A conference to celebrate Africa Day and International Peace-Keepers day, entitled Conference on Africa and Peacekeepers: Positive Impact? will take place at the National University of Ireland, Galway on Saturday, 26 May, 2007. Organised by the Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University in conjunction with Amnesty International, and supported by Irish Aid, Department of Foreign Affairs; the conference will address the impact of peace-keepers in general and Irish peace-keepers in particular in Africa. "With Ireland's tradition of United Nations peace-keeping, it's involvement in the mission in Liberia coming to an end and the world's attention focusing on the dire situation in Dafur this conference is timely," said Dr Ray Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights. "This event offers a rare opportunity for practitioners, activists, non-governmental organisations, the African community in Ireland, governmental departments and the academic community to discuss policy in relation to Africa and peace-keeping in particular." A wide range of international experts will address the event including Dr Noel Kinsella, Speaker of the Canadian Senate, international human rights advocate and academic. Other key speakers include representatives from Trócaire, the Irish Defence Forces, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Irish Aid and the Liberian Refugee Community. The conference will also hear from a representative of the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Centre, a research centre based in Ghana, West Africa that looks at the causes and subsequent management of conflict and the promotion of peace. A major focus of the event will be the Irish mission in Liberia and the current situation in Darfur. The Conference on Africa and Peace-keepers: Positive Impact conference takes place in the Fottrell Theatre, Arts Millennium Building, from 11.00am to 4.30pm. This free conference is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. For further information or to obtain full programme details log on to www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/ or www.amnesty.ie ENDS

Among six outstanding individuals from the worlds of business, philanthropy, justice, music and the arts announced as the 2007 recipients of honorary doctorates by National University of Ireland, Galway will be Ireland's best-selling solo artist Enya. Enya, who originally comes from the Donegal Gaeltacht of Gaoth Dobhair, a former member of the family group Clannad, now ranks alongside the most successful female artists in the world. Her musical compositions have won her many accolades. Four-time Grammy award winner, Enya and her production/writing team were nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for their work on The Lord of the Rings. Enya has won six World Music Awards and the coveted American Golden Plate Award. Also being honoured is businessman and philanthropist Bill Walsh, a long-time supporter and director of The American Ireland Fund and recipient of its Distinguished Leadership Award in 1997. International business leader and chair of Reuters, Niall Fitzgerald KBE, will receive an honorary doctorate alongside Chief Justice Pius Langa, the first African Chief Justice of South Africa. The world of the arts will be represented by honorary graduands Nicholas Carolan, who established the Irish Traditional Music Archive and Dr Jane O Leary, composer, musician, founding member of Aosdána and founder and current chair of Music for Galway. Commenting on the announcement of this year's graduands, Dr. Iognáid ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI Galway said, "While this University has had many outstanding honorary graduates in its history, those being honoured this year form a particularly distinguished group. Their contributions in many spheres – business, the arts, music, philanthropy, justice – have been outstanding, and NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to recognise these exceptional individuals." Recipients of this year's honorary degrees will be conferred during a special ceremony at the University on Friday, 29 June 2007. The honorary conferring will take place in the presence of the Chancellor of the National University of Ireland and former Taoiseach, Dr. Garret Fitzgerald ENDS

Tá sé fógartha go bhfaighidh seisear den scoth ó shaol an ghnó, an daonchairdis, an cheartais, an cheoil agus na n-ealaíon céimeanna dochtúireachta oinigh ó Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh in 2007 agus beidh sáramhránaí na hÉireann – Enya – ina measc. Tá Enya, ó Ghaoth Dobhair i nGaeltacht Dhún na nGall ó dhúchas, agus a bhí sa bhanna Clannad lena teaghlach tráth, i measc na n-amhránaithe ban is cáiliúla ar domhan anois. Is iomaí gradam atá bainte amach ag an gceol a scríobhann sí. Tá ceithre Grammy buaite ag Enya agus ainmníodh í féin agus a foireann léirithe/scríbhneoireachta do Golden Globe agus do Oscar as a saothar ar The Lord of the Rings. Tá sé cinn de Ghradaim Cheoil an Domhain buaite ag Enya chomh maith leis an American Golden Plate Award. Beidh céim oinigh á bronnadh chomh maith ar an bhfear gnó agus an daonchara Bill Walsh, fear atá ag tacú le fada leis an American Ireland Fund chomh maith lena bheith ina stiúrthóir air agus fuair sé an Gradam Ceannaireachta uathu i 1997. Gheobhaidh an fear gnó idirnáisiúnta agus cathaoirleach Reuters, Niall Fitzgerald KBE, céim dhochtúireachta oinigh chomh maith leis an Ard-Bhreitheamh Pius Langa, an chéad Ard-Bhreitheamh Afracach san Afraic Theas. Ó shaol na n-ealaíon, bronnfar céim oinigh ar Nicholas Carolan, a bhunaigh Cartlann Cheol Traidisiúnta na hÉireann agus an Dr Jane O Leary, cumadóir, ceoltóir, duine de lucht bunaithe Aosdána agus bunaitheoir agus cathaoirleach Music for Galway. Ag labhairt dó agus céimithe oinigh na bliana seo fógartha, dúirt an Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, "Cé go bhfuil go leor céimithe oinigh bronnta ag OÉ Gaillimh thar na mblianta, is grúpa ar leith iad siúd a bhfuil céim oinigh á fáil acu i mbliana. Tá neart déanta acu sna réimsí éagsúla lena mbaineann siad – gnó, na healaíona, ceol, daonchairdeas agus ceartas agus tá an-áthas ar an Ollscoil a bheith in ann aitheantas a thabhairt do na daoine iontacha seo." Beidh searmanas speisialta ann Dé hAoine, an 29 Meitheamh 2007 chun na céimeanna oinigh a bhronnadh i mbliana. I láthair ag an searmanas beidh Seansailéir Ollscoil na hÉireann agus an tIar-Thaoiseach, an Dr Garret Fitzgerald. CRÍOCH

Graduates of NUI Galway/UCG over the past 50 years are invited to a Reunion Weekend, from Friday 8 – Sunday 10 June 2007, where they can renew lost friendships and discover the many changes to their alma mater in recent years. This year's event invites the Classes of 1957, 1967, 1977, 1982 and 1997 to attend events on campus to celebrate their time at and association with the University. Alumni who graduated 50 years ago will commence celebrations on Friday, 8 June with a welcome luncheon on campus hosted by Mr JB Terrins, Director of Alumni Relations. NUI Galway President Dr Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh will then welcome the graduates into the 50 Year Club by presenting with commemorative scrolls acknowledging their status as Cumann Caoga Bliain graduates. The day is topped off with a reception and celebration dinner in the Galway Bay Hotel. The 'Through the Years' Reunion BBQ will be held on Saturday, 9 June at 7.00pm where classes celebrating their 50th, 40th, 30th, 25th, and 10th reunions will come together for an informal evening held on campus in the Students' Union Bar and Áras na MacLéinn. The weekend concludes for the Class of 1957 with a remembrance service in the University Chapel at 12.00pm on Sunday, 10 June, followed by a farewell lunch in the Aula Maxima. "The highlight of NUI Galway's calendar of events on campus is our annual programme of Class Reunions for those who graduated ten, twenty-five, thirty, forty and fifty years before. Reunions are particularly special and enjoyable as graduates get a rare chance to revisit old haunts and renew friendships with classmates and mentors from their days at UCG." says Mr Terrins. "As well as the many graduates returning to campus from within Ireland and the UK, this year we are also welcoming graduates back from such far-flung destinations as Africa and the U.S. People realise this opportunity very seldom comes around in a lifetime and they know a very warm welcome from familiar faces will be waiting for them." All those interested in attending the weekend's event should contact the NUI Galway Alumni Office on 091 493750 or email alumni@nuigalway.ie ENDS

Challenges impeding the field of gene and stem cell therapy will be addressed at the inaugural conference of the Irish Society for Gene and Cell Therapy (ISGCT) at NUI Galway on Friday, 18 May 2007. Initiated by the directors of the Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI) at NUI Galway, Professor Timothy O'Brien and Professor Frank Barry, the ISGCT was established to advance gene and cell therapy research in Ireland. The aim of the society is to promote advances in gene and cell therapy research for the development of novel therapies to relieve pain and suffering. "What is significant about this conference is the bringing together of leading scientists and clinicians to speed up progress in gene and cell therapy towards clinical trials," said Prof. O' Brien, who leads the gene therapy research programme at REMEDI, and is Professor and Chair of Medicine at NUI Galway. "Stem cell and gene therapy have enormous potential for the treatment of many incurable diseases including heart disease, arthritis and neurological disorders such as spinal cord injury, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's. This new society will interact with regulatory agencies to translate advances in this research area into clinical treatment options for patients, with patient safety as the primary motive," he added. Among the keynote speakers at the conference include; Dr Robert Montgomery, Senior Investigator, Blood Research Institute, Blood Centre of Wisconsin, USA; Prof George Dickson, Director of Research & Chair of Molecular Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of London; Dr Aideen Sullivan, Dept of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University College Cork; Dr Jane Farrar, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin and Dr Gabor Rubanyi, Chief Scientific Officer, Cardium Therapeutics Inc., a medical technology company based in San Diego, California. REMEDI is the leading centre in Ireland conducting stem cell research and one of a limited number of centres in Europe combining the technologies of stem cell and gene therapy to regenerate and repair tissue. The ISGCT inaugural conference is being hosted by REMEDI and includes presentations from some of the most talented and innovative investigators working in the field. END