October 2001

Release date: 31 October 2001 Irish Centre for Human Rights to lead major EU-China Human Rights Project Human Rights abuses in China have long been a matter of international concern but there was a perception that world opinion was a matter of indifference to the Chinese authorities. In recent years however, China has opened up considerably to the outside world and with that openness comes a recognition of the necessity to address and improve the country's human rights record. The Irish Centre for Human Rights, which is based in NUI, Galway will coordinate a €1.5 million three-year project, financed by the European Commission, to promote the ratification and implementation of the international human rights covenants in China. The programme involves fifteen European human rights centres, one from each member state, and the same number of Chinese institutions. A wide range of human rights issues will be addressed, including capital punishment, torture, the right to education, labour standards and the right to a fair trial. The working languages of the project are English, French and Chinese. "In the last few years China has shown increasing willingness to accept the role of International human rights monitoring mechanisms," says Professor William Schabas, director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. "Consequently, it has ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and is preparing to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is essential however, that China's commitments go beyond simply formalistic gestures and that they be given substance. The idea behind the EU-China project is that European human rights specialists can contribute to the process of human rights monitoring in China by adding their expertise," he said. A series of academic seminars, as well as exchanges and internships, are at the core of the project. The initial seminar will be held in Galway, at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, where the project secretariat will be located on a permanent basis. Themes of the seminars are to be determined by the network steering committee, which is composed of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, the University of Paris II, the University of Essex, the University of Milan and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Aside from the seminars there is an important component in the training of Chinese human rights practitioners and this will include lawyers, academics and government officials in various aspects of human rights law and practice. Professor Schabas acknowledges that China's concern about International Human Rights standards can be understood in the context of the country's desire to be a full player in international affairs, including the development of economic links and cultural manifestations such as the Olympic Games 2008. "There is now an openness within China to international human rights that everybody who is familiar with the situation has noticed," says Professor Schabas, who visited Beijing last May as part of developing the current project. "It was very clear that debate evolves very, very rapidly in China on the subject of human rights," he says. "Everybody agreed that the kind of discussions and the level of exchange we had in May could not have taken place two or three years ago. Circumstances are more welcoming to this kind of activity than they have been at any time in the past," he said. "This is the first major research grant obtained by the Irish Centre for Human Rights since its inauguration in February 2000," said Professor William Schabas. "We are honoured to have been given such responsibility in this important field, and look forward to our role as a focal point for EU initiatives with respect to human rights in China." Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI Galway. Tel. 091 750418 Note on Professor William A. Schabas: Professor Schabas was named to NUI Galway's new professorship in human rights law in 1999 and is the Director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, which was launched in 2000. He is an internationally-recognised scholar in the field of human rights. He publishes and lectures throughout the world on a wide range of human rights issues. His seminal publications include: The Abolition of the Death Penalty in International Law (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1997) and Genocide in International Law (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000). His expertise is regularly solicited by international human rights non-governmental organisations, on whose behalf he has conducted missions in Africa, Asia and South America. He has quite specific expertise in the following areas: genocide, minority rights, humanitarian intervention, human rights during armed conflict, abolition of capital punishment, the right to a fair trial, the history of human rights.

Release date: 24 October, 2001 Major Exhibition of Seán Keating s Paintings comes to Galway A unique exhibition of the work of one of Ireland s most respected artists will be on view at the Aula Maxima, NUI Galway from Wednesday, 31 October to Monday, 5 November, 2001. Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI, Galway will officially open the Exhibition on Tuesday 30th October 2001 at 7.00pm. The Exhibition in NUI, Galway is organised in association with the ESB and includes 18 paintings depicting the story of the development of Ardnacrusha. Fifteen of these paintings are provided from the ESB's own art collection. The painting The Key Men" was made available by kind permission of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland; "Night's Candles are Burnt Out" (1929), was made available by kind permission of the Oldham Art Gallery and Museum, UK; and "The Bunk House" was made available by the kind permission of a private collector. The work of Seán Keating RHA (1889-1977), spanned an exciting era of Ireland s history when the nation emerged from centuries of repression. Keating was awarded perhaps one of the most important commissions when he was allowed to record on canvas the construction of the Shannon Scheme including Ardnacrusha, the ESB Power Station on the Shannon. The portfolio of work created is staggering in impact and scope, providing a vibrant vision of the progress of the work itself, along with a clear insight to the minds of those responsible for completing the most significant transformation in the history of the Free State. Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI, Galway said that the West of Ireland, Galway and the Aran Islands in particular, had a lasting influence on Keating throughout his life. "NUI Galway is, therefore, a very appropriate place to celebrate the artist's achievements by the staging of this wonderful Exhibition", he said. ESB Chief Executive, Ken O Hara said that the Keating paintings are among the most prized possessions in ESB s art collection. "Keating s paintings are not just drawings, sketches and paintings of a major project. They capture the spirit, ingenuity and perseverance of those responsible for making a major contribution to the transformation of our society. They reflect in essence the raison d etre of the ESB", he said. To mark the coming of the Keating Exhibition to Galway, a number of public lectures will take place in the Aula Maxima, Quadrangle, NUI, Galway. These include:  Cumann Céimithe na Gaillimhe Christy Townley Biennial Lecture at 8.00 p.m., on Wednesday 31 October. The lecture, entitled "Rishworth, McLaughlin and the Shannon Scheme", will be delivered by Mr. Paul Duffy.  Reminiscences of Seán Keating, by Dr. John Behan, RHA at 3.00 p.m. on Thursday, 1 November.  Seán Keating, The Man I Knew, by Mr. Tom Kenny, at 8.00 p.m., on Monday, 5 November. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 750418

Release date: 24th October, 2001 Autumn Conferring Ceremonies at NUI, Galway Three days of Conferring ceremonies will take place in NUI Galway today (Wednesday), Thursday and Friday, the 24, 25, and 26 October. Almost 2,000 students from seven Faculties will be conferred with degrees and diplomas. The first students of NUI, Galway s Access Course will graduate this week. Students from two new undergraduate programmes, B.A. in Economics and Social Studies and B.A. in Public and Social Policy will also graduate at this week s conferring ceremonies. In addition, Honorary M.A. degrees will be conferred today on two people who have been associated with the University and have made an extraordinary contribution to the communities in which they live and work. Brother Colm O Connell, who has been working in Kenya for almost 30 years, has been responsible for coaching Kenyan athletes who have won World Championships and Olympic medals. For many years he was Principal of St. Patrick s School, a boarding school for boys in Kenya s Rift Valley, where he coached pupils to excel on the running track. His protegés have included world-class athletes, Peter Rono, Wilson Kipketer, Sally Barsosio and David Kiptoo. An honorary MA will also be conferred on Mr. Joe O Halloran, who for many years worked in NUI, Galway s James Hardiman Library. He edited The Galway Historical and Archaeological Journal for almost fifteen years. He also discovered (and arranged provision of copies for the James Hardiman Library), of a very large collection of manuscripts relating to Galway in the papers of Sir D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson in St Andrew's University Library. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091-750418

Release date: 22 October, 2001 Companies woo Graduates at NUI, Galway Recruitment Fair The current down-turn in the global economy did not affect the attendance of some of this country s major employers at NUI Galway s annual Graduate Recruitment Fair. The Fair, which took place today (Monday, 22 October), attracted over 50 companies and was attended by more than 2,000 graduates. "The Fair is an ideal opportunity for graduates to meet prospective employers and find out about a wide range of employment possibilities", said Mr. Peter Keane, of NUI, Galway s Careers Service. "We have noticed a slight move away from the IT sector this year and broader representation from business and industry". Among the companies attending the fair were banks, management consulting companies, accountancy and technology companies and those representing the public sector. They included Deloitte and Touche, the Kerry Group, Smurfit Ireland, Intel, Boston Scientific and Siebel Systems. The Recruitment fair, the only one of its kind in the west of Ireland, was organised by the Careers Service at NUI, Galway. Each year the service produces several publications offering guidance and direction to graduates and postgraduates. As well as a fortnightly newsletter 'Career Matters', the Careers Service publishes a range of material providing graduates with information on interview techniques, employment opportunities and career planning. A survey carried out by the Careers Service earlier this year revealed that of those students who completed their studies last year, 61% are in employment; 18% are undertaking further academic studies; 5% are in teacher training; and just 1.2% are still seeking employment. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer. Tel. 091 750418

Release date: 8 October, 2001 Ireland s most powerful computer launched at NUI Galway Mr. Noel Treacy, T.D., Minister for Science and Technology launched a £1million Supercomputer facility in NUI, Galway today (Monday 8 October). The 40 processor Silicon Graphics (SGI) Origin 3800 Supercomputer, will perform computationally intensive calculations for the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, which is based on the Galway campus. Its peak performance of 40 billion calculations per second makes it the most powerful computer in Ireland. The Supercomputer will help in the design of better medical instruments, the understanding of the chemical behaviour of drugs and carry out improved simulations of blood-flow and enhanced X-rays. Research in all of these areas are currently being carried out in NUI, Galway. The work is a good example of inter-disciplinary research involving scientists and engineers from a number disciplines in the University. Researchers at the National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science will use the high performance computer in a broad range of research projects in the area of biomechanics. These include the simulation of blood flow in the heart; heat flow and heat loss from patients during surgery; insertion of angioplasty catheters; and the deformation and remodelling of bone subject to physiological loads. Blood flow patterns through critical cardiovascular elements such as heart valves, coronary bypass grafts and surgical implants will be investigated and visualised using sophisticated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques. CFD will be used to facilitate design improvements of novel biomedical engineering concepts for artificial heart components - mechanical pumps and valves. CFD will also be applied to pulmonary flows, to calculate the performance of artificial respirators and drug delivery systems. Astronomers from NUI, Galway have established an international reputation and have developed ways of improving X-ray images. These improved images will allow radiologists to identify illness earlier. In particular, researchers are studying how these improved images can be used to detect small fractures in bones. In the future these techniques can be used in basic science, medicine and industry. Possible applications include flaw detection in manufacturing processes and security cameras. All of these processes require substantial computing power, which will now be provided by the new supercomputer. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 750418 Dr. Andrew Shearer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 524411, Ext. 3114

Release date: 8 October, 2001 Minister turns first sod for new University Innovation Centre Mr. Noel Treacy, TD, Minister for Science and Technology, turned the sod today (Monday, 8 October) for the AIB University Business Innovation Centre on the NUI, Galway campus. Speaking at the sod turning ceremony Minister Treacy said "This facility will provide an additional 7,500 sq. ft. of accommodation to house up to 18 new start-up businesses wishing to locate at the University. The new Centre represents a £1.6 million (€2m) investment, with funding made available by Enterprise Ireland, Allied Irish Banks, and NUI, Galway. This new centre will make a major contribution to Enterprise Ireland s strategy of increasing the number of new technology start-up companies with export potential. Dr. Iognaid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI, Galway, welcomed the advent of the AIB University Business Innovation Centre saying, "The establishment of the first Innovation Center on the Galway campus in 1984 showed a commitment by the University to put its resources at the disposal of potential entrepreneurs and to provide a means for the commercialisation of research results which would generate employment and facilitate further economic development in the Western Region". Since 1984, more than 30 companies, employing some 320 people have started life in the incubator accommodation. Dr. Ó Muircheartaigh said he hoped that the new Center would provide a steady stream of new companies with the potential to provide employment for highly trained graduates in the city and region. He welcomed Enterprise Ireland's support for the new Center and noted that the Agency was also currently considering proposals for the provision of an Entrepreneur Development Programme on the NUI, Galway campus, to be supported by NUI, Galway and Enterprise Ireland. Current indications in this respect are very positive. This programme would create an additional stream of new knowledge-based companies seeking to locate in the new Innovative Centre. Mr. Seamus Bree, Director, Enterprise Ireland, West Region said, "This is a very welcome addition to the incubator space already established here in NUI, Galway. It underpins the strong link which exists between the University and business development, and will speed up the process of getting new high-growth companies established". Gary Kennedy, Financial Director, AIB Group stated, "It is our strategic intent to both support, and get increasingly involved with, early stage businesses in the high technology sectors, particularly in the entrepreneurial and supportive environment being developed at NUI, Galway. AIB is delighted to become involved with this exciting project which is a significant development for the business sector, both on and off campus, and for the region". Dr. Joe Watson, Director of the AIB University Business Innovation Centre said, "The Centre will provide a focal point for the interaction of the University with industry. It underlines the crucial importance of easy access to information and expertise in today's society. Companies locating in this Centre will be doing so because they need close access to the University s academic researchers and facilities. They will be able to utilize these contacts to build and maintain competitiveness in the knowledge economy. There are almost 12,000 students at NUI, Galway, of which 1,495 are full-time postgraduates, with over 500 engaged in research. This strong research base represents a fruitful source of ideas for commercialisation and the students form a very significant pool of entrepreneurial talent and technical expertise with the resulting potential for enterprise generation. NUI, Galway undertakes more than £11.5 million of funded research projects on campus each year. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 750418