PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

The manner in which universities operate has changed significantly in the past decade. Responding to the resulting challenges requires the extension and upgrading of the environment in which teaching, learning and research take place. In May 2006, the Governing Authority of NUI Galway authorised a visionary capital development programme to address these challenges and deliver on priority areas under its Strategic Plan. The developments are designed to address a serious deficit in the physical resource provision on a campus which catered for some 11,000 students in 2000, and currently is home to 15,000 students. The programme, amounting to some €400 million, will be financed by University resources and a combination of government and private, philanthropic funding.

This presentation outlines a vision of that campus of the future. It highlights planned new buildings and their probable locations, as well as proposed enhancements of current facilities. It indicates, in broad terms, how the University wishes to re-integrate the river with the campus buildings and roadways, and how the University will deal with issues such as mobility management. What is presented here is a first look at the NUI Galway campus of the 21st Century. While many projects included here are already well underway, with the new Sports Centre set for completion in 2008, all other projects contained in this presentation will be subject to wide consultation with members of the University community and external stakeholders, and will also, of course, be subject to the rigours of the planning process. The University also intends to engage in an extensive master-planning exercise.

Overall, we are outlining both the nature and scale of the ambitious plans of the University, informed by a belief which demands the highest standards of physical infrastructure to support the excellence in teaching and research which is the hallmark of a leading university. NUI Galway is committed to enhancing its physical infrastructure, while at the same time preserving and nurturing all that is excellent in the current campus. Accordingly, infrastructural development will take place in a way that allows us to harmonise the natural and built environments, preserving – and where possible adding to - existing walkways and open spaces, thereby creating an amenity which will be of enormous benefit not only to our own students and staff, but also to the broader community of the city and region.

Please enjoy this first look into the – not so distant – future!

James J. Browne Ph.D., D.Sc., MRIA, C.Eng

President

• Disclaimer
• Privacy
• Copyright
• Accessibility