NUI Galway Lecturer in Geography, Dr John Morrissey, is among fifteen higher education staff representing six different institutions recognised as exemplifying excellence in teaching at the annual National Academy for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL) awards. The award presentations will take place at a special ceremony in Dublin in September. Now in its fifth year, the NAIRTL awards recognise higher education teachers who demonstrate outstanding dedication to their teaching and have made an exceptional impact on student learning. This year’s winners are no exception and were chosen from thirty-one detailed submissions from fourteen different Higher Education Institutions across Ireland. The 2012 winners represent disciplines as diverse as Business, Chemistry, Geography, the Humanities, Paediatrics, and Physical Sciences, and were nominated by senior staff in their institution to go forward for the highly competitive award. Dr Morrissey is a Lecturer in Geography and Director of the MA in Environment, Society and Development at NUI Galway. His research interests are in geopolitics and post-conflict development, which he has published on widely. He was an IRCHSS Fellow in 2007/2008. His teaching is driven by a passion for engaging his students and to this end he is a keen advocate of both field-based learning and technology-enhanced learning. In 2011, Dr Morrissey won NUI Galway’s President’s Award for Teaching Excellence and in 2012 he completed an MA in Academic Practice at NUI Galway. Dr Jim Browne, President of NUI Galway, said: “It is great news that Dr Morrissey has been recognised by NAIRTL as an exemplary teacher. NUI Galway has a successful record at the NAIRTL awards, with awards being presented to our lecturers each year since the formation of NAIRTL. This is a huge achievement and a testament to the quality of nominations put forward by this University. Dr Morrissey was a recipient of our internal awards for teaching excellence in 2010-11.  This scheme recognises the outstanding efforts academic staff make to ensure NUI Galway students receive the highest quality learning experience. We look forward to continued collaboration with NAIRTL and to further success in the national awards scheme in 2013.” NAIRTL was established in 2007, and its vision is one where research and teaching go hand in hand. Previous recipients of the National Award for Excellence in Teaching include senior and junior staff members from thirteen different Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. -ENDS-

The universities of Ireland*, North and South, will jointly confer an honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) on Charles F. "Chuck" Feeney, founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies on 6 September next. This is the first time such an honour will have been conferred jointly by all the Universities on the island of Ireland.  The universities are coming together to honour Chuck Feeney’s remarkable contribution to Irish society, and in particular to the universities.  Chuck Feeney’s philanthropic purpose in Ireland has been to create a brighter future and a better society for the people of Ireland. He believes that one way to achieve this is to enable Ireland to become a full participant in the knowledge society and to compete in the knowledge economy. The Atlantic Philanthropies, which he founded in 1982, identified Irish universities, which of their nature are devoted to the transmission of knowledge and the generation of new knowledge, as institutions central to this purpose. Since 1990, Atlantic has donated nearly €770 million to Irish universities, North and South.  The physical manifestations of this philanthropy can be seen today most notably in the transformational research infrastructure which has been created on university campuses. This is providing a new generation of researchers with facilities their predecessors could only dream about. Human capital development in the universities had been supported through endowed chairs, scholarships and other forms of student support. University projects have also included support for new libraries and student on-campus housing and projects in the fields of health and ageing. In the longer term, the impact of the funding provided by Atlantic can be expected to be even more significant.  The Atlantic Philanthropies (http://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org) is a limited life foundation. It has announced that it will complete its grantmaking in 2016.  The Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D., and Minister for Education & Skills, Ruairi Quinn T.D., will attend the conferring ceremony.  NUI is co-ordinating the special ceremony which will take place in Dublin Castle.   -ENDS- * The Universities of Ireland: Dublin City University; National University of Ireland; National University of Ireland, Galway; National University of Ireland, Maynooth; Queen’s University Belfast; Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin; University College Cork; University College Dublin; University of Limerick; University of Ulster.

The College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway has announced details of a Special Entrance Maths Examination which will give students a second chance to pursue careers in Engineering and IT. The exam, which takes place on Wednesday, 22 August, is for students who achieve the CAO points for an undergraduate Engineering or IT Degree course at NUI Galway but have not met the Leaving Cert maths requirement. In advance of this exam NUI Galway will hold an intensive preparatory course for applicants intending to sit the exam. This free course will run for five days, from Thursday, 16 August to Tuesday, 21 August (including Saturday). In addition to preparing students for the Special Entrance Examination, lecturers will demonstrate the relevance and application of mathematics to Engineering and will highlight the applicability of mathematics to some illustrative engineering examples. The aim of the preparatory course is to bridge the gap between the Leaving Certificate lower level and that required to be successful in the entrance exam; this will be achieved by tackling a variety of problems of increasing difficulty. Learning how to approach a problem and apply the knowledge available will be emphasised. For more than 20 years, NUI Galway has provided this special entrance exam to help applicants who did not achieve the required grade in Leaving Cert mathematics. Those who took either higher level or ordinary level maths in the Leaving Cert can apply for the exam. Students who pass this special entrance examination will be deemed to have satisfied the maths requirement and providing they have the necessary points, will receive an additional CAO offer at Round Two. Dr Edward Jones, Vice-Dean of the College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway, said: “The Engineering and Informatics programmes at NUI Galway foster the development of analytical and problem solving skills, and mathematical ability is one of the fundamental tools of the trade. Every year, we have a number of students who haven’t achieved the necessary results in Leaving Cert maths taking advantage of our Special Entrance Maths Examination to demonstrate that they have the necessary ability in this area. Many of these students are high achievers who are ideally suited to engineering, and they go on to graduate and pursue successful careers because they were given the second chance which this Special Entrance Exam represents. The preparatory course in advance of the exam has also proved very popular with students taking the entrance exam.” The new four-story Engineering Building at NUI Galway, opened in July 2011 by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, accommodates some 1,100 students and 110 staff with its 400 rooms. The 14,250 sqm building is supporting an emerging generation of engineers engaged in a new wave of technologies, and embracing innovation and entrepreneurship. The building has been designed to be a teaching tool in itself, with exposed construction techniques and an array of ecological building methods. The College of Engineering and Informatics at NUI Galway offers a broad range of courses across the major engineering and informatics disciplines, including recently-introduced courses such as Energy Systems Engineering, which is designed in response to a growing demand for professional engineers to work in the energy sector, and Sports and Exercise Engineering, designed to develop the skills and expertise to design sports and exercise equipment of the future. NUI Galway also offers students an 'undenominated' entry route to Engineering which allows them to delay their choice of final discipline until the end of their first year of study. To apply for the Special Maths Examination, or for further information, visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering/specialmaths.html. The deadline for applications for the examination is Friday, 17 August and photo ID will be required on the day of the exam. Those interested in the preparatory maths course and the examination should call 091 492101 or email engineeringandinformatics@nuigalway.ie . -ENDS-   Seans Eile á thabhairt ag OÉ Gaillimh do Mhic Léinn na hArdteistiméireachta trí Scrúdú Speisialta Matamaitice a Reáchtáil Tá Coláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh i ndiaidh a fhógairt go mbeidh an Scrúdú Speisialta Iontrála Matamaitice, scrúdú a thugann seans eile do mhic léinn tabhairt faoi ghairm na hInnealtóireachta agus na Teicneolaíochta Faisnéise, ar bun arís i mbliana. Beidh an scrúdú ar siúl Dé Céadaoin, an 22 Lúnasa, agus tá sé dírithe ar mhic léinn a bhaineann na pointí cuí don CAO amach chun cúrsa céime san Innealtóireacht nó sa Teicneolaíocht Faisnéise a dhéanamh in OÉ Gaillimh ach nach bhfuil an marc atá riachtanach acu sa mhatamaitic. Beidh dianchúrsa ullmhúcháin ar siúl in OÉ Gaillimh roimh ré dóibh siúd ar mian leo an scrúdú a dhéanamh. Beidh an cúrsa saor in aisce seo ar siúl ar feadh cúig lá ó Déardaoin, an 16 Lúnasa go dtí Dé Máirt, an 21 Lúnasa (Dé Sathairn san áireamh). Ní hamháin go n-ullmhófar daltaí don Scrúdú Speisialta Iontrála, ach léireoidh léachtóirí an tábhacht a bhaineann leis an matamaitic san Innealtóireacht agus an úsáid is féidir a bhaint as an matamaitic i samplaí innealtóireachta. Is é an aidhm atá leis an gcúrsa ullmhúcháin seo cur lena mbíonn foghlamtha ag na daltaí ag an ngnáthleibhéal san Ardteistiméireacht, le go n-éireoidh leo sa scrúdú iontrála matamaitice; déanfar seo trí thabhairt faoi fhadhbanna éagsúla ag leibhéil éagsúla deacrachta a réiteach. Cuirfear béim ar an gcaoi le tabhairt faoi fhadhb agus ar an gcaoi a gcuirfear an t-eolas atá ar fáil i bhfeidhm. Le breis agus scór bliain anuas, tá an scrúdú speisialta iontrála seo á reáchtáil ag OÉ Gaillimh chun cabhrú le hiarratasóirí nach bhfuil an grád riachtanach bainte amach acu sa pháipéar matamaitice san Ardteistiméireacht. Féadfaidh daoine a rinne an páipéar gnáthleibhéil nó an páipéar ardleibhéil Matamaitice san Ardteistiméireacht cur isteach ar an scrúdú. Má fhaigheann daltaí pas sa scrúdú seo beidh an riachtanas matamaitice sásaithe aige/aici agus gheobhaidh sé/sí tairiscint eile ón CAO i mBabhta a Dó má bhíonn na pointí cuí aige/aici. Dúirt an Dr Edward Jones, Leas-Déan Choláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice: “Ar na cláir Innealtóireachta agus Ionformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh cuirtear le scileanna anailíseacha agus le scileanna chun fadhbanna a réiteach. Ceann de na huirlisí is bunúsaí sa cheird seo cumas sa mhatamaitic. Gach bliain, bíonn roinnt daltaí againn nach bhfaigheann na torthaí riachtanacha sa mhatamaitic san Ardteistiméireacht agus tugann siad faoin Scrúdú Speisialta Iontrála Matamaitice chun a léiriú go bhfuil an cumas riachtanach acu sa réimse sin. Is daltaí uaillmhianacha go leor de na daltaí seo agus feileann an innealtóireacht go mór dóibh. Éiríonn leo céim a bhaint amach agus slí bheatha a chothú dóibh féin mar go bhfaigheann siad an dara deis leis an Scrúdú Speisialta Iontrála seo. Bíonn an-tóir ag daltaí a thugann faoin scrúdú iontrála ar an gcúrsa ullmhúcháin roimh ré chomh maith.” Tá 1,110 mac léinn agus 110 comhalta foirne mar aon le 400 seomra san Fhoirgneamh nua Innealtóireachta ceithre stór, a d’oscail an Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, i mí Iúil 2011. Tá an foirgneamh 14,250 méadar cearnach ina chnámh taca ag glúin nua innealtóirí a rachaidh i ngleic le teicneolaíochtaí nua agus a thabharfaidh faoin nuálaíocht agus faoin bhfiontraíocht. Is uirlis teagaisc ann féin an foirgneamh mar gur fágadh teicnící tógála gan chumhdach ann agus úsáideadh an iliomad modhanna tógála éiceolaíocha ann. Tá réimse leathan cúrsaí sna príomhdhisciplíní innealtóireachta agus ionformaitice á dtairiscint ag Coláiste na hInnealtóireachta agus na hIonformaitice in OÉ Gaillimh: cúrsaí amhail Innealtóireacht Chórais Fuinnimh a bunaíodh mar gheall ar an éileamh atá ar innealtóirí gairmiúla in earnáil an fhuinnimh agus Innealtóireacht Spóirt agus Aclaíochta, a bunaíodh le scileanna agus saineolas a fhorbairt le trealamh spóirt agus aclaíochta na todhchaí a dhearadh. Tá cúrsa ‘neamhainmnithe’ san Innealtóireacht ar fáil do mhic léinn in OÉ Gaillimh chomh maith ionas go mbeidh na mic léinn in ann a rogha disciplín a phiocadh ag deireadh na chéad bhliana. Chun iarratas a dhéanamh ar an Scrúdú Speisialta Matamaitice, nó chun eolas breise a fháil féach http://www.nuigalway.ie/engineering/specialmaths.html. Is é spriocdháta na n-iarratas Dé hAoine, an 17 Lúnasa agus teastóidh cárta aitheantais a bhfuil grianghraf díot air ag an scrúdú. Ba chóir do dhuine ar bith a bhfuil suim aige/aici sa chúrsa ullmhúcháin agus sa scrúdú glao a chur ar 091 492101 nó ríomhphost a sheoladh chuig engineeringandinformatics@nuigalway.ie . -CRÍOCH-  

NUI Galway will once again open its dedicated First Year Student Hotline on Wednesday, 15 August. Now in its third year the hotline will be open to students, their parents and their advisers and will run until Friday, 28 September, 2012. The initiative, which was launched in summer 2010 and was the first of its kind across the sector, has been specially designed to help incoming first year students make the transition to third level education. With NUI Galway anticipating an intake of over 3,200 new students in September, a team of specially-trained students will service the hotline Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm, and Saturday 18 and 25 August, 10am to 1pm. The availability of the hotline coincides with the period of frantic activity and decision making that immediately follows the release of the Leaving Certificate results. The hotline will be active throughout first year orientation on 8 and 9 September and will remain in service for two weeks after lectures begin on September 10, providing students with a place to direct any conceivable query they encounter as they embark on their journey to NUI Galway. The hotline team will provide an efficient, responsive service to callers and are expected to deal with numerous issues that are of concern to incoming first year students. Anticipated queries include: points requirements for courses; first round offers; registering as a student of the University; start dates; fees and accommodation options. A designated website for first years will also update on a daily basis detailing the information sought and fed through the new hotline. It will be a portal of specific information aimed at demystifying the first few weeks of university life. Stephen O’Dea, Admissions Officer at NUI Galway, says: “For every young person, the transition from second-level to third-level education represents a significant life-change, and whilst this is an exciting time, navigating your way through the change can sometimes be daunting. The First Year Student Hotline has been set up therefore to provide information, guidance and support to all individuals involved in the transition process and we invite students, parents and advisors to avail of this service to make the passage to NUI Galway as smooth as possible.” Students, parents and advisers can contact the First Year Student Hotline at 091 493999 or visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/new-students/. -ENDS- Beolíne ar fáil do Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana in OÉ Gaillimh don Tríú Bliain as a chéile Beidh Beolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana ar fáil arís i mbliana in OÉ Gaillimh ó Dé Céadaoin, an 15 Lúnasa ar aghaidh. Don tríú bliain as a chéile, beidh mic léinn, a dtuismitheoirí agus a lucht comhairlithe in ann glaoch ar an mbeolíne go dtí Dé hAoine, an 28 Meán Fómhair 2012. Bunaíodh an tionscnamh seo, a seoladh i samhradh na bliana 2010 agus arbh é an chéad cheann dá leithéid é san earnáil seo, le cabhrú le mic léinn na chéad bhliana an t-aistriú a dhéanamh chuig an oideachas tríú leibhéal. Tá OÉ Gaillimh ag dúil go mbeidh breis agus 3,200 mac léinn nua ag tosú i mí Mheán Fómhair, agus, dá bhrí sin, beidh foireann de mhic léinn i mbun na beolíne ó Luan go hAoine, 9am - 6pm, agus Dé Sathairn, an 18 agus an 25 Lúnasa, 10am - 1pm. Beidh an bheolíne ar fáil sa tréimhse chorraitheach sin ina mbíonn ar dhaltaí cinneadh a dhéanamh i ndiaidh dóibh torthaí na hArdteistiméireachta a fháil. Beidh an bheolíne ar oscailt i rith thréimhse na seisiún eolais do mhic léinn na chéad bhliana, an 8 agus an 9 Meán Fómhair, agus beidh an líne ag feidhmiú ar feadh coicíse i ndiaidh an dáta a gcuirfear tús leis na léachtaí, an 10 Meán Fómhair. Beifear in ann a rá le mic léinn gur cheart dóibh glao a chur ar an mbeolíne má bhíonn ceist ar bith acu agus iad ag tabhairt faoina saol in OÉ Gaillimh. Cuirfidh foireann na beolíne seirbhís éifeachtach ar fáil dóibh sin a ghlaonn ar an líne agus meastar go mbeifear ag plé le hábhair go leor a bhíonn ag déanamh tinnis do mhic léinn na chéad bhliana. Meastar go mbeidh ceisteanna á gcur faoi na hábhair seo a leanas, i measc ábhair eile: na pointí atá riachtanach do chúrsaí ar leith; tairiscintí sa chéad bhabhta; clárú mar mhac léinn san Ollscoil; dátaí tosaithe; táillí agus roghanna lóistín. Tabharfar láithreán gréasáin ar leith atá ann do mhic léinn na chéad bhliana cothrom le dáta gach lá chomh maith. Beidh eolas le fáil ann faoi na ceisteanna a bhí ag na daoine a ghlaoigh ar an mbeolíne nua. Is tairseach eolais ar leith a bheidh sa láithreán gréasáin agus beidh sé de chuspóir aige cuid den cheo a bhaineann leis an gcéad chúpla seachtain ar an ollscoil a scaipeadh. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Stephen O’Dea, Oifigeach Iontrála in OÉ Gaillimh: “Is athrú mór saoil an t-aistriú ón dara leibhéal go dtí an tríú leibhéal do gach duine óg agus cé gur tréimhse iontach an tréimhse sin dóibh d’fhéadfadh sí a bheith crua chomh maith. Bunaíodh Beolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana chun eolas, treoir agus tacaíocht a thabhairt do gach duine bainteach leis an athrú saoil seo agus tá fáilte roimh mhic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus a lucht comhairlithe úsáid a bhaint as an tseirbhís chun cuidiú leis an aistear chuig OÉ Gaillimh.” Féadfaidh mic léinn, tuismitheoirí agus lucht comhairlithe teagmháil a dhéanamh le Beolíne Mhic Léinn na Chéad Bhliana ar 091 493999 nó dul go dtí http://www.nuigalway.ie/new-students/. -CRÍOCH-

Agreement confirms global potential for biomaterial based research at NUI Galway The Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB) at NUI Galway will formally sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a leading Chinese research institute the Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine (TJAB) and a major Chinese medical technology company China Nucleon Medical Technology Group (CNPK). The official signing ceremony will take place at the Irish Embassy in Beijing today (Tuesday, 14 August) and will be attended by Minister for Health Dr James Reilly TD, the Irish Ambassador to China, Mr Declan Kelleher and President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne. TJAB is a new, state-of-the-art, 173 million dollar research facility in Northern China while CNPK is a pioneer in medical imaging for the Chinese pharmaceutical industry and has extensive facilities for clinical trialling and preclinical drug development throughout China. The memorandum is designed to encourage a mutually beneficial relationship which will facilitate the exchange of researchers, the exchange of academic information and the development of collaborative research projects. For the first project under this new agreement, NFB will be collaborating with its Chinese partners to develop a cutting edge polymer for cancer treatment. Dr Wenxin Wang, Principal Investigator at NFB, said: “This agreement has huge potential both for the development of new techniques and treatments and for the commercialisation and translation of existing technologies to the clinical environment. China is currently emerging as a major player in biomedical research, and establishing these relationships now will pay ever-increasing dividends in the future. NFB is well poised to engage opportunities in China.” The NFB is a Science Foundation Ireland funded strategic research cluster which has established a critical mass of biomaterials research in Ireland. Speaking of the singing of the Memoranda of Understanding in China, President Browne said: “Partnerships such as the one we sign today point to Ireland’s global strength in the Biomedical Sector and the importance of creating linkages which will be of mutual benefit to industry and enterprise both in Ireland and in China.  It also highlights the global opportunities which exist for Irish universities and research organisations.  NUI Galway is very pleased to see our partnerships in China grow and flourish in this way.   We must remember that the work of this partnership in commercial research will ultimately benefit countless cancer patients and sufferers.  Their future health depends on new and innovative treatments – such as those that will be addressed by this technology.”  Other existing partnerships between NUI Galway and Chinese institutes include collaborations with both Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Fourth Medical Military University Hospital in Xi’an which were signed as part of the Trade and Investment Mission to Shanghai and Beijing earlier this year led by An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD and Minister Richard Bruton TD. The Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) based at NUI Galway signed collaborative agreements with the Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research, Bio-X Institutes and the Tangdu Neurosurgery & Neurology Hospital, research institutes based in two leading Chinese Universities, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, REMEDI is Ireland’s leading research institute in the area of regenerative medicine and stem cell research. ENDS