led volunteering projects on campus," The aim of this initiative is to develop various characteristics among students, with a positive spin-off for the community. The course will develop university-community interaction, civic responsibility and self development in students." There are various positive outcomes for students who participate in the project. Participating in the course could assist in enhancing your employability skills, particularly as employers are now looking for the more 'holistic' employee," she says. Most organisations who are involved in the ALIVE partnership provide basic training. In addition, the ALIVE course provides training in a number of areas including Personal Development Planning, Communication Skills, Civic Engagement Issues, Teamwork and Self Management. Ends