A team from the NUI Galway Executive MBA class were announced All-Ireland Champions of the MBA Association of Ireland National Strategy Competition 2012, held at the weekend. Organised by the MBA Association of Ireland, the competition is open to all MBA programmes across Ireland. The win follows NUI Galway’s success in 2010, when it last entered the competition.  The winning team included: Myles McHugh and Suzanne Ryan from Galway City; Mike Parkinson from Ardrahan, Co. Galway; Ashwin Kher from Balla, Co. Mayo; and Roger Sweetman from Galway City. “This excellent achievement is testament to the quality of teaching on the programme and I would like to congratulate all involved in teaching the 2010-2012 MBA class”, said Dr Emer Mulligan, Head of the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway.  Many of the best business schools across Ireland took part in the competition including UCC and the Smurfit Graduate School at UCD. The competition required the team to prepare a strategic analysis and presentation on a Harvard Business Case (eBay, Inc and Amazon.com) over four hours and then present to a panel of judges.  Commenting on the win Dr Alma McCarthy, MBA Programme Director at NUI Galway, said: “The NUI Galway Executive MBA curriculum has a very strong focus on strategy and prepares students to excel as business and strategy analysts. Winning the MBAAI National Strategy Forum Competition 2012 reinforces the excellent teaching and learning standards provided to students on our programme.” Further information on the Executive MBA at NUI Galway is available at http://www.cairnes.nuigalway.ie/mba/. ENDS

While the Quadrangle is relocated for the nine-day festival The official ‘Volvo Ocean Race Festival Galway’ App is now available for download. The free app is a must for all visitors to Galway during the festival which begins on 30 June, providing maps, a full festival programme and lots of visitor information about Galway City. The app has been created by a team of experts based at the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) in NUI Galway. The app also includes a number of DERI’s research technologies; ‘Connect and Chat’ allows users to connect with other app users and chat, ‘Galway Compass’ provides users with the locations of key amenities and services near them, ‘Tweet Cliques’ analyses the twittersphere and presents the user with a list of the most relevant tweets relating to the festival. Also, there is a list of live webcams from around Galway that can let the user check for themselves where is busy around the city and docks. With tens of thousands of visitors expected over the nine-day festival, the app will allow individuals to make the most of the experience, while able to track their friends and network with groups. Professor Manfred Hauswirth, Vice-Director of DERI at NUI Galway, said: “This app demonstrates the leading role of DERI in cyber-physical systems. DERI technology makes real-world sensor input easy to use in any application.” With over 140 researchers, DERI is the largest web science institute of its kind in the world, but were thrilled to get behind this local project as Professor Hauswirth explains: “We really embraced the whole concept of ‘get onboard’ for the festival, so developed this unique app which is a must for every visitor.” The app is available for free from the Apple App Store and from the Google Play Android store. The app will be updated and improved as new information becomes available so please check for updates during the festival. NUI Galway is also the official education partner of Volvo Ocean Race Galway’s volunteering programme, and will bring its considerable experience in the field of volunteering and community engagement to the event to recruit the ‘small army’ of volunteers needed to support the overall festival. NUI Galway Quadrangle Relocated to the Global Village NUI Galway has also created a partial replica of its iconic Quadrangle building, which will be a feature of the Global Village at the Volvo Ocean Race. The Global Village is a free exhibition arena, open for the duration of the festival, located in South Park. The NUI Galway pavilion will be a central attraction, recreating a sense of the University’s iconic Quadrangle building, which dates back to 1845. Inside, the NUI Galway pavilion will look to the future, with interactive demonstrations and exhibitions showcasing the cutting-edge innovation and research for which the University has a world-wide reputation. “This is the largest sporting event in Ireland this year, and a wonderful opportunity to promote all that is great about Galway”, said NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne. “The event had almost 100,000 visitors to the City last time round, over half of whom came from abroad, with significant international media reach also. Our whole-hearted involvement, in the volunteering aspects of this event and in the exhibitions, is a reflection of the importance of reaching such a world-wide audience.” The NUI Galway pavilion will feature four zones and an ideas lab, highlights will include: Ideas Lab: This self-contained room within the pavilion will feature a daily 3D Tour of the Universe at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Also a series of short talks will cover: Goal-line Technology; Wind and Ocean Energy; Car Technology; Breast Cancer Detection Techniques; Smartphone Technology; and Computer Modelling of Coastal Waters. Exploration Zone: Interactive demos and exhibitions including footage from underwater expeditions, marine creatures in touch tanks, a fun seaweed exploration station and a display of oceanographic equipment. Innovation Zone: Exhibits and displays on the latest Medical Technologies; Information Technology; Energy and the Environment; and Engineering the Future. Creativity Zone: Fun creativity exhibits including film sets and films from the Huston Film School; archive exhibits and drama. Go Global Zone: Try the Global Business Simulation Game; Navigate your way around our Interactive Volvo Ocean Race map; see fun Business and Law exhibits; Explore our 3D Campus Map simulator and more. Activities also include an Alumni Family Day to which all NUI Galway graduates are invited on 8 July. Innovation and Marine Pavilions NUI Galway will also have a presence in the Innovation and Marine Pillars at the Global Village, while a separate Speaker Session pavilion in the Global Village will feature some of NUI Galway’s experts. The Innovation Hub will feature the ‘Computer and Communications Museum of Ireland’ which is being re-located from DERI at NUI Galway to the Global Village. This unique science heritage facility tells the fascinating story of key moments in the development of communications and computing technology from ancient hieroglyphics to today’s Internet. The array of electronic artefacts on display includes such iconic computers as the DEC PDP11, Apple II, Macintosh, IBM PC, ZX81 & Commodore Vic-20. There are also exhibits dedicated to Youth & Innovation, Women in Technology, Radio, Irish Computing & a vintage video games section that  includes the legendary ‘Pacman’, ‘Space Invaders’ and ‘Asteroids’. The hub will also have an array of science and engineering activities that should appeal to all ages including K’nex modelling, CoderDojo workshops and the local 091Labs electronic makers club. It will also be a starting point for the Galway Simon Treasure Hunt.  In addition, the Inmarsat Film Lecture in association with NUI Galway’s Huston School of Film & Digital Media takes place on Thursday, 5 July in the Galway Race Village, and will present a unique sense of what is required of an extreme sports reporter onboard a multi-million dollar round the world racing yacht. Find out more about the University’s involvement at http://www.nuigalway.ie/volvo-ocean-race-2012/ -ends-   Seolann DERI in OÉ Gaillimh Aip Oifigiúil Fhéile Rás Aigéin Volvo na Gaillimhe  Fad is a bheidh an Chearnóg á hathlonnú ar feadh 9 lá na féile   Tá Aip oifigiúil Fhéile Rás Aigéin Volvo na Gaillimhe ar fáil anois le híoslódáil. Tá an aip seo saor in aisce agus beidh sé thar a bheith úsáideach do chuairteoirí a bheidh i nGaillimh don fhéile a thosóidh an 30 Meitheamh. Tá léarscáileanna, clár iomlán na féile agus neart eolais faoi chathair na Gaillimhe ar fáil ann. Foireann saineolaithe atá lonnaithe san Institiúid Taighde um Fhiontraíocht Dhigiteach (DERI) in OÉ Gaillimh a chruthaigh an aip. Tá cuid de theicneolaíochtaí taighde DERI ar an aip seo chomh maith; tugann ‘Connect and Chat’ deis d’úsáideoirí ceangal le húsáideoirí eile na haipe agus comhrá a dhéanamh leo, tugann ‘Galway Compass’ eolas d’úsáideoirí ar na hionaid ina bhfuil seirbhísí agus áiseanna tábhachtacha i ngar dóibh, déanann ‘Tweet Cliques’ anailís ar a bhfuil ag tarlú i ndomhan Twitter agus taispeánann sé na tuíteanna is ábhartha a bhaineann leis an bhféile don úsáideoir. Ina theannta sin, tá liosta de na ceamaraí beo gréasáin atá ar fud na Gaillimhe san aip agus bíonn an t-úsáideoir in ann eolas a bheith acu cén áit a bhfuil gnóthach ar fud na cathrach agus na nduganna. Táthar ag súil leis na mílte cuairteoir ag an bhféile naoi lá, agus tabharfaidh an aip deis do dhaoine an méid is mó a dhéanamh den fhéile, agus iad ag seiceáil céard atá ar siúl ag a gcuid cairde agus ceangal a dhéanamh le grúpaí eile. Deir an tOllamh Manfred Hauswirth, Leas-Stiúrthóir DERI: “Léiríonn an aip seo ról ceannródaíoch DERI i gcórais chibear-fhisiciúla. Le cúnamh ó theicneolaíocht DERI tá ionchur réadach braiteora éasca le húsáid in aon fheidhmchlár.” Tá os cionn 140 taighdeoir ag obair le DERI agus tá sí ar an institiúid eolaíocht ghréasáin is mó ar domhan, ach bhí an-áthas orthu a bheith bainteach leis an tionscadal áitiúil seo mar a mhíníonn an tOllamh Hauswirth:  “Bhíomar go láidir taobh thiar den mhanna ‘tar ar bord’ don fhéile, agus d’fhorbraíomar an aip uathúil seo agus beidh gach cuairteoir ag iarraidh go mbeidh sí acu.” Tá an aip ar fáil saor in aisce ón Apple App Store agus ón Google Play Android Store. Déanfar an aip a nuashonrú agus a fheabhsú de réir mar a thagann eolas nua chugainn, bí ag faire amach do na nuashonrúcháin seo le linn na féile. Is í OÉ Gaillimh an comhpháirtí oifigiúil oideachais do chlár oibrithe deonacha Rás Aigéin Volvo, agus roinnfidh sí a taithí ar leith ó thaobh imeachtaí deonacha agus rannpháirtíocht pobail de chun oibrithe deonacha a earcú chun tacú leis an bhféile trí chéile. Cearnóg OÉ Gaillimh á hAthlonnú chuig an Sráidbhaile Domhanda Tá páirt-mhacasamhail cruthaithe ag OÉ Gaillimh d’fhoirgneamh cáiliúil na Cearnóige, agus beidh sé le feiceáil sa Sráidbhaile Domhanda ag Rás Aigéin Volvo. Is áit taispeántais saor in aisce atá sa Sráidbhaile Domhanda, agus beidh sé oscailte fad is a bheidh Féile Rás Aigéin Volvo ar siúl. Tá sé suite ar an bPáirc Theas. Beidh puball OÉ Gaillimh i lár an aonaigh, agus foirgneamh íocónach na hOllscoille, An Chearnóg, mar chroílár den taispeántas, foirgneamh a tógadh i 1845. Laistigh de phuball OÉ Gaillimh beifear ag breathnú ar an todhchaí, agus beidh cur i láthair agus taispeántais idirghníomhacha ar siúl ag léiriú nuálaíocht agus taighde ceannródaíoch a bhfuil cáil idirnáisiúnta bainte amach ag an Ollscoil ina leith. “Is é seo an imeacht spóirt is mó in Éirinn i mbliana, agus is deis iontach atá ann gach a bhfuil go maith faoi Ghaillimh a chur chun cinn”, a deir Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne. “Tháinig beagnach 100,000 cuairteoir chun na Cathrach an uair dheiridh a raibh Rás Aigéin Volvo anseo, bhí os cionn leath acu sin a tháinig as thar lear, agus bhí go leor de na meáin idirnáisiúnta anseo chomh maith. Léiríonn an rannpháirtíocht ollmhór atá againn sna gnéithe deonacha den imeacht agus sna taispeántais, an tábhacht a bhaineann le dul i gcion ar an lucht féachana domhanda a bheidh againn.” Beidh ceithre zón i bpuball OÉ Gaillimh chomh maith le saotharlann na smaointe, áit a mbeidh: Saotharlann na Smaointe:  Seomra as féin sa phuball é seo áit a mbeidh an seó 3D View of the Universe ar siúl gach lá ag 11am, 1pm, 3pm agus 5pm.  Beidh sraith cainteanna gearra ar siúl a bhaineann le: Teicneolaíocht Chúl-líne; Fuinneamh Gaoithe agus Aigéin; Teicneolaíocht Carranna; Teicnící chun Ailse Brollaigh a aimsiú; Teicneolaíocht an Fhóin Chliste; agus Múnlú Ríomhaireachta ar Uiscí an Chósta. An Zón Taiscéalaíochta: Beidh taispeántais idirghníomhacha ar siúl anseo lena n-áirítear, píosaí scannáin ó thurais faoi uisce; ainmhithe mara agus a gcuid tancanna; stáisiún feamainne; taispeántas ar threalamh aigéaneolaíochta. An Zón Nuálaíochta: Beidh taispeántais anseo ar na Teicneolaíochtaí Leighis is nuaí; Teicneolaíocht na Faisnéise; Fuinneamh agus Comhshaol; agus Innealtóireacht na Todhchaí. An Zón Cruthaitheachta: Beidh taispeántais chruthaitheacha, spraíúla anseo lena n-áirítear seiteanna scannáin agus scannáin ó Scoil Scannáin Huston; taispeántais agus drámaí ón gcartlann. An Zón Domhanda: Bain triail as an gCluiche Domhanda Dearbhshamhlach Gnó; Déan do bhealach thart ar an léarscáil Idirghníomhach de Rás Aigéin Volvo; féach ar thaispeántais mhaithe a bhaineann le Gnó agus le Dlí; Bain sult as an dearbhshamhail de Léarscáil 3D an Champais agus neart eile nach hiad. Beidh Lá Teaghlaigh an Alumni ar siúl an 8 Iúil, agus tá cuireadh ag gach céimí de chuid OÉ Gaillimh a bheith i láthair. An Puball Nuálaíochta, Mara agus Glas Beidh OÉ Gaillimh i láthair i gColún na Nuálaíochta agus i gColún na Mara sa Sráidbhaile Domhanda, agus chomh maith leis sin beidh saineolaithe as OÉ Gaillimh le cloisteáil i bpuball na gCainteoirí atá lonnaithe sa Sráidbhaile Domhanda. Beidh Músaem Ríomhairí agus Cumarsáide na hÉireann á aistriú ó DERI in OÉ Gaillimh chuig an Mol Nuálaíochta sa Sráidbhaile Domhanda. Is áis oidhreachta eolaíochta í seo ina bhfeictear an t-iontas a bhaineann le forbairt na teicneolaíochta cumarsáide agus ríomhaireachta ag dul siar go dtí iairiglifí seanda ar aghaidh go dtí Idirlíon an lae inniu. I measc na nithe leictreonacha ar taispeáint tá ríomhairí íocónacha cosúil leis an DEC PDP11, Apple II, Macintosh, IBM PC, ZX81 & Commodore Vic-20. Tá taispeántais ann chomh maith dírithe ar an Óige & an Nuálaíocht, Mná sa Teicneolaíocht, Raidió, Ríomhaireacht Éireannach & limistéar dírithe ar sheanchluichí físeáin lena n-áirítear ‘Pacman’, ‘Space Invaders’ agus ‘Asteroids’. Beidh réimse gníomhaíochtaí eolaíochta agus innealtóireachta ar siúl sa mhol chomh maith a mbainfidh daoine as gach aoisghrúpa tairbhe astu. Ina measc beidh múnlú K’nex, ceardlanna CoderDojo agus club áitiúil na ndéantóirí leictreonacha 091Labs. Is sa mhol a chuirfear tús chomh maith le Tóraíocht Taisce Chlann Shíomóin na Gaillimhe.  Chomh maith leis sin beidh Léacht Scannán Inmarsat i gcomhar le Scoil Scannán & Meán Digiteach Huston OÉ Gaillimh ar siúl Déardaoin, an 5 Iúil i Sráidbhaile an Rása, áit a dtabharfar léargas ar a bhfuil i gceist le bheith i do thuairisceoir spórt guaisbheartaíochta ar bord luamh rásaíochta ar fiú na milliúin dollar é. Faigh tuilleadh eolais faoi rannpháirtíocht na hOllscoile ag http://www.nuigalway.ie/volvo-ocean-race-2012/   -críoch-

Financial Crisis: International and National Perspectives Today at NUI Galway (Thursday, 28 June) Irish Minister for Finance Michael Noonan TD, and Canadian Minister for Finance Jim Flaherty MP, addressed a forum entitled ‘Financial Crisis: International and National Perspectives’. The forum was also addressed by Dr Alan Ahearne of NUI Galway and moderated by Professor John McHale. The event coincides with the awarding of an honorary degree on Minster Flaherty on Friday, 29 June, as well as a meeting of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council on campus. This event is being held at a critical time in the financial crisis in Europe, with markets focused on new proposals for a revamped eurozone to be discussed at the EU Summit in Brussels. This forum brings expert opinion into the public domain on where the global financial system and the euro currently stand and on what it all means for the Irish economy.  The event also marks the establishment of the Centre for the Study of Irish Economic Policy at NUI Galway. On speaking about the crisis in the euro and implications for the Irish economy, Dr Ahearne, Director of the new Centre said: “The US is a proper fully-fledged monetary union, as is Canada. But the eurozone is not; it is a collection of distinct sovereign political and financial systems that share a common currency and a crucial underlying cause of the crisis in the euro is the lack a banking union in Europe, which has resulted in a toxic interrelationship between State finances and the banking sector.” Dr Ahearne added: "EU leaders need to put an end to this terrible game of dominos that has gone from Greece to Ireland to Portugal to Spain and this week to Cyprus. The euro area as a whole is currently solvent, but unless growth resumes then the euro area is heading toward insolvency." Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan TD: “The Centre for the Study of Irish Economic Policy at NUI Galway is very welcome addition to the Irish academic landscape and I have no doubt that the Centre will play an important role in informing the policy debate in key policy areas for Ireland. The Irish Economy has returned to growth in 2011 with continued growth forecast for 2012, our public finances are under control and our banks are recapitalized and restructured to focus on lending into the real economy. The financial crisis has severely impacted on Ireland and the Irish people have made huge sacrifices to bring our public finances under control and return the economy to growth. We must continue to take the necessary steps to position the economy so that we can take advantage of global recovery as it emerges.” The Minister added: “However, significant challenges remain and the ongoing uncertainty in the eurozone is weighing heavily on Ireland’s economic recovery. Decisive action is needed to solve the current crisis and to restore stability and investor confidence in Europe.” Speaking on the Irish economy, Dr Ahearne, said: “The Government is right to argue that not all the proceeds from the sale of state assets should go to paying down debt. A judicious use of some of these proceeds to incentivise private investment in certain sectors and regions of the country will help boost the domestic economy.” In his remarks, Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty noted Ireland and Canada share the same constituency at the IMF and World Bank so the two countries work together closely and look forward to continuing to do so. He highlighted Canada's record and the long term Economic Action Plan it continues to implement to create jobs, growth and long term prosperity. He noted, however, that Canada is part of the world economy, and many obstacles to global recovery remain. “I am convinced that the countries of the eurozone understand fully the kind of measures that need to be taken, and I urge them to adopt these as quickly as possible,” he said. “In spite of serious challenges, however, I believe that, given the political will, the necessary decisions will be made, the major difficulties will be resolved and the global recovery will strengthen.” ENDS

A new diagnostic DNA test has been developed by a team at the National University of Ireland Galway to help in the global effort to control tuberculosis (TB). The rapid laboratory test allows for the identification of the exact bacteria causing a patient’s TB which will give valuable information for their treatment. According to World Health Organisation data, tuberculosis (TB) is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide due to a single infectious agent. In 2010, 8.8 million people fell ill with TB and 1.4 million died from TB, with over 95% of cases and deaths in developing countries. In humans, TB is caused by a group of eight bacteria collectively known as the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC). National University of Ireland Galway’s Molecular Diagnostics Research Group has developed and validated a new assay or laboratory test called SeekTB to identify all members of the MTC. Dr Thomas Barry at the University, along with his colleagues Dr Justin O’Grady and Dr Kate Reddington, realised there was a need to rapidly and accurately detect and identify each member of the MTC for better treatment of TB. “The optimal patient treatment can be different, depending which of the eight bacteria are causing the TB, as some of these bacteria are naturally resistant to a commonly used anti-TB drugs”, explains Dr Barry. The new test, called SeekTB, could also prove useful to centralised clinical reference labs for the purposes of tracking and conducting epidemiological studies on the various mycobacterium species comprising the complex. “Identifying the specific member of the MTC is currently not routinely performed in testing laboratories and therefore it is unknown what the true impact each member of the MTC has on the global TB epidemic,” says Dr Barry, who lectures in Microbiology at National University of Ireland Galway. The advance in what is a global battle against TB, is the result of international co-operation. The novel technology was initially validated by testing a large number of previously isolated MTC bacteria provided by Professor Dick van Soolingen,  Bilthoven in the Netherlands and Dr Stefan Niemann, Borstel in Germany. Subsequently, through collaborations with Professor Alimuddin Zumla and Dr Matthew Bates at University College London, SeekTB was used to successfully analyse patient samples from Lusaka in Zambia to demonstrate the technology’s suitability. The results of this analysis demonstrated the rapidity, the test only takes 1.5-3 hours to perform, validity and robustness of SeekTB. In its current format, SeekTB is likely to be predominantly used in central testing laboratories, in Africa for example, on culture positive TB patient samples to guide appropriate treatment and control measures. “Ideally, in the future, SeekTB could be used directly on patient samples with the test configured onto a handheld machine for use at point-of-care in resource poor settings. This could be a huge benefit to medical care provision in remote areas, however, it will likely take years of research and development to achieve such a goal,” concluded Dr Barry who acknowledged National University of Ireland Galway and the Thomas Crawford Hayes award for funding this work. The research has recently been published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology and PLoS ONE. -ends-

Four outstanding individuals were conferred with honorary degrees from NUI Galway today (Friday, 29 June). Those honoured were playwright and novelist, Sebastian Barry; The New York Times opinion columnist, Maureen Dowd; Executive Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company, Irial Finan; and Canadian Finance Minister,  Jim Flaherty MP. Speaking on the announcement, NUI Galway President, Dr Jim Browne said:  “NUI Galway is fortunate to be associated with many outstanding honorary graduates throughout its history and those being honoured this year form a particularly distinguished group. Each one has made an outstanding and distinctive contribution to the diverse fields of literature, journalism, business, public administration and government. NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to recognise these exceptional individuals.” Sebastian Barry was conferred with a Degree of Doctor of Literature (honoris causa). Born in Dublin in 1955, he began to write in 1977, publishing a number of books of fiction and poetry, and in 1986 became increasingly involved in theatre work. He published a novel The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty (1998), followed by Annie Dunne (2002) and then two Man Booker Prize shortlisted books – A Long Long Way (2005) and The Secret Scripture (2008). The latter earned him the Costa Book of the Year award, the Independent Booksellers’ Prize, and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, among others. Barry’s most recent novel, On Canaan’s Side, was also longlisted for the Booker, and shortlisted for the Walter Scott Prize, the Irish Book Awards and the Galaxy International Author of the Year. He has written twelve plays, among them the award-winning The Steward of Christendom (1995), Our Lady of Sligo (1998), and The Pride of Parnell Street (2007). He won the Ireland Fund Literary Award in 1997. He has been Writer in Association at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin and was Heimbold Visiting Professor at Villanova University in 2006. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of East Anglia in 2010, and was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. His work is translated into more than thirty-five languages. Maureen Dowd was conferred with a Degree of Doctor of Literature (honoris causa). She is a 1999 Pulitzer Prize winner, in the commentary category, for her “unsparing columns on the hypocrisies involved in the Lewinsky affair and the effort to impeach President Clinton”. She was appointed a columnist of The New York Times’s Op-Ed page in January 1995 (where she joined in 1983). Previously, she served as a correspondent in its Washington bureau since August 1986. There, she covered two Presidential campaigns and served as White House correspondent, gaining a wide following of admirers and imitators for her witty, incisive and acerbic portraits of the powerful. She also wrote a column, "On Washington”, for The New York Times Magazine. She began her career in 1974 as an editorial assistant for the Washington Star where she later became a sports columnist, metropolitan reporter, and feature writer. A Pulitzer Prize finalist for national reporting in 1992, Ms Dowd received the Breakthrough Award from ‘Women, Men and Media’ at Columbia University in 1991 and a Matrix Award from New York Women in Communications in 1994. She was named one of Glamour’s Women of the Year for 1996 and won the Damon Runyon award in 2000 for outstanding contributions to journalism. Dowd is the author of two bestselling books Bushworld:  Enter at Your Own Risk (2004) and Are Men Necessary? When Sexes Collide (2005) Born in Washington, D.C., on 14 January, 1952, Miss Dowd received a BA degree in English from Catholic University (Washington) in 1973. Irian Finan was conferred with a Degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa). He is Executive Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company and President of Bottling Investments responsible for managing a multi-billion dollar bottling business, Bottling Investments Group (BIG), which has operations on four continents (South America, Europe, Africa and Asia), with revenues of over $8 billion and employs over 85,000 people. Additionally, he is responsible for stewarding The Company’s Equity Investments and leading Global Supply Chain. Irial has over 29 years experience in The Coca-Cola System. From 2001 to 2003, he served as Chief Executive Officer of Coca-Cola HBC, during which time he managed the merger integration of Coca-Cola Beverages plc and Hellenic Bottling SA, and led the combined company's operations in 26 countries. Irial joined the Coca-Cola Company in 2004 as President, Bottling Investments and Supply Chain and was named Executive Vice President of the Company in October 2004. From 1995 to 1999, he was managing director of Molino Beverages, with responsibility for expanding markets, including the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Romania, Moldova, Russia and Nigeria. Prior to that role, Irial worked in several markets across Europe. From 1991 to 1993 he served as managing director of Coca-Cola Bottlers Ulster, Ltd., based in Belfast. He was finance director, Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland, Ltd., based in Dublin from 1984 to 1990. Irial serves on the board of directors of Coca-Cola FEMSA, Coca-Cola HBC, Coca-Cola Central Japan, the Supervisory Board of CCE AG (Germany), Smurfit Kappa Group, and the American Ireland Fund. He also serves as a non-executive director for Co-operation Ireland and NUI Galway Foundation. Irial holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from NUI Galway and is an Associate (later Fellow) of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants. Minister Jim Flaherty MP was conferred with a Degree of Doctor of Laws (honoris causa). He is a third-term Member of Parliament for Whitby–Oshawa (Ontario). He serves as Canada’s Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the Greater Toronto Area. He is a Governor of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. As Minister of Finance he is an ex-officio member of all Cabinet Committees. Minister Flaherty was recently awarded Euromoney Magazine’s Finance Minister of the Year award. Euromoney credited him with enhancing Canada’s reputation for sound fiscal policy while taking full account of social justice and overseeing a strong regulatory regime that has kept the financial sector out of chaos. He has also been described as a pillar in both the G-7 and the G-20. In 2010, Minister Flaherty was chair of the G-7 Finance Ministers and chair of the annual Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting. Previously, for more than 10 years, he served as the Member of Provincial Parliament for Whitby–Ajax (Ontario). He served as Deputy Premier and Minister of Finance, Attorney General and Minister of Labour. He graduated from Princeton University cum laude and then graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the Bar in Ontario with honours and practised law for more than 20 years before being elected to public office. These four graduands join the ranks of previous honorary alumni which include, among many others, Nelson Mandela, Hilary Clinton, Christy O’Connor Snr and Jnr, Enya, Anjelica Huston, Fionnuala Flanagan and Margaret Atwood. For more information and a video on the Honorary Conferrings click -ends-