Tá duais náisiúnta €1,000 buaite ag an gCumann Sóisialta in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, An Cheathrú Rua. Tháinig an Cumann sa tríú háit i gcomórtas Ghlór na nGael do Chumainn Ghaelacha i gColáistí tríú leibhéal na hÉireann. Fógraíodh na torthaí beo ar chlár Rónán Mhic Aodh Bhuí, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta, Dé Céadaoin, 5 Aibreáin 2011. Bronntar na duaiseanna seo ar choistí mac léinn i gColáistí tríú leibhéal, a bhfuil forbairt agus caomhnú teanga agus cultúr na Gaeilge mar spriocanna lárnacha acu. Bhí 14 Cumann Gaelach ar an ngearrliosta agus ba mhór an t-éacht do mhic léinn an Acadaimh an gradam seo a ghnóthú i bhfianaise nach bhfuil ach 120 mac léinn lánaimseartha ar an gcampas. Is iad an dá champas is mó sa tír, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath agus Coláiste na Tríonóide a tháinig sa chéad agus sa dara háit. Tá Oifigeach na Mac Léinn, Louise Ní Dhaibhéid, ag obair san Acadamh mar chuid den bhliain taithí oibre agus is í a dhéanann comhordú ar imeachtaí na mac léinn. Cé gur pobal beag mac léinn atá ar an gcampas, tá An Cumann Sóisialta thar a bheith gníomhach agus tá a gcuid féin déanta ag na mic léinn de shaol na Gaeltachta. Tá gné láidir charthanachta ag baint le hobair an Chumainn agus tá breis is €25,000 bronnta acu ar charthanachtaí áitiúla le cúig bliana anuas. "Tá obair thar na bearta déanta ag An gCumann Sóisialta faoi stiúir Louise Ní Dhaibhéid agus is iontach an méid atá bainte amach acu. Tá mic léinn anseo ó chuile chearn den tír agus is cuid an-tábhachtach d'eispéireas an choláiste an ghné sheach-churaclaim", a dúirt Treasa Uí Lorcáin, Riarthóir Ionad an Acadaimh ar an gCeathrú Rua. Bronnfar na duaiseanna ag ceiliúradh mór Ghlór na nGael in Óstán Carton House, Maigh Nuad Dé Sathairn, 16 Aibreán 2011. -Ends-

The Irish Universities Quality Board (IUQB) is delighted to publish the third review report from its Institutional Review of Irish Universities (IRIU) process, this time focusing on NUI Galway. Dr Padraig Walsh, IUQB Chief Executive stated, "This evidence-based review provides independent confirmation of NUI Galway's commitment to quality in line with national and European standards." The Review Team was composed of national and international experts. They identified areas of good practice and areas for further development to assist NUI Galway in assuring the quality of the student experience.  IUQB is particularly pleased that the review team commended NUI Galway's approach for unifying strategic planning, institutional research and quality assurance. The review report commends 'the strong leadership of the President and the University Management Team and the overall institutional structure and processes for quality.' Dr Walsh added: "The Review Team was impressed by the visibility of strong leadership and the track record of President Browne in driving forward the quality vision for NUI Galway, together with the strategic thinking and effective restructuring necessary to achieve this vision." NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne has welcomed the report and its findings and stated: "We welcome the report's recommendations - in particular, the suggestions for increasing student feedback and pursuing further an internationalisation agenda and we will ensure that these will be addressed." The Review Team found there was 'abundant evidence that the University pays attention to the findings and recommendations of internal and external reviews of its teaching, research and support systems and that, where it is reasonable, affordable and practicable to implement the recommendations, it does so.' The Report encourages the University to continue to ensure that its governance structures are strategically focused and include a wide spectrum of external stakeholders. It is also encouraged to pursue an assertive internationalisation agenda to achieve a more open and outward-looking approach, and to review its current policy on student feedback. -Ends-

NUI Galway's Figure Fun are hosting Making Awesome Things Happen in Summer, a summer enrichment programme with maths in mind, from 7 to 10 June, in the Education building, NUI Galway. This course is aimed at first year secondary school students who wish to improve on their maths skills in a fun environment. The area of mathematics is currently undergoing many changes in secondary schools and as a result Figure Fun has decided to provide a summer camp for students who have just completed first year and wish to strengthen knowledge gained. The camp will cover the areas of number systems, geometry and probability, building strong foundations in these key areas required for further study of mathematics. Students will learn that there is a fun element to maths and heightening their interest in the subject. Students will discover the beauty and necessity of mathematics in our every day lives. Upon completing the course, participants have an excellent grasp of basic topics needed for the junior cycle. Dr Catherine Paolucci, a programme director of the BA in Mathematics and Education, is a lecturer with the School of Education, NUI Galway: "This is an exciting programme offering students an opportunity to reinforce their classroom learning in an alternative setting with a focus on real-life applications. The unique projects and activities that Figure Fun have planned will ensure that students enjoy the week, make new friends, and learn a lot in the process." Speaking about the course, Nichola Leonard, a member of the Figure Fun production team has said "through fun and games students will develop an appreciation and greater understanding of maths". Figure Fun is a group of seven, third year Maths and Education students dedicated to the promotion of secondary school mathematics and providing a fun environment to facilitate this. They are committed to providing a professionally run summer camp and ensure students satisfaction and safety at all times. Rachel Lynch, Administrator of Figure Fun says: "The members of the Figure Fun team look forward to hosting this event, which is the first of its kind for NUI Galway. The whole team are excited about sharing their enthusiasm for maths and hope to convey the relevance and value of the subject for secondary school and beyond." The course is priced at €10 per student. You can register online by visiting the website www.conference.ieand following the link for Making Awesome Things Happen in Summer. Places are limited and offered on a first come first served basis, so apply early to avoid disappointment. For further information contact Conor Diskin on 087 7535006 or c.diskin2@nuigalway.ie -Ends-

The 2011 Monsignor Pádraig de Brún Memorial Lecture, entitled Your Inner Muse: Heart, Ears, Mind, and Chipsets, will be delivered by concert pianist and MuseAmi CEO, Robert Taub. Taking place at NUI Galway on Monday, 11 April at 7.30pm in the Bailey Allen Hall, the lecture will address the relationship between music and technology, and will place leading-edge technological innovation within the context of musical innovation over the ages. Robert Taub has been acclaimed internationally as a concert pianist and recording artist. Having achieved many goals in the arena of the performing arts, Robert altered his focus and founded MuseAmi in 2007. With advanced machine learning capabilities, MuseAmi software breaks down both written and acoustic music into its most basic elements in real-time. This results in a total deconstruction of the sound or notated page, enabling end users to put the metadata back together in any way imaginable. In effect, the technology enables every musician to sound great while interacting and engaging in fun ways with the music they love, and to more easily facilitate people's innate creativity. A distinguished American concert pianist, Robert Taub is familiar to Galway audiences as his performances have featured frequently in Music for Galway s concert programmes. Music for Galway celebrates its 30th Anniversary Season this year. Robert Taub is perhaps best known to Galway concert audiences for his performances of the complete cycle of Beethoven Piano Sonatas. According to NUI Galway President, Dr James J. Browne: "The Monsignor Pádraig De Brún lecture honours a former University President who was a renowned polymath with keen interest in the arts, the sciences and the culture of his day. In many ways, Roberts Taub's work is a perfect reflection of De Brún s interests, at the nexus of music, mathematics, technology and culture." As part of the presentation on 11 April, Robert Taub will perform one of the most revolutionary piano works, the WaldsteinSonata Op. 53, in which Beethoven transcended expectations of musical creativity and musical perception, and thereby forged new demands on pianos, the pianists, and audiences. According to Robert Taub: "Music is all around us; music knows no linguistic or geopolitical boundaries; music moves us all. Yet music has always been married to technology, and thus has often been the driving force for new innovation." The public lecture takes place at 7.30pm on Monday, 11 April in the Bailey Allen Hall, NUI Galway and is organised by the President's Office, NUI Galway. Admission is free. For further information contact 091 492110. Robert Taub will also give a Seminar to the College of Engineering and Informatics on Tuesday, 12 April at 11.30am in the Information Technology Building. For further information please contact 091 493413. -Ends-

The Global Women's Studies Programme, in the School of Political Science and Sociology at NUI Galway, will be hosting a public lecture on Friday, 15 April, as part of the 2010-2011 public lecture series. Professor Clare Midgley, distinguished women's historian, will deliver the lecture entitled, 'Imperial feminist or transnational social reformer? Mary Carpenter and India'. During the lecture, Professor Midgley will explore concepts of gender, imperialism and religion with reference to Mary Carpenter, an archetypal imperial feminist. Mary Clancy, Historian and Lecturer in Global Women's Studies, says, "We are especially pleased to welcome Professor Midgley to NUI Galway and to be able to participate in discussions about women's history, imperialism and public commemoration with a leading international researcher and practitioner in the field." Professor Midgley is Research Professor in History at Sheffield Hallam University and President of the International Federation for Research in Women's History. The lecture will be held in the Alexander Anderson boardroom, in the Quadrangle Building at NUI Galway at 1pm. All are welcome to this public event and light refreshments will be served. For further information contact Gillian Browne, School of Political Science and Sociology, at gillian.browne@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-