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OllscÉala - DECEMBER 2010

President's Message - Focal ó Uachtarán (Leagan Gaeilge)

Agus 2010 ag teacht chun críche, ba mhaith liom súil a chaitheamh siar ar bhliain a bhí dúshlánach ar chéad bhealach. Tá deacrachtaí eacnamaíochta na hÉireann ag luí go trom ar an gciste poiblí, agus tá tionchar aige sin orainne, lucht an ardoideachais, amhail gach earnáil eile.

I have been heartened this year by the efforts of academic and support staff to cope with the impact of budget and staffing cuts, the recruitment moratorium and the ban on promotions. I appreciate your flexibility and initiative in responding positively to the current situation.

Successes of 2010

Despite these challenges we have enjoyed many successes this year. Some of these highlights are detailed below:

PRTLI: In July, NUI Galway secured almost €60 million for capital and research programmes in a strong endorsement of our activities and our approach to inter-institutional and industry collaboration. I'd like to pay tribute to all those involved in the PRTLI bid, from all areas right across the University - well done!

Capital Developments: Construction commenced on a number of new projects, notably: the Arts Humanities & Social Sciences Research Building; and the Biosciences Building. Work on these buildings has been temporarily disrupted, but we are optimistic that construction will resume shortly. Major construction continues on the Engineering Building which will be completed and ready for the next academic year.

Our Student Numbers: This year saw a record 18% increase in undergraduate applications. Our share of the undergraduate market, currently at 14.3%, is now increasing at a faster rate than that of all of the other Irish universities. The University continues to attract international students, and our growing international reputation, as evidenced in the recent rankings, will only serve to increase these numbers.

Strategic Alliances with University of Limerick and Georgia Tech: Our alliances with the University of Limerick and Georgia Tech continue to develop. Colleagues are working with UL on concrete actions in four areas of collaboration Academic Offerings & the Student Experience; Research & Knowledge Transfer; Regional & International Engagement; and Profession Services & Resource Optimization.

In mid-November, the University of Limerick and NUI Galway hosted the Irish Technology Leadership Group's annual 'Silicon Valley Comes to Ireland' event. As part of this series of events, we welcomed EU Commissioner Maire Geoghegan Quinn to campus and hosted a lecture by Dr Craig Barrett, former Intel CEO and Chairman, who addressed a capacity audience at NUI Galway on 16November. Craig Barrett called for increased public investment in research saying that 3% investment of Ireland’s GDP into research was not enough. The event was followed by a discussion panel led by Dr James Cunningham, CISC with contributions from John Ryan, Macrovision; Professor Patrick Cunningham, Ireland’s Chief Scientific Advisor; Tom McDermott, Georgia Tech Research Institute; Dr Martina Newell-McGloughlin, University of California; and Professor Terry Smith, Vice President of Research, NUI Galway.

Awards and Accolades: Among the many individual and institutional successes of recent months, are a NAIRTL Award for Dr Dagmar Stengel; ISS success in wining an Irish Web Award for the Best Education & Third Level website for NUI Galway; a Humboldt Research Fellowship for Dr Róisín Healy (History); successes for our students in the Undergraduate Awards of Ireland and Royal Irish Academy's Hamilton Award in Mathematics. These representative examples highlight the commitment of staff and students to the highest standards of research and teaching excellence. Congratulations to all involved.

Galway University Foundation

The US Board of Galway University Foundation held its 4^th Annual Gala Banquet on 17^th November as part of its mission to raise funds for NUI Galway's programmes and activities. This event honoured Galway graduate, Irial Finan, Executive Vice President, The Coca-Cola Company. Proceeds from the Gala Dinner will support the expansion of NUI Galway’s archives through the acquisition of new collections and the development of humanities programming for its newly built Arts, Humanities and Social Science Research Building.

Conferrings and Awards

Since the last issue of Ollsceala, over 5,500 students were awarded with degrees, diplomas or certificates during the Autumn and Winter conferrings. At the October conferrings honorary degrees were conferred on: Norman Morgan, historian, archivist, book collector, and community activist and Máirtín Ó Connor, renowned traditional musician. Ar an 26 Samhain, bronnadh Céim Oinigh Máistir Forbairt Tuaithe ar an Canónach Mícheál Ó Flannabhra mar aitheantas ar na héachtaí atá déanta aige le caoga bliain i bhforbairt tuaithe i gConamara, agus, san áireamh go háirithe, an obair a rinne sé leis an ollscolaíochta Ghaeilge a thabhairt chun na Gaeltachta.

I also had the pleasure of visiting St Angela’s College, Sligo to confer degrees at their ceremonies on 12^th November and to award an honorary MA to writer, Leland Bardwell, in recognition of her contribution to the arts and creative writing in Sligo.

As 2010 draws to a close, I’d like to thank all staff for their continuing hard work and commitment in what has been a highly successful year for this University. Our staff continue to provide excellent service to students and colleagues, despite growth in student numbers and a decline in staff numbers. I offer my renewed thanks to all of you for your continuing efforts.

May I wish each and every staff member a peaceful and happy Christmas and every good wish for 2011. Guím gach dea-ghuí don Nollaig agus don Bhliain Nua.

James J. Browne PhD, DSc, MRIA, C.Eng
Uachtarán – President

Focal ó Uachtarán

Agus sinn ag druidim le deireadh 2010, ba mhaith liom súil a chaitheamh siar ar bhliain a bhí dúshlánach go leor. Tá deacrachtaí eacnamaíochta na hÉireann ag luí go trom ar an gciste poiblí, agus tá tionchar aige sin orainne, lucht an ardoideachais, amhail gach earnáil eile.

Ba thógáil croí agam é i mbliana na hiarrachtaí a rinne an fhoireann acadúil agus an fhoireann tacaíochta le plé leis na ciorruithe buiséid agus foirne, leis an moratorium ar earcaíocht agus leis an gcosc ar ardú céime. Táim buíoch díbh as a sholúbtha a bhí sibh agus as an gcaoi ar thug sibh aghaidh go dearfach ar an gcaoi ina bhfuil cúrsaí faoi láthair.

Éachtaí 2010

Ainneoin na ndúshlán ar fad a bhí le sárú rinneadh go leor éachtaí i mbliana. Seo a leanas cuid acu:

PRTLI: I mí Iúil, d’éirigh le OÉ Gaillimh beagnach €60 milliún a mhealladh do chláir chaipitil agus thaighde. Léirigh sin go bhfuiltear ag seasamh lenár gcuid gníomhaíochtaí agus leis an gcur chuige atá againn i leith comhoibriú idir institiúidí agus earnáil na tionsclaíochta. Ba mhaith liom tréaslú le gach duine ar fud na hOllscoile a raibh baint acu leis an iarratas ar PRTLI – maith sibh!

Forbairtí Caipitil: Cuireadh tús leis an obair thógála ar thionscadail nua, na cinn seo a leanas go háirithe: an Foirgneamh Taighde sna Dána, sna Daonnachtaí agus sna hEolaíochtaí Sóisialta; agus Foirgneamh na mBitheolaíochtaí. Cuireadh isteach go sealadach ar an obair a bhí ar bun ar na foirgnimh sin, ach tá dóchas againn gur gearr go dtosófar ar an obair an athuair. Tá an obair mhór á déanamh ar Fhoirgneamh na hInnealtóireachta atá le críochnú faoin gcéad bhliain acadúil eile.

Líon na Mac Léinn: Tháinig méadú 18% ar líon na n-iarratas fochéime i mbliana. Tá an sciar atá againn den mhargadh fochéime, 14.3% faoi láthair, ag dul i méid níos sciobtha ná an sciar atá ag aon ollscoil eile in Éirinn. Tá an Ollscoil ag mealladh mac léinn idirnáisiúnta i gcónaí, agus méadóidh a líon sin chomh maith de réir mar a scaipfidh ár gclú ar fud an domhain, faoi mar a léirigh an rangú domhanda a bhain an ollscoil amach le gairid.

Comhfhiontair Straitéiseacha le hOllscoil Luimnigh agus Georgia Tech: Tá bláth ag teacht i gcónaí ar na comhfhiontair atá againn le hOllscoil Luimnigh agus leis an Georgia Tech. Tá comhghleacaithe linn ag oibriú le hOllscoil Luimnigh ar shainghníomhartha i gceithre réimse ina bhfuil an Ollscoil seo ag comhoibriú leo: Roghanna Acadúla agus Eispéireas na Mac Léinn; Taighde agus Aistriú Eolais; Rannpháirtíocht Réigiúnach agus Idirnáisiúnta; agus Seirbhísí Gairme agus Optamúcmhainní.

I lár mhí na Samhna, thionóil Ollscoil Luimnigh agus OÉ Gaillimh 'Silicon Valley Comes to Ireland', imeacht bliantúil an Ghrúpa Éireannaigh um Cheannaireacht sa Teicneolaíocht. Mar chuid den tsraith imeachtaí seo, chuireamar fáilte chun an champais roimh an gCoimisinéir Eorpach Máire Geoghegan Quinn agus d’eagraíomar léacht leis an Dr Craig Barrett, iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach agus iar-Chathaoirleach Intel, a labhair le lán an tí in OÉ Gaillimh an 16 Samhain. D’éiligh Craig Barrett go gcuirfí leis an infheistiú poiblí a dhéantar sa taighde agus dúirt sé nach leor an t-infheistiú a dhéantar sa taighde faoi láthair, ie 3% d’olltáirgeacht náisiúnta na hÉireann. Reáchtáladh díospóireacht i ndiaidh na hócáide a raibh an Dr James Cunningham, CISC i gceannas uirthi agus a raibh na daoine seo a leanas páirteach inti chomh maith: John Ryan, Macrovision; an tOllamh Patrick Cunningham, Príomh-Chomhairleoir Eolaíochta na hÉireann; Tom McDermott, Institiúid Taighde Georgia Tech; an Dr Martina Newell-McGloughlin, Ollscoil California; agus an tOllamh Terry Smith, an Leas-Uachtarán um Thaighde, OÉ Gaillimh.

Duaiseanna agus Gradaim: Ar na héachtaí a rinne an institiúid féin agus daoine aonair san ollscoil le cúpla mí anuas, bronnadh Gradam NAIRTL ar an Dr Dagmar Stengel; d’éirigh le ISS gradam Irish Web a fháil do OÉ Gaillimh as an láithreán gréasáin is fearr i réimse an Oideachais agus an Tríú Leibhéal; Comhaltacht Taighde Humboldt don Dr Róisín Healy (Roinn na Staire); d'éirigh le cuid dár mic léinn Gradam Fochéime na hÉireann a bhaint amach agus thuill duine acu Gradam Hamilton sa Mhatamaitic ó Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann. Léiríonn na samplaí sin a dhúthrachtaí a chuireann an fhoireann agus na mic léinn rompu na caighdeáin is airde sa taighde agus sa teagasc a bhaint amach. Comhghairdeas leo ar fad.

Fondúireacht na hOllscoile

Bhí a 4ú Mórfhéasta Bliantúil ag Bord na Stát Aontaithe d’Fhondúireacht na hOllscoile an 17 Samhain. Tá sé mar aidhm ag an mBord sin airgead a bhailiú do chláir agus do ghníomhaíochtaí OÉ Gaillimh. Tugadh onóir do chéimí de chuid na Gaillimhe, Irial Finan, Leas-Uachtarán Feidhmiúcháin, The Coca-Cola Company. Caithfear an t-airgead a dhéanfar ar an Mórfhéasta ar chartlann OÉ Gaillimh a mhéadú trí bhailiúcháin nua a cheannach agus tríd an gclár daonnachtaí a fhorbairt don Fhoirgneamh Taighde sna Dána, sna Daonnachtaí agus san Eolaíocht Shóisialta ar foirgneamh nuathógtha é.

Bronnadh Céimeanna agus Gradam

Ó foilsíodh an t-eagrán deiridh d’Ollscéala, bronnadh céim, dioplóma nó teastas ar bhreis agus 5,500 mac léinn i rith shearmanais an Fhómhair agus an Gheimhridh. Bronnadh céimeanna oinigh orthu seo a leanas ag searmanais mhí Dheireadh Fómhair: Norman Morgan, staraí, cartlannaí, bailitheoir leabhar agus gníomhaí pobail agus Máirtín O’Connor, an ceoltóir cáiliúil traidisiúnta. An 26 Samhain, bronnadh Céim Máistreachta Oinigh le Forbairt Tuaithe ar an gCanónach Mícheál Ó Flannabhra mar aitheantas as na héachtaí atá déanta aige le caoga bliain i gConamara agus as an obair a rinne sé leis an ollscolaíocht trí Ghaeilge a thabhairt chun na Gaeltachta, go háirithe.

Bhí sé de phléisiúr agam cuairt a thabhairt ar Choláiste San Aingeal, Sligeach an 12 Samhain lena gcéimeanna a bhronnadh orthu agus le MA oinigh a bhronnadh ar an scríbhneoir Leland Bardwell mar chomhartha aitheantais as a bhfuil déanta aici ar son na n-ealaíon agus na scríbhneoireachta cruthaithí i Sligeach.

Agus sinn ag druidim le deireadh 2010, ba mhaith liom buíochas a ghlacadh leis an bhfoireann ar fad as a ndúthracht agus a ndíograis i rith na bliana seo, bliain ina raibh an-rath ar an Ollscoil. Cuireann an fhoireann seirbhís den scoth ar fáil do mhic léinn agus do chomhghleacaithe, ainneoin an fás atá tagtha ar líon na mac léinn agus an titim a tháinig ar an líon foirne atá againn. Ba mhaith liom buíochas ó chroí a ghlacadh libh ar fad as bhur ndícheall a dhéanamh i gcónaí.

Ba mhaith liom Nollaig mhór mhaith a ghuí ar an bhfoireann ar fad agus guím gach beannacht oraibh do 2011.

James J. Browne PhD, DSc, MRIA, C.Eng
Uachtarán

Oifig an Uachtaráin
This page was last updated Thursday, July 19, 2012