September 2016 NUI Galway’s Leap into Top 250 Continues Upward Trajectory in Global Rankings

NUI Galway has continued its rise in the QS World University Ranking 2016/2017, climbing 22 places to 249 in the world. This is the fourth consecutive year in which NUI Galway has risen in the popular annual league table.

From over 4,300 institutions considered for inclusion, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) topped the table, followed by Harvard.

The President of NUI Galway, Dr Jim Browne, commented on the success: “Our continued rise in world university rankings reflects the ambition, hard work and creativity of our staff and students.  This year marks the conclusion of the major 10-year capital development programme which has transformed the NUI Galway campus, almost doubling the amount of teaching and research space.

“The high calibre of our research and teaching is facilitating collaboration with the likes of Mayo Clinic, Tsinghua University and an array of industry partners, while advancing the international reach of our university.  Meanwhile, international student numbers are increasing, numbering over 3,000 for the first time ever, while overall student numbers are now over 18,000.

“While no ranking system can truly measure the worth of a university, as students return to campus this week we begin the academic year pleased to know that our strengths are being acknowledged in this way.” 

NUI Galway Highlights of the 2015/2016 academic year:

Research Impact

• In 2015 NUI Galway outperformed other Irish universities by securing the highest amount of funding during the first nine months of the EU’s Horizon 2020 funding programme. Major Horizon 2020 projects include the €4.8 million ROCSAFE project which will develop robotics and intelligent reasoning to gather forensic evidence.
• In May 2016, NUI Galway and the Gate Theatre announced a partnership to digitise the Gates’s archive, a major resource of theatre scholars and artists internationally.
• In June 2016 a team of biomedical researchers at NUI Galway developed synchronised beating heart cells from skin cells, with the aim of tackling inherited cardiac conditions in young people.

Teaching

• Four NUI Galway Professors were ranked among the ‘World’s Influential Scientific Minds:2015’ compiled by Thompson Reuters.
• In November 2015, the official incorporation of Shannon College of Hotel Management with NUI Galway was marked.
• A major investment by NUI Galway in clinical training across the West/North West region saw new Medical Academies coming on stream in Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.
• Dr Michel Dugon, Zoology, and Dr Karen Doyle, Physiology, were presented with national Teaching Awards from the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.

Campus Developments

• In September 2015, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD officially launched the €25 million HRB Clinical Research Facility and Lambe Institute for Translational Research. Situated on the grounds of University Hospital Galway, the €25 million facility represents the nexus of research and its translation into the clinical setting.
• In November 2015, the Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS) for the applied social sciences was launched. It is the largest of its kind in Europe with 150 staff.

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Ardú Suntasach déanta ag OÉ Gaillimh sa 250 Ollscoil is fearr i Ranguithe an Domhain

Tá OÉ Gaillimh fós ag dul ó neart go neart i Ranguithe Ollscoileanna Bliantúla an Domhain QS 2016/2017. D'éirigh leis an Ollscoil dreapadh 22 áit chuig an 249ú háit ar domhan. Is í seo an ceathrú bliain as a chéile a ndearna OÉ Gaillimh dul chun cinn sa tábla sraithe bliantúil a bhfuil an-tóir air.

Bhí os cionn 4,300 institiúid istigh ar an tábla ach ba í an Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) a bhain amach barr na sraithe agus tá Harvard sa dara háit.

Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an Dr Jim Browne, faoin dea-scéala: “Léiríonn an dul chun cinn i ranguithe ollscoileanna an domhain uaillmhian, dúthracht agus cruthaitheacht ár gcomhaltaí foirne agus ár mac léinn.  Tháinig críoch i mbliana lenár gclár forbartha caipitil deich mbliana a bhfuil athrú ó bhonn déanta aige ar champas OÉ Gaillimh. Tá beagnach dúbailt an spás teagaisc agus taighde againn anois.

“Murach ardchaighdeán an taighde agus an teagaisc ní bheimis in ann comhoibriú le leithéidí an Mayo Clinic, Ollscoil Tsinghua agus go leor compháirithe tionscail, agus ag an am céanna cur le cáil idirnáisiúnta na hollscoile.  Tá líon na mac léinn idirnáisiúnta ag dul i méid agus os cionn 3,000 againn den chéad uair riamh agus tá líon iomlán na mac léinn os cionn 18,000 anois.

“Cé nach féidir le córas rangaithe ar bith luach ollscoile a mheas, tá áthas orainn go bhfuil aitheantas tugtha dár láidreachtaí ar an gcaoi seo agus na mic léinn ag filleadh ar an gcampas an tseachtain seo.” 

Éachtaí OÉ Gaillimh i mbliain acadúil 2015/2016:

Tionchar Taighde

• Sa bhliain 2015, d’éirigh níos fearr le OÉ Gaillimh ná ollscoileanna eile na hÉireann mar gur ghnóthaigh sí an méid is mó maoiniúcháin sna chéad naoi mí de chlár an AE, Deiseanna Nua 2020. I measc na dtograí móra chlár 2020 tá an togra ROCSAFE ar fiú €4.8 milliún é a fhorbróidh róbataic agus réasúnú cliste chun fianaise fhóiréinseach a bhailiú.
• I mí Bealtaine 2016, d’fhógair OÉ Gaillimh agus Amharclann an Gate comhpháirtíocht eatarthu chun cartlann an Gate a dhigitiú, acmhainn ollmhór do scoláirí amharclannaíochta agus d’ealaíontóirí ar fud an domhain.
• I mí an Mheithimh 2016 d'fhorbair foireann taighdeoirí bithleighis in OÉ Gaillimh cealla croí a bhíonn ar aon bhuille ag úsáid gaschealla spreagtha, chun déileáil le riochtaí cairduacga a bhíonn i ndaoine óga ón mbroinn.

Teagasc

• Ainmníodh ceathrar Ollúna as OÉ Gaillimh i measc na nIntinní Eolaíochta is Tábhachtaí ar Domhan: 2015 Thompson Reuters.
• I mí na Samhna 2015, rinneadh comóradh ar ionchorprú oifigiúil Choláiste Ósta na Sionna le OÉ Gaillimh.
• Rinne OÉ Gaillimh infheistíocht ollmhór in oiliúint chliniciúil i réigiún an Iarthair/Iarthuaiscirt agus bunaíodh Acadamh nua Leighis i gcaitheamh na bliana i Maigh Eo, i Sligeach agus i nDún na nGall.
• Bhronn an Fóram Náisiúnta um Theagasc agus Foghlaim a Fheabhsú san Ardoideachas Gradaim Náisiúnta Teagaisc ar an Dr Michel Dugon, Roinn na Míoleolaíochta agus ar an Dr Karen Doyle, Roinn na Fiseolaíochta.

Forbairtí ar an gCampas

• I Meán Fómhair 2015, rinne an Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD Áis Taighde Chliniciúil HRB ar fiú €25 milliún é agus Institiúid Lambe don Taighde Aistritheach a sheoladh go hoifigiúil. Tá an áis suite ar thailte Ospidéal na hOllscoile, Gaillimh, agus ag feidhmiú mar nasc idir taighde agus a chur i bhfeidhm i suíomh cliniciúil.
• I mí na Samhna 2015, seoladh Institiúid Cúrsa Saoil agus Sochaí (ILAS) do na heolaíochtaí sóisialta feidhmeacha. Is é seo an institiúid is mó dá leithéid san Eoraip agus tá 150 duine ag obair inti.

  -críoch-