Industry Engagement
Knowledge Transfer
Bridging into the area of 'knowledge transfer' various industry open days are important outreach events for NUI Galway. Launch and networking events attract a large number of local and national industry representatives.
The RI actively supports industry-academic engagement, through visits and exchanges and network participation. Most recently, the RI has become a key member of the Galway County Council led Galway Renewable Energy Enterprise Network (GREEN).
Insight holds a series of seminars throughout the year on web technology research for the benefit of the business sector.
Primary Engagement
Under the Microscope is a primary school microscopy outreach pilot programme, funded by EXPLORE, NUI Galway, and supported by the Royal Microscopy Society (RMS) and Anatomy, School of Medicine, NUI Galway. This programme aims to promote and explore core Science, Technology, Engineering, & Maths skills for children between the ages of 5-12. The RMS have kindly provided Microscope Activity Kits (MAKs) free of charge and for the first time to Irish primary schools, in the hopes that young children can be encouraged to develop skills key to the science curriculum and experience scientific activities in a fun and educational environment.
These skills might include planning and design of experiments, maths, and team building activities which will focus on the four core curriculum strands. This outreach scheme is well established in the UK. It is our aim, that this pilot programme will provide the basis for advertising the benefits of such a scheme, so that within the next few years it will be established in Irish primary schools nationally.
Please contact Dr. Kerry Thompson or Dr. Alanna Stanley for more information.
Curriculum Development
Insight designs projects to enthuse and to teach young people on how Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics can change the world for the better is a key objective of Insight. The centre operates an extensive Outreach programme for primary and post-post primary schools across Ireland involving computer coding courses, local heritage digital archiving activities, mobile apps workshops and inter-school science debates. Personnel from the institute also give talks to young people on such topics as the importance of Innovation, Internet Safety and Cyberbullying Awareness, and on the exciting career opportunities being presented in our ever-changing world.
AO’s Primary School Outreach Programmes are tailored to the curriculum concentrating on Optics and Light. The programmes may be delivered in the schools or on site at the AO Research Centre.
Interactive Workshops
RI have developed a series of interactive workshops aimed at promoting positive environmental awareness and support through the SESE curriculum.
REMEDI's Primary School Outreach Programme is called 'ReadySetBio!'. The road show, sponsored by Discover Science & Engineering, made stops in Counties Clare, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Leitrim during National Science Week in November engaging more than 300 young people. Past themes include, “Science- Shaping Our World.”
Engineer’s Week
At the Engineer's Week, NUI Galway staff and students from Information Technology, along with other disciplines of the College of Engineering and Informatics host a day long event, attracting over 120 Galway primary school pupils. The event offers primary school students the opportunity to interact with and see demonstrations of practical applications in all branches of engineering, including Information Technology.
The Engineers Week is part of an annual national initiative to spark awareness and enthusiasm about the engineering profession to people of various ages with little or no engineering background. As part of the Information Technology's presentations a challenge was posed to the primary school pupils to solve a mathematical clue to determine how many sweets were in a jar.