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OllscÉala - DECEMBER 2008

President's Message

Shaping our Future

Welcome to the last edition of Ollsceala for 2008. The last semester has been a very busy one, and I am pleased to say, one in which the University enjoyed a number of significant successes.

Ireland ’s only UNESCO Chair

Chief among the academic successes this semester was the news that was the Republic of Ireland’s first UNESCO Chair comes to NUI Galway. Professor Pat Dolan of the Child and Family Research Centre was awarded the UNESCO Chair, for research on Children, Youth and Civic Engagement. This prestigious award recognises Pat’s extensive experience of more than twenty years in family support frontline work, policy and research.

The Child and Family Research Centre is internationally recognised for its expertise in the development and testing of educational models, such as youth mentoring that bring about improved outcomes for disadvantaged children. The establishment of the UNESCO Chair will bring an exciting new dimension to this work and will facilitate the exchange of knowledge in the area of children, youth and civic engagement across, and between, institutions of higher education and non-governmental organisations.

New Dean for Business, Public Policy and Law

The academic restructuring of the University is also progressing well. I am delighted to report that Dr William Golden has recently been appointed Dean of the College of Business, Public Policy and Law. Particular thanks are due to Professor Michael Keane and Mr Donncha O’Connell who, as Deans of Commerce and Law respectively, did much to advance the restructuring process in the University and within their own Faculties.

Appointment procedures for Heads of Schools are well advanced, with a view to the appointees being in place on 1 ^st February, 2009. The role of the interim-heads of School in bringing the Schools to their present stage of development is greatly appreciated. The recent appointment of School Administrators, with the assistance of funding from the HEA’s Strategic Innovation Fund, will provide assistance towards the further development of the Schools.

The UMT Review and the Strategic Planning process continue apace – a full update on these developments will be provided in the new year.

Funding Success

The Moore Institute has been granted a substantial donation of almost half a million dollars from the prestigious Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in the US. The donation is specifically intended to assist researchers on three of the Institutes’ current projects to internationalise their efforts.

The grant will enable the scholars and students engaged on these projects to bring a series of international scholars to the Moore Institute to provide specialist seminars and master classes; to support researchers and research students while they engage in short study visits to major research libraries and institutes abroad; and to arrange major international conferences relating to the subject of their research.

Leading international critic joins NUI Galway

It has been a busy semester for the Moore Institute as their funding success was followed by the appointment of internationally-renowned literary critic, Professor Terry Eagleton, as Adjunct Professor of Cultural Theory at the Institute. Professor Eagleton is well-known for his work on Irish culture, critical theory, economics and politics, and will be an exciting addition to the Moore Institute. Indeed, he is already proving to be a popular presence on campus following his Inaugural Lecture, entitled ’The Death of Criticism?’ on December 10 ^th, and a series of seminars for postgraduate students and staff in the Moore Institute.

Growing international profile

As President, this semester has been a very busy one as I have represented the University at many key events at home and abroad. Confirmation that the University’s profile is increasing on the international stage was clear to me at the University Foundation Gala event in New York in November. Guests of honour at that event included former US President Bill Clinton and Loretta Brennan Glucksman, Chairperson of the American Ireland Fund, who were recognised for their contributions to delivering peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland over the past two decades. Both guests spoke warmly of their visits to Ireland and to NUI Galway.

Other guests included Druid Theatre Director, Garry Hynes; Niall Burgess, Consul General of Ireland in New York; and RTÉ broadcaster Seán O Rourke, as well as key figures from the IDA, and prominent representatives from US business and industry. The event was a great success and I am confident that the goodwill generated will leave a favourable and lasting impression of NUI Galway on all who attended.

New agreement with Maryland

During this visit to the US I also travelled to Maryland to meet with Governor Martin O’Malley and President of the University of Maryland, Dan Mote Jr., to sign a memorandum of agreement between our two Universities. This agreement will lead to future study and research links with the University of Maryland.

Sports Centre

After a successful summer in Beijing, NUI Galway’s profile in the sporting arena continues to grow with the official opening of the new Sports Centre in November. Irish cycling legend, Seán Kelly, opened the Centre, with three of NUI Galway’s four Olympians also in attendance. This state-of-the-art facility has transformed the quality of sporting opportunities available to students and staff, and underlines the central role sport plays in life at NUI Galway.

Student Contact Centre

The offices within Academic Administration, namely Academic Records and Registration, Admissions, Postgraduate Admissions, Schools Liaison and Examinations have also been restructured over the past year. The front desk function of the Admissions and the Examinations Offices will now combine to form the new Student Contact Centre which will be based in a new office on the ground floor of Áras Uí Chathail. The new Centre will provide a seamless service to students by offering a 'one-stop-shop' service for all student enquiries. The Centre will open in February 2009 and the post of Contact Centre Manager will be advertised on the Vacancies webpage from Friday 12 December.

Finally, I would like to thank you for all of your hard work over the last semester, and to wish you the very best for the holiday season. I look forward to working with you in 2009 to build on the great progress that we have made in the last year.

Beir bua agus beannacht,

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

President

Oifig an Uachtaráin
This page was last updated Thursday, February 05, 2009