All Year 2010

World Leaders in Men's Health to Speak at NUI Galway

Tuesday, 8 June 2010

The Health Promotion Research Centre (HPRC) at NUI Galway will host its annual summer conference on Thursday, June 10 and Friday June 11, 2010. The focus of the conference will be on men's health. The aim of the event is to promote best practice in multidisciplinary approaches to improving men's health. The conference programme includes keynote addresses from two world leaders in the field of men's health; Professor Alan White of Leeds Metropolitan University, and Professor John MacDonald from the University of Western Sydney. Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, T.D. will attend NUI Galway on the second day of the event and give closing remarks at the conference. The programme will provide delegates with key insights into best practice and innovative approaches to tackling men's health, focusing on important international and national developments in the area of men's health; key settings in which to target men's health initiatives (for example primary care, community settings, workplace); and examples of how to target different sub-populations of men including; young men, rural men and men in the travelling community). The conference programme will appeal to a wide audience including health promotion personnel, primary care teams, community workers, youth workers and voluntary agencies. The focus on men's health is timely in light of the publication, in 2009, of a National Men's Health Policy (NMHP) in Ireland. The NMHP sets out key areas of recommendation in men's health relating to areas including: Strengthening public policy on men's health, Promoting and marketing men's health, creating strategies to promote gender competency in the delivery of health and social services, building services with a focus on preventative health, developing supportive environments for men's health and strengthening community action to support men's health. Dr Margaret Hodgins, Health Promotion Research Centre, NUI Galway said: "The conference builds on the development of a National Men s Health policy and aims to contribute to the successful implementation of this policy. A key focus of the conference will be on identifying national and international examples of successful health promotion interventions that address men s health concerns. The conference will also afford the opportunity to build partnerships and networks across agencies which facilitate multi-disciplinary work". Co-author of the NMHP and keynote presenter at the Conference, Dr Noel Richardson stated: "Much has been achieved in a relatively short space of time in promoting an increased focus and awareness of men's health issues in Ireland. This conference has an integral role to play in supporting those with an interest in or working in the area of men's health, by showcasing best practice across a broad range of men's health issues". For further information on the National Men's Health policy log on to http://www.dohc.ie/publications/national_mens_health_policy.html -Ends-

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NUI Galway First in Ireland to Host EU Tissue Engineering Conference

Friday, 4 June 2010

The Tissue Engineering Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) EU meeting to be held in Ireland for the first time will be hosted by the Network of Excellence for Functional Biomaterials (NFB) at NUI Galway. The event will take place from 13-17 June in the Radisson Blu Hotel. TERMIS – EU meeting is the premier tissue engineering conference in Europe where scientists from the fields of biomaterials, scaffolds, stem cells and cell biologists come together in a combined forum. Some of the plenary speakers for the conference include: James Fawcett, Chairman of the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair; Helen M. Blau, Professor and Director of the Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine; Randall Moon, Director of the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at the University of Washington; and Hans-Dieter Volk, Director of the Institute of Medical Immunology and the Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies. Speaking about the upcoming event, Professor Abhay Pandit, TERMIS-EU 2010 Chair and Director of the NFB at NUI Galway, explained: "The Conference will offer delegates innovative and stimulating topics with a well-balanced programme of plenary speakers, invited symposia, oral presentations, rapid-fire sessions, poster sessions, a debate on the topic This House Believes that Active Biomolecules are more Important than Scaffold Materials in Tissue Engineering Products and educational workshops. In addition, there will be Student and Young Investigator Section activities that will stimulate and engage the next generation of researchers. The social programme will provide a taste of what Galway and the West of Ireland has to offer." In excess of 700 delegates are already registered to attend this high-profile meeting which will have a large focus on Irish researchers including principal investigators, postdoctoral researchers and students from Irish laboratories. The attraction of large groups of world-renowned researchers to Ireland to attend this conference will enhance the international visibility of Ireland, and more specifically Galway, to the global research and global high-tech business communities. TERMIS-EU will stimulate capacity-building in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, an important area of research in which Ireland is an emerging force. The NFB was set-up with funding from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) to establish a critical mass of biomaterials activity in Ireland. NFB has established partnerships with leading academic institutions, research laboratories, hospitals and companies both in Ireland and around the world aiming to support the translation of biomaterials from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. The group continues to grow and currently there are 6 Principal Investigators, 7 Post Doctoral Researchers, 26 Post Graduate Researchers, 2 clinical interns and 4 research support staff making it one of the largest biomaterial groups in the EU. For more information or to register visit http://www.termis.org/eu2010/. -Ends-

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Executive MBA Students Undertake Major Study with Alan Kerins Projects Charity

Friday, 4 June 2010

In a unique collaboration, the graduating Executive MBA class at NUI Galway have completed a strategic study of the Alan Kerins Projects (AKP) charity. The study was undertaken with NUI Galway lecturer, Mike Moroney, during the second and final-year of the Executive MBA programme and was conducted on a pro bono basis. The study was presented to Alan Kerins and the Board of AKP at a recent function at NUI Galway. Welcoming the study as "very timely", Jacqui O'Grady, Chairperson of AKP, commented: "It certainly gives us food for thought particularly as we move into a new and exciting phase in our development. We will be reviewing carefully the findings and will take on board many of the suggestions". Dr James J. Browne, NUI Galway President, commented that the study was an exemplar of the University's civic engagement through its Community Knowledge Initiative. Based on in-depth research, the study represents a fundamental strategic review of AKP, which raises considerable funds for the benefit of thousands of poor and disadvantaged families in Zambia. The study outlines a platform for strategic renewal through investment in the capabilities, infrastructure and management of AKP. In addition to specific operational measures, it envisages augmenting management, leveraging AKP as a networked organisation and an international roll-out strategy. Commenting on the study, Alan Kerins said: "We are very grateful for this excellent report and we are overwhelmed by the amount of work involved in the study and by the quality of the analysis and proposals. We will be giving serious consideration to a lot of the proposed ideas and strategies". The study also has considerable learning and other benefits for the Executive MBA students involved. Brian Molloy, student class representative, found that working with Alan Kerins on the AKP study "was a truly humbling experience for the MBA class. Not only did we get to learn how to apply our skills in a 'live' environment under the expert guidance and mentorship of Mike Moroney, but we also got the opportunity to contribute in some small way to the great work that Alan is doing". Professor Willie Golden, Dean of the College of Business and Law, stated that it is policy to actively promote the engagement of students with businesses and other external organisations, which generates considerable two-way benefits. -Ends-

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Fifteen Research Funding Awards for NUI Galway

Tuesday, 1 June 2010

Fifteen NUI Galway applicants were among the recipients of the €8.5million recently awarded to some of Ireland's top scholars and fellows by the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS). These scholarships are awarded to fund research undertaken by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the humanities and social sciences over the next three years. Among the NUI Galway recipients were Dr Justin Tonra, from the School of Humanities and the Moore Institute, who was awarded the prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship 3 CARA and Clionadh O'Keefe, from the Global Women's Studies programme in the School of Political Science and Sociology, who received the Andrew Grene Scholarship in Conflict Resolution, which will be funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Thirteen NUI Galway applicants were awarded Postgraduate Scholarships including: Ciara Staunton, Mary Healy, Aisling De Paor, and Darragh Murray from the School of Law; Carol Staunton and Anna King from the School of Political Science and Sociology; Anne Marie Creaven, Cormac O'Beaglaoich and Triona Tammemagi from the School of Psychology; Cathal Smith and Paul McNamara from the School of Humanities; Aoife Connolly from the School of Languages, Literature and Cultures; and Richard Clutterbuck from School of Geography and Archaeology. Commenting on the awards, Dr Anthony Varley, Vice Dean (Research), at the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies, NUI Galway, said: "In view of the substantial rise in the number of applicants and the significant reduction in the number of scholarships, it is extremely heartening to see so many NUI Galway applicants succeed in the recent IRCHSS awards". This year the IRCHSS awarded 92 postgraduate scholarships, of which two were funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs under The Andrew Grene Scholarship in Conflict Resolution, and 25 Postdoctoral fellowships of which 10 were CARA Marie Curie European Commission co-funded fellowships that allow researchers to travel internationally for their studies. There was an increase this year of 50% in numbers seeking the fellowships, including an increase in the numbers of mature graduates and those returning to education. This year was highly competitive with members of the International Assessment Boards commenting on the high quality of applications received. Making the announcement, Professor Caroline Fennell, Chair of the Council, said: "While generally, scholarships are sought by those who have tended to follow an academic career, it is interesting to note the growing interest from those in the workplace wishing to engage in research. We are particularly keen to encourage greater collaboration between business and industry and the research community". "It is more important than ever before that we invest in our future academic pool. We need to encourage thinkers and creators to develop the ideas that will build 21st century Ireland". The IRCHSS was established by the Minister for Education and Science in response to the need to develop Ireland s research capacity and skills base in a rapidly-changing global environment where knowledge is key to economic and social growth. With the support of the National Development Plan, the IRCHSS funds cutting-edge research in the humanities, social sciences, business and law with the objective of creating new knowledge and expertise beneficial to Ireland s economic, social and cultural development. -Ends-

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NUI Galway to Hold Symposium on Creativity in Higher Education

Monday, 31 May 2010

NUI Galway will hold the 8th Annual Symposium on Higher Education entitled Creative Thinking – Re-imagining the University. Hosted by NUI Galway's Centre for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) the conference will take place on 10-11 June in Áras Moyola. This year's theme is 'Creativity in Higher Education' encompassing creative approaches to teaching, curricular design and the nurturing of students' creativity. The idea of creativity is not one which is just concerned with what are traditionally known as the 'creative arts', but rather creativity in its many forms across the sciences, engineering, arts, humanities, medicine, social sciences and commerce. This two day event will feature a range of distinguished keynote speakers and workshop facilitators from the US, UK and Ireland including: Professor Norman Jackson, UK – Imaginative Curriculum Project; Professor Anna Craft, University of Exeter; Professor Keith Sawyer, Washington University, St. Louis; Professor Tim Jones, Burren College of Art; Professor Finbarr Bradley, previously Professor at UCD, NUI Maynooth and DCU; and Dr Kevin Byron, Queen Mary, University of London. Dr Iain Mac Labhrainn, Director of CELT, said: "This is not only an opportunity to share ideas, but also to celebrate the innovative and creative approaches so many staff in higher education in Ireland and beyond take to their teaching. It's a timely reminder of the levels of commitment, passion and effort that exist in the sector". Registration and further details regarding the event are available at http://creativegalway.eventbrite.com/?ref=ebtn, or you can follow the pre and post conference blog at http://ollscoil.blogspot.com/. -Ends-

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