Report of the President
2011/12
Front cover:
Opened in July 2012,
the O’Shaughnessy
Bridge on campus is
designed for use by
both pedestrians and
cyclists as part of a
wider scheme to
encourage sustainable
travel in Galway City.
Contents
A Message from the President
1
NUI Galway in the News
2
International Links
6
Inspirational Research
8
Engaging with our Community
12
Student Success
16
Accolades and Achievements
NUI Galway at a glance
18
22
NUI Galway
University Road
Galway, Ireland
Telephone: +353 91 524 411
www.nuigalway.ie
A Message from
the President
2011/12 has been an exciting year for NUI Galway.
Over the last 12 months we have enjoyed many
successes. It has also been a time of reflection
as we reached the mid-point in our Strategic Plan
and evaluated our progress to date. The HEA also
published its ideas on the future landscape for higher
education and asked all publicly funded Higher
Education institutions to present their ideas.
Construction continues on two new research buildings, an Arts,
Humanities and Social Sciences research building and a new
building for Biosciences research, both of which will open in 2013.
Rated Five Star for Excellence
NUI Galway’s growing international profile was recognised in the
2012 QS Stars rating system when the University was given an
overall rating of five star, the highest available rating. The
University was also rated five star in a number of specific fields
including teaching, research, internationalisation, innovation,
facilities and engagement.The first international assessment of its
kind, QS Stars assesses individual universities, on an ‘opt in’ basis,
across a wide range of criteria.
A new vision for the future
The Chinese have a saying: “May you live in interesting times”.
Well, these are certainly interesting times for those of us involved
in third-level education. As the Higher Education sector begins
the task of developing a new vision for its future, there is a lot of
debate about Technological Universities, regional clusters and
posssible mergers. Every higher education institution has been
asked to identify and articulate to the HEA its distinctive and
diverse mission.
Research Highlights
It was a good year for research as NUI Galway formally launched
the Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy Research.
Our web science research institute, DERI, developed an exciting
new research partnership with global giant, Fujitsu, while our
biomedical researchers began a clinical trial for new drugs targeting
bone marrow cancer.
At NUI Galway, we have always been clear about what makes
us distinctive – our commitment to ensuring the holistic
development of our students; a focus on five key areas of research,
in which we aspire to develop an international reputation; the
development of strategically effective partnerships at local, national
and international level; our commitment to volunteering and
service learning and our commitment to promoting programmes
through Irish.
In the Arts and Humanities, the University expanded its impressive
archive collection when it opened to the public the extensive
Brendan Duddy Archive. Our Institute for Business, Social Sciences
and Public Policy completed an important report showing the
potential for expansion of the creative economy in the West of
Ireland. 2012 was also the year that the University completed its
first institutional research assessment exercise when a panel of
international reviewers reviewed research activity in all of our
Schools and major research institutes. The reviewers highlighted
many research strengths, as well as providing important
recommendations for future development.
We are also clear about the need to create a network of
collaborating higher education institutions, each of which develops
excellence in selected complementary areas appropriate to Irish
society. We look forward to playing our part in helping to shape a
new landscape for the third-level sector in Ireland.
As we reach the mid-point in our Strategic Plan 2009-2014, I am
pleased to say that we can point to many significant achievements.
NUI Galway has made great progress in the last 12 months and I
look forward to building on that progress in the next academic year.
Developing the campus
The transformation of the campus continued in the last year with
the opening of the Engineering Building by An Taoiseach, Enda
Kenny T.D. Now the largest School of Engineering in the country,
the stunning new facility was recently voted Ireland’s favourite new
building in the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Public
Choice Award, 2012.
Yours sincerely,
_____________________________
The University also opened the O’Shaughnessy Bridge. The bridge,
which crosses the Eglinton Canal, is a suspension bridge for use by
pedestrians and cyclists as part of a scheme to encourage
sustainable travel in Galway City.
James J. Browne, Ph.D, D.Sc., MRIA, C.Eng.
President
-1-
NUI Galway
in the News
In 2011/12 NUI Galway hit the headlines for a number
of significant developments.
NUI Galway’s Michael D. Higgins
Elected President of Ireland
President Higgins
In January 2012, Professor Gerard Quinn, Director of the
Centre for Disability Law and Policy and Professor Gearóid Ó
Tuathaigh, Professor Emeritus in History, were appointed by
President Michael D. Higgins to sit on the Council of State.
On 26 October 2011, on the eve of the election which
would see him become the ninth President of Ireland,
Michael D. Higgins made an informal visit to NUI Galway
and delivered an impromptu speech at the Quadrangle.
Staff and student well-wishers turned out in huge numbers
to lend their support to a man who has been associated
with the University for almost 50 years.
Among his many distinctions, Michael D. Higgins was honoured
in 2003 by his alma mater with the NUI Galway AIB Award for
Literature, Communication and the Arts. NUI Galway takes pride
in the success of its alumni, many of whom have distinguished
themselves as leaders in various fields of endeavour in Ireland
and abroad.
Entering as a mature student in 1962, he served as President
of the Student Council, graduating with a BA in 1965 and a
BComm in 1966 from what was then UCG. He went on to
become a highly regarded lecturer in Sociology and Politics
for many years.
The current political administration in Ireland boasts a number
of former University students including: An Taoiseach, Enda
Kenny; the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eamon
Gilmore; the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural
Resources, Pat Rabbitte; the Attorney General, Máire Whelan;
the Minister for Research and Innovation, Seán Sherlock; and
numerous deputies and senators.
He has been an Adjunct Professor at the Irish Centre for Human
Rights since 2006. His impressive record in defence of human
rights made his role with the Irish Centre for Human Rights a
natural enhancement of his long association with the University.
-2-
Report of the President 2011/12
Ryan Institute Officially Launched
Professor Colin Brown, Director of the Ryan Institute, with Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn
To assist the Ryan Institute in this endeavour an expert Advisory
Board was appointed including Dr Kris Johnson, former Under
Secretary for Energy with the Obama administration; Dr Aaron
Bernstein of Harvard Medical School; Dr Lisa Amini of IBM’s
Smarter Cities Technology Centre; Dr Niall McDonough of the
European Science Foundation; and Dr James Cunningham of
NUI Galway.
The official launch of the Ryan Institute for
Environmental, Marine and Energy Research
by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the EU
Commissioner for Research, Innovation and
Science, took place on 10 July, 2012.
Speaking about the new Ryan Institute, Commissioner
Geoghegan-Quinn said: “If Europe is to become more competitive
and innovative, we need the best brains working together to face
the challenges and seize the opportunities ahead. This new
institute, embedded in NUI Galway, will build on the longstanding excellence of the Environmental Change Institute and
the Martin Ryan Institute for Marine Science, and will pool
resources and expertise. I am convinced that the Ryan Institute
will increase Ireland’s already considerable contribution to
European environmental, marine and energy research.”
The event featured a day-long symposium with special guest Pat
Rabbitte TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural
Resources.
The Ryan Institute at NUI Galway has over 300 researchers,
making it Ireland’s largest research institute to focus on some of the
most pressing environmental and energy issues of the 21st century.
-3-
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny
The immense glass, concrete, steel and zinc structure will nurture
an emerging generation of engineers. It is envisaged that these
individuals will embrace innovation and entrepreneurship, and
engage with a new wave of technologies.
A Landmark Day for Engineering
It was described as a landmark day and the beginning of a
new era for engineering at NUI Galway. The occasion, on
15 July 2011, was the official opening of the University’s new
Engineering Building by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny.
The 14,250m2 world-class teaching and research facility
is the largest of its kind in Ireland.
The building was designed to be an interactive teaching tool
in itself; a ‘living laboratory’ is how it was described by the
Irish Times.
In October 2011, the new Engineering Building was shortlisted
for the Engineers Ireland Excellence Awards. In June 2012, it was
chosen by public vote as Ireland’s favourite new building in the
Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland Irish Architecture
Awards 2012.
At the event, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke of NUI Galway’s
long and proud engineering tradition. A former student of the
University, it was Enda Kenny’s first official visit as Taoiseach
to campus.
Five-Star Rating
A five-star rating was awarded to NUI Galway in February 2012 by the
QS Stars rating system.
The University recorded top marks in this new international rating,
designed as an alternative to university rankings. QS Stars provide a far
greater range of evidence about the performance of an unlimited number of
universities, helping students make smarter and better-informed decisions.
NUI Galway was rated five out of five overall, receiving maximum ratings in
areas including research, teaching, internationalisation, facilities, engagement and innovation. The award was seen as a fitting
acknowledgement of the exceptional developments that have taken place in recent years. In a growing competitive market, the
five star rating in internationalisation reaffirms the University’s strong position within higher education globally.
-4-
Report of the President 2011/12
New Autism Research Centre
President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins
officially opened NUI Galway’s new Irish
Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental
Research (ICAN) on 24 February, 2012.
It was his first official visit to NUI Galway as
President of Ireland.
ICAN is dedicated to ensuring improvements for
individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and
their families, not only through scientific research but
also through education and providing services to the
community.
Co-funded by Galway University Foundation, the Centre
is the first centre of its kind outside North America that
uses an integrated approach to the delivery of
postgraduate education, research and the delivery of
autism support services.
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, Canadian Minister for Finance
Jim Flaherty, and NUI Galway economist Dr Alan Ahearne
Views on a Financial Crisis
A forum entitled ‘Financial Crisis: International and National
Perspectives’ was held on campus on 28 June 2012. The highprofile event was addressed by the Irish Minister for Finance,
Michael Noonan TD, and the Canadian Minister for Finance,
Jim Flaherty MP. Minister Flaherty is a governor of the World
Bank and the International Monetary Fund and has been
described as a pillar of both the G-7 and the G-20.
According to the Centre for Disease Control and
Prevention in the US, the incidence of autism is
1 in 54 boys and 1 in 254 girls. Although there are no
comparable studies on autism in Ireland as yet, it is
believed the prevalence is similar to that found in the US.
On 12 January 2012, a major international conference
was hosted by NUI Galway’s ICAN, Autism Speaks and
the American Ireland Fund, which highlighted new
technologies and practical strategies for managing
challenges faced in schools for helping children on the
autism spectrum. Attended by the Minister for Health,
Dr James Reilly TD, the event attracted an audience of
over 600 researchers, healthcare professionals, teachers,
and parents from around the world.
The forum brought the ministers’ expert opinion into the
public domain on where the global financial system and the
euro currently stand, and what it means for the Irish economy.
NUI Galway economist Dr Alan Ahearne also addressed the
event which was moderated by Professor John McHale.
Attracting much media interest, the event coincided with the
awarding of an honorary degree to Minster Flaherty, as well as a
meeting of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council on campus.
-5-
International
Links
A series of strategically important agreements were signed
by the University during the last year which underpin
NUI Galway’s international academic and research standing.
China
In March 2012, NUI Galway announced collaborations with
both Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the Fourth Medical
Military University Hospital in Xi’an. The announcements
were made as part of the Irish Government’s Trade and
Investment Mission to Shanghai. The agreements will see the
Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI), based at NUI
Galway, work closely with both Chinese partners in a number
of research areas, a process which will facilitate student and
researcher exchange between Galway and China.
headquartered in India with a range of research stations
in Africa. The alliance will result in research being conducted
on staple crops of the poor to improve smallholder
productivity and food security.
At the signing were President Browne and Professor Sanbing
Shen, who recently moved to Galway and REMEDI as
Professor of Stem Cell Biology.
New York
The Discipline of Podiatry at NUI Galway formally signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with New York College of
Podiatric Medicine (NYCPM), one of the leading institutes
in podiatric medical education in the USA.
The agreement will also strengthen collaborations between
research groups within the NUI Galway Plant and
AgriBiosciences Research Cluster and scientists in ICRISAT.
Such collaborations have already brought scientific
breakthroughs (see page 8 for more detail).
India
In June 2011, NUI Galway entered into a Research and
Education Alliance with the International Crops Research
Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT). ICRISAT is
The agreement facilitates the establishment of student
and staff exchanges, research collaborations and the
-6-
Report of the President 2011/12
co-development of innovative developments in podiatric
education which may have academic, clinical and
commercial implications.
Malaysia
NUI Galway and UCC celebrated the first intake of 100
Malaysian students on a twinned medical degree
programme in 2011. The medical programme is offered by
both universities in partnership with the Allianze University
College of Medical Sciences (AUCMS), Kapala Batas, in
northern Malaysia.
Since its establishment, NYCPM has built up a significant
reputation in excellence in podiatric education, celebrating
its centennial year in 2011. The Discipline of Podiatry at
NUI Galway was established in 2008, offering the country’s
only degree in Podiatry.
Silicon Valley
An innovative research collaboration was agreed between
NUI Galway, the University of Limerick and an emerging
Silicon Valley technology company, Compact Imaging (CI),
in February 2012.
The cooperation agreement which underpins the
partnership was signed in Penang in January 2009.
This initiative shifts the clinical training of the students to
their home country. However, they will still obtain an Irish
medical qualification that will be approved and accredited
by the professional accrediting authorities of Ireland
and Malaysia.
The two-year agreement, in the scientific field of
biophotonics, specifically optical coherence tomography
(OCT), will explore and further develop CI’s novel
technologies. OCT is an imaging technique similar to
ultrasound, but employing light rather than sound.
Japan
Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Fujitsu, the global ICT giant, announced a significant
investment in a research programme with the Digital
Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) based in NUI Galway.
Korea
A collaborative research agreement was signed in May 2012
between the Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI) at
NUI Galway and the Korea Institute of Science and
Technology Information (KISTI). The agreement will
generate close collaboration between researchers at both
institutes and is expected to lead to a number of funded
projects.
Work is already underway on a joint project in the area of
semantic data integration and application. DERI is one of
the world’s leading international web science research
institutes, with over 140 researchers, while 500 researchers
at KISTI develop advanced supercomputing and
information infrastructure.
The research will be conducted in the area of Networked
Knowledge, identifying new models and commercial
opportunities for exploiting the vast quantities of static
and dynamic data on the Internet, making it more
valuable to end users. The programme has been supported
by the Government through the IDA and Science
Foundation Ireland.
The research will be led by Professor Stefan Decker,
Director of DERI at NUI Galway and one of the leading
scientists in the Semantic Web field.
The first NUI Galway Alumni Club has been
established in Europe by the University’s Alumni
Association and NUI Galway alumni based in Brussels.
Future alumni events are planned for other cities
across Europe.
Biomedical Training Begins,
Stanford University Style
Launched in autumn 2011, BioInnovate Ireland
is a specialist training and collaboration
programme in medical device innovation. It is
modelled on Stanford University’s prestigious
Biodesign Programme.
It is envisaged that the BioInnovate Ireland
Fellowship Programme will act as a catalyst for
enhancing innovation in medical device
development within Ireland.
Pictured are the BioInnovate Fellows of 2012/13: Kiel McCool, Ashwin Kher, Caroline Gaynor, David Brody, Sarah Loughrey, Michael Morrissey,
Christopher McBrearty and Conor Harkin.
-7-
Inspirational
Research
Pigeonpea is a staple food for millions of the world’s poorest people
Genome sequencing to improve food
crops in developing countries
On 7 November 2011 a research breakthrough was made which could benefit
some of the world’s poorest people. A global scientific team, including Science
Foundation Ireland-funded scientists from the Plant and AgriBiosciences Centre
at NUI Galway announced that they had succeeded in sequencing the entire
DNA genome of a legume crop called pigeonpea.
Pigeonpea is a staple food for millions of the world’s poorest
people who live in semi-arid regions where only droughttolerant crops such as pigeonpea can be cultivated.
Pigeonpea is grown on about five million hectares in Asia,
sub-Saharan Africa and South-Central America. It is known
as the ‘poor people’s meat’ because of its high protein
content and because it provides a well-balanced diet when
accompanied with cereals.
An improved understanding of the pigeonpea genome
will have a major impact on improved crop productivity,
tackling pests and disease constraints in production, and
improved resistance to harsh environments and the future
variable climate.
The completed genome sequence of pigeonpea was
published in the scientific journal Nature Biotechnology, with
NUI Galway’s involvement led by Dr Charles Spillane.
-8-
Report of the President 2011/12
Improving lives with clinical trials for
new cancer drugs
NUI Galway is part of a clinical study on a rare but devastating type of bone
marrow cancer, which began in November 2011. Irish patients with
advanced myelofibrosis were given access to a new study of combined oral
medications for their disease.
Myelofibrosis is a life-threatening cancer of the bone marrow that results in
bone marrow failure because the normal spaces in which blood cells are
formed become progressively filled with fibrous tissue.
In an attempt to maintain normal blood cell counts, the body then begins to
make these cells in abnormal sites, including the liver and spleen. In turn,
these can then become enlarged and painful. Patients not alone are at risk
from marrow failure, but in some patients, myelofibrosis changes into a
particularly aggressive form of acute leukaemia.
Frank Giles, Professor of Cancer Therapeutics at NUI Galway and Trinity
College Dublin and Director of the HRB Clinical Research Facility, Galway,
is leading the study with Eibhlin Conneally, Consultant Haematologist at St
James’s Hospital, Dublin.
The study is being run in conjunction with centres in France, Italy and the
UK, and involves a combination of Ruxolitinib, manufactured by Novartis,
and another pill that also targets the abnormal pathways that drive
myelofibrosis. The clinical trial is one of many in which NUI Galway and
the HRB Clinical Research Facility, Galway are involved.
US Government using linked data to benefit society
Agencies in the US Government have adopted a set of web tools and standards developed in
Ireland by researchers at NUI Galway’s Digital Enterprise Research Institute (DERI).
DERI’s technologies are now used by Data.gov, a portal developed to bring an
unprecedented level of transparency to the US Government. DERI’s research, which is
funded by Science Foundation Ireland, focuses on enabling networked knowledge, using the
latest Semantic Web and Linked Data technologies. Its technologies allow related data not
previously linked to be connected together, so that a person or computer can see the bigger
picture through interlinked datasets. Data.gov allows the linking of open government data
from agency publishers to contributions from other public and private organisations.
Data.gov is part of a global initiative referred to as the Open Data movement, whose goal is to motivate governments to make public
information freely available and easily accessible online. Other examples include data.gov.uk and data.london.gov.uk from the UK, and
data.fingal.ie and dublinked.ie from Ireland.
Researchers at DERI in NUI Galway are in the vanguard of this new technology space. The largest research organisation of its kind in the
world with its 140 researchers, it is collaborating with industry and governments to revolutionise the utilisation of data.
Two new systems supporting research
ARAN is NUI Galway's public and open access repository, making freely available scholarly communication, including
peer-reviewed articles, working papers and conference papers created by NUI Galway researchers.
Visit aran.library.nuigalway.ie
ARAN is supported by a new institutional research information system, IRIS. IRIS is a publications database which generates
profiles for all of our researchers. Visit www.nuigalway.ie/our-research/people/ to view our researcher profiles.
-9-
Gene therapy for more
successful organ transplants
The ‘red book’
An archive on negotiating peace
The full text of the ‘red book’, intermediary Brendan Duddy’s handwritten
account of the 1981 hunger strike negotiations, was made available online
by the James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway in January 2012. The
document is held as part of the extensive Brendan Duddy Archive, which
has been deposited at NUI Galway, and provides a unique insight into the
resolution of the ‘Troubles’, during which he secretly acted as an
intermediary between the British government and the IRA.
The Duddy papers are directly related to the papers of Ruairí Ó Brádaigh,
former President of Sinn Féin, which are also held in the James Hardiman
Library at NUI Galway. Together, these archives constitute one of the
most important sources for understanding the attempts to resolve conflict
in Ireland that culminated in the Good Friday Agreement of 1998.
Success rates for cornea transplants could be
greatly improved following a major advance in
genetically modifying donor corneas. In
February 2012, scientists at NUI Galway’s
Regenerative Medicine Institute (REMEDI)
devised a method, in preclinical trials, to
genetically modify donor corneas so that
they are less likely to be rejected by the host
immune system.
With more than 100,000 procedures a year
worldwide, cornea transplantation
(keratoplasty) is the most frequent transplant
procedure. Although keratoplasty is a procedure
with good success rates, incidence of graft
rejection still exists. For some high-risk patients,
rejection rates can be as high as 50%.
Using its breakthrough technique on the donor
corneal tissue before grafting, the REMEDI
team showed success in laboratory trials of
decreased inflammatory response and
protection against rejection.
The research team at NUI Galway, funded
by Science Foundation Ireland, was led by
Dr Thomas Ritter. Further investigations by
scientists at REMEDI, using mesenchymal stem
cells, will examine how these potent cells could
also be used to prevent graft rejection.
Brendan Duddy, along with many family members, came to the University
in November 2011 to officially mark the receipt of the archives and
participated in a symposium called ‘Negotiating Peace’.
The archive is in the James Hardiman Library, home to a range of theatre,
literary, historical and political archives. Collections include the archives
of the Druid and Lyric Players theatres and of Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe;
the literary papers of John McGahern and Thomas Kilroy; the Huston
Archive; and original documents relating to the foundation of the Gaelic
Athletic Association, as well as the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’.
Potential to double the workforce
Innovative research commissioned by the Western Development
Commission (WDC) and carried out by researchers at NUI Galway's
Institute for Business, Social Sciences and Public Policy highlighted the
potential for a doubling of the workforce employed in the creative sector over
the next 10 years.
This could lead to up to €150 million in additional exports per annum from
the sector. The report was a follow-up to the WDC’s much heralded Creative
West report, published in February 2009, which in itself established the
creative economy in the Western Region as being internationally significant
with 4,775 businesses employing 11,000 people directly.
The follow-up analysis, published on 1 July 2011, and entitled ‘Creative
Sector in The Western Region – Future Growth Trajectories’, was compiled
by a research team led by NUI Galway’s Dr Patrick Collins. The report maps
out the future growth scenarios for an industrial sector that has been bucking
international trends in terms of growth.
- 10 -
Report of the President 2011/12
Risks of social
exclusion for
rural older people
At the report launch, Minister Lynch, Minister O’Neill and President Browne.
A new report from NUI Galway found that while growing old
in rural areas can be a positive experience, there are also a number
of factors which may lead to older people experiencing social
exclusion.
The findings were launched on 20 February 2012 at NUI Galway
by Ireland’s Minister of State for Disability, Equality, Mental
Health and Older People, Kathleen Lynch TD, and Northern
Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development,
Michelle O’Neill MLA.
The report, ‘Social Exclusion and Ageing in Diverse Rural
Communities’, from NUI Galway’s Irish Centre for Social
Gerontology, was the first of its kind on the island of Ireland.
It took an in-depth look at exclusion for older people living in
rural settings across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Older people in the study were generally happy with their lives
and with where they lived and were optimistic about the future.
However, it was clear to the authors that service depletion, weak
social connections and older people’s low expectations were
significant issues.
Rise in Sea Levels and Temperature Predicted
for Irish Sea
The Irish Sea will experience a rise in sea levels of almost half a metre and significant
changes in temperature, according to research by engineers at NUI Galway’s
Ryan Institute.
The research suggests that by the end of the century the Irish Sea will be warmer with
sea surface temperature increases of around 1.9 C. Such temperature increases may
have a significant impact on physical and transport processes within the Irish Sea,
as well as implications for ecosystems and fishing.
The Irish Sea, being semi-enclosed, has a unique and complex geography, which
influences its currents. Researchers at the Ryan Institute used the latest threedimensional hydrodynamic modelling technologies to compute future changes.
The research presented was the first model-based projection of the Irish Sea’s future
climate and in this regard it is the most comprehensive study of this region. The
research was led by Dr Mike Hartnett and carried out with funding from the
Environmental Protection Agency and the Higher Education Authority’s Programme
for Research in Third-Level Institutions.
- 11 -
Engaging with
our Community
Let’s Do It Global
A partial replica of NUI Galway’s
Quadrangle in the Global Village
attracted thousands of visitors
during the Volvo Ocean Race
Finale Festival. Among the visitors
to the NUI Galway Pavilion were
President of Ireland Michael D.
Higgins and An Taoiseach,
Enda Kenny.
The NUI Galway pavilion featured
interactive demonstrations and exhibitions
showcasing the cutting-edge innovation and
research for which the University has a
world-wide reputation.
Credit: Ian Roman,
Volvo Ocean Race
With estimated visitor numbers to Galway
of up to 700,000 people, the nine-day
festival from 30 June to 8 July 2012 was the
largest sporting event of the year in Ireland.
The University’s whole-hearted involvement
in the event also included its role as the
official education partner of Volvo Ocean
Race Galway’s volunteering programme.
It brought its considerable experience in
the field of volunteering and community
engagement to the event to recruit the
‘small army’ of volunteers needed to
support the overall festival.
Meanwhile, the official ‘Volvo Ocean Race
Festival Galway’ app, specifically designed
for the event, was the creation of a team of
researchers based at the Digital Enterprise
Research Institute (DERI) in NUI Galway.
As well as its pavilion, NUI Galway also
had a presence in the Innovation and
Marine Pillars at the Global Village,
while a separate Speaker Session in the
Global Village also featured some of
NUI Galway’s experts.
The NUI Galway pavilion featured interactive demonstrations and exhibitions
- 12 -
Report of the President 2011/12
10,000 visitors for Sea2Sky
Over 10,000 visitors descended on Salthill on 28 September 2011 for Ireland’s first participation in European Researchers Night.
Billed as ‘Sea2Sky’ by organisers at NUI Galway, the celebration of science and research ran in parallel with events across 320 cities
in Europe. The Galway event was visited by European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire GeogheganQuinn.
This was the first time Ireland participated in European Researchers Night and NUI Galway collaborated with the Marine Institute
and Galway Atlantaquaria to deliver a very successful event. Hundreds of researchers displayed their work in the fields of marine,
atmospherics and astronomy.
Most successful Science
and Technology Festival Exhibition
The 2011 Galway Science and Technology Festival Exhibition,
part of Discover Science’s National Science Week, was held on
the NUI Galway campus on 27 November, 2011, and attracted
24,000 visitors. The event was officially opened by the European
Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire
Geoghegan-Quinn.
The event ran very smoothly, with 100 volunteers providing
information and directions to families attending the 80
interactive exhibition stands and the various shows and
workshops throughout the University campus.
Families and children enjoyed an array of colourful stands.
Medtronic demonstrated how blood pumps around the body,
Boston Scientific’s stand featured a large stent for children to
examine, SAP provided a First Lego League, Hewlett Packard,
with the help of sixth class students from Briarhill School,
explained Cloud Computing, NUI Galway researchers gave 3D
Tours of the Universe, while other amazing stands were hosted
by CISCO, Covidien, Avaya and Lake Region.
- 13 -
Galway Arts Festival is SELECTED
Galway Arts Festival and NUI Galway were again partners in 2012,
with the focus on several initiatives during the event, from
16-29 July. As a leader in the field of volunteerism through its
ALIVE programme, NUI Galway partnered the 35th Galway Arts
Festival’s Volunteer Programme.
Another initiative, SELECTED, gave six students from
the MA in Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway full
access to every aspect of the Festival. SELECTED offered
the students the opportunity to see how a festival of such
magnitude is put together while attending shows,
post-show talks and getting a hands-on experience from
performers and organisers.
The selected students were also given the opportunity to
meet with visiting international festival directors.
NUI Galway also partnered with the festival on a new
strand of programming called First Thought Talks. This
new initiative featured a series of lectures, talks and ‘in
conversations with’ on the subject of creativity and it
attracted large crowds.
- 14 -
Report of the President 2011/12
NUI Galway Nurtures
Next Generation of
Technology Users
Rugby Youth Academy
At the launch of NUI Galway's new Rugby Youth Academy were members of the Galway-based rugby club
Na Bairneachaí and Connacht Rugby coach Eric Elwood and player Johnny O'Connor.
NUI Galway saw huge numbers attend a
series of CoderDojo events held on
campus in early February 2012.
CoderDojo is an Irish-led global network
of computer clubs where young people
come to learn to code, develop websites,
apps, games and more.
In August 2011, NUI Galway announced the establishment of a Rugby Youth Academy
to cater for teenagers in Galway. The Youth Academy is an integral part of the existing
university rugby club which was formed in 1874 and is a founder member of the IRFU.
Topics covered in CoderDojo Galway
include web technologies such as HTML,
CSS and Javascript and programming
languages such as Scratch.
Notable rugby graduates of NUI Galway Rugby Club include Ciaran Fitzgerald who
captained both Ireland and the British and Irish Lions. The development of the Youth
Academy, coupled with the University’s Sports Scholarship, is aimed primarily at
strengthening the University’s AIL U20 squad in the medium term.
The free events were organised by the
Discipline of Information Technology
and DERI, with the support of the
Community Knowledge Initiative.
A University Experience for
10-year-olds
Over 60 primary school children from across Galway
city and county successfully completed NUI Galway’s
Youth Academy at a special ceremony on 9 June 2012.
The Youth Academy worked with high-ability primary
school children in the local community to support
their learning and academic development. The
programme aims to inspire entry into third-level
education by introducing children, and their families,
to university life and by creating positive perceptions
of the University and its academic programmes.
The Youth Academy programme ran over a six-week
period on Saturday mornings and received funding
from the University’s Bright Ideas initiative.
- 15 -
Student
Success
Round Ireland
Yacht Race
A crew of ten NUI Galway students and
graduates finished sixth place in the overall
standings, and first in their class, in the
2012 Round Ireland Yacht Race. The team,
one of the youngest to compete in the
competition, was the second Irish boat to
cross the finishing line in their 38-ft racing
yacht chartered especially for the race.
The Round Ireland Yacht Race is a
1,400km non-stop circumnavigation of
Ireland by sea and is held every two years.
The NUI Galway crew completed the race
in five days, two hours and six minutes.
The crew was made up of students and
graduates from various disciplines, and
skippered by Earth and Ocean Sciences
postgraduate student Cathal Clarke.
Enterprise Ireland
‘Think Outside the Box’ Award
On 8 June 2012, a team of students from NUI Galway was named
College Entrepreneur of the Year 2012. The students won the
prestigious top prize of €10,000 at this year’s Enterprise Ireland
‘Think Outside the Box’ Awards.
Justin Conboy, Garrett Archbold and Dearbhaile Forde
The winning team were First Year Engineering students at
NUI Galway and they beat off stiff competition with their project
DRS.ie. The team invented a drag reduction device which can reduce
the drag between a truck and its container load so significantly that it
will reduce fuel consumption of the truck by 8%. The team is
represented by students Justin Conboy, Dearbhaile Forde and
Garrett Archbold.
- 16 -
Report of the President 2011/12
HRB
Watts
Medal
Dympna O’Dwyer
Outstanding Young Person of Ireland
Four NUI Galway Medical students were presented with
prizes from the Health Research Board (HRB) in January,
2012. The overall winner of the Watts Medal was fourthyear medical student Dympna O’Dwyer from Mullagh,
Co Clare, with second place going to Sarah Cormican
from Oranmore, Co Galway, a third year medical student
at the University.
Originally from Ballyglunin, Athenry, Co. Galway, Eva-Marie Costello
is a third-year Science student. She set up the Ashirbad Society on
campus, which focuses on sending NUI Galway students to India
during the summer months to improve the living and educational
conditions for the underprivileged.
Fourth-year medical student Urszula Donigiewicz from
Carrigtwohill, Co Sligo, was awarded with first place in the
Watts Poster competition and third place was awarded to
third year medical student Maria Duignan from Boyle,
Co Roscommon.
NUI Galway student Eva-Marie Costello has been awarded The Outstanding Young
Person of Ireland award from Junior Chamber International (JCI), and has been put
forward as a candidate for the Outstanding Young Persons of the World title, which
will be announced later in 2012.
The Watts Medal is an annual prize awarded for the best
presentation of scientific work to a lay audience.
Undergraduate students who win a HRB Summer
Scholarship are entitled to enter.
‘CodeNinjas’ Unmasked in App
Competition for Galway Student
Developers
Cian Brassil and Oisin Halpin, creators of WestCoastSurfer.com
€15,000 for Surfer Website
A surfing website designed by two students, which has the potential to
develop tourism in the West of Ireland, scooped the top prize of €15,000
at the NUI Galway Student Enterprise Awards in June 2011.
WestCoastSurfer.com is the brainchild of Oisin Halpin and Cian Brassil.
Oisin is a third year Earth and Ocean Science student from Achill Island,
Co Mayo, while Cian is a second year Information Technology student
from Kilcolgan, Co Galway. Their goal is to design, build, promote,
develop and manage the premier Irish surfing website.
- 17 -
In CodeNinja, the app development competition for
NUI Galway and GMIT students, the runner-up prize in the
group category went to ‘Message in a Bottle’, a web app
where people cast short messages into a virtual sea and
others can choose to read and keep these messages or throw
them back in the ocean. Demonstrating the app are two of
its creators Aleksei Lorenz, a final year Computer Science
student at NUI Galway who is originally from Belarus, and
Yan Chak Or, an Administration and Information Systems
student at GMIT, who is originally from Hong Kong.
Accolades and
Achievements
The Honours Lists
At NUI Galway the ranks of honorary conferees include, among many others, Nelson
Mandela, Hilary Clinton, Christy O’Connor Snr and Jnr, Enya, Anjelica Huston and
Fionnuala Flanagan. Every year a select number of outstanding individuals join this
illustrious list.
Irial Finan, Maureen Dowd, Minister Jim Flaherty MP, and Sebastian Barry
Honorary Degrees conferred on 29 June 2012
Sebastian Barry, Doctor of Literature, award-winning playwright and novelist, whose work has been translated into more than
35 languages.
Maureen Dowd, Doctor of Literature, opinion columnist with The New York Times and bestselling author.
Irian Finan, Doctor of Laws, Executive Vice President of the Coca-Cola Company and President of Bottling Investments.
Jim Flaherty MP, Doctor of Laws, Canada’s Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the Greater Toronto Area,
a governor of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
- 18 -
Report of the President 2011/12
President Browne, Margaret Atwood, Seán O’Rourke, Seán Campbell and Professor Gio Wiederhold
Honorary Degrees conferred on 24 June 2011
Margaret Atwood, Doctor of Literature, Canadian author of more than 40 books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays.
Seán Campbell, Doctor of Laws, Chief Executive Officer of Foróige, Ireland’s leading youth organisation, which is a partner in the
UNESCO Chair in Children, Youth and Civic Engagement at NUI Galway.
Seán O’Rourke, Doctor of Laws, presenter of RTÉ’s News at One and The Week in Politics. Winner of a 2006 NUI Galway Alumni
Award and founding chairperson of the Alumni Association’s Dublin Club.
Professor Gio Wiederhold, Doctor of Science, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Medicine
at Stanford University.
1
2
Honorary Masters Degrees,
21-28 October 2011
1. William Henry, Master of Arts, author and columnist
with local newspapers on Galway’s civic traditions
and its military heritage.
35.
2. Peadar O’Dowd, Master of Arts, historian, author,
contributor to local media and tour guide of
Galway City.
4
3. Stan Shields, Master of Arts, retired staff
photographer for the Connacht Tribune. For decades,
a chronicler in photos of Galway city and county life.
4. Kathleen Villiers Tuthill, Master of Arts, author of
five books on the history of Connemara, west Galway
and Alexander Nimmo.
5
5. Martin Ward, Master of Rural Development, leader in
community development in Glinsk, Co Galway for
the last 40 years.
- 19 -
Alumni Awards
The Annual Alumni Awards
celebrate the life-long value of an
NUI Galway education and
recognise individual achievements
among the University’s more than
90,000 graduates worldwide.
A celebration of the achievements of NUI Galway’s
alumni took place in the Bailey Allen Hall on campus on
3 March 2012, with special guest An Taoiseach Enda
Kenny TD. Over 450 people gathered for the 12th
Annual Gala Banquet, a glamorous occasion hosted by
RTÉ’s Deputy Director of TV Programmes and NUI
Galway graduate, Mairéad Ní Nuadháin. Entertainment
for the Gala was provided by internationally renowned
Donegal singer Moya Brennan, formerly of Clannad
fame. Among the guests were alumni, staff, students
and friends of the University.
The feature of the night was the presentation of the
Annual Alumni Awards to:
Bank of Ireland Award for Business, Public Policy
and Law
Máire Whelan, Attorney General of Ireland.
●
An Taoiseach Enda Kenny
Bank of Ireland Award for Engineering and
Informatics
Gerry Kilcommins, VP Global Vascular Operations
and General Manager Medtronic Galway and past
President American Chamber of Commerce, Ireland.
●
NUI Galway Alumni Award for Science
Professor Fergal O’Gara, Chair of Microbiology UCC;
Director, BIOMERIT Research Centre (BRC).
●
AIB Award for Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies
Marie Mullen, Druid Theatre Company co-founder,
and actress.
●
Medtronic Award for Medicine, Nursing and Health
Sciences
Professor Tim O’Brien, Director, Gait Laboratory
and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Central
Remedial Clinic.
●
Back row, l-r: RTÉ’s Mairéad Ní Nuadháin; Professor Fergal O'Gara, Gerry
Kilcommins, President Jim Browne, Peadar Mac an Iomaire,
and Sandra Butler, Chair of the Alumni Association Board.
Duais Hewlett-Packard don Ghaeilge
Peadar Mac an Iomaire, Iar-Phríomhfheidhmeannach,
Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh.
●
Front row, l-r: Máire Whelan, Professor Tim O'Brien, and Marie Mullen.
- 20 -
Report of the President 2011/12
New Vice-President for the Student Experience
In autumn 2011, Dr Pat Morgan was appointed Vice-President for the Student Experience
having served as Dean of Graduate Studies since 2008. Dr Morgan is an elected member of
NUI Galway’s Governing Authority since 1998 and an elected member of the NUI Senate
since 2002. In 2008 she was presented with a Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence.
Dr Pat Morgan
Royal Irish Academy Honours Three
of NUI Galway’s Leading Academics
In November 2011, the US
Board of the Galway
University Foundation hosted
its fifth Annual Gala at the
Metropolitan Club in New
York City. The event
honoured Adrian Jones, BA
1986 and Managing Director,
Merchant Banking Division
of Goldman Sachs.
Two NUI Galway academics were admitted as new members of the
Royal Irish Academy (RIA) in 2011. The admittance of Professor
Steven Ellis and Professor Adrian Frazier brings to 38 the number of
NUI Galway academics who have joined the prestigious RIA.
At NUI Galway, Steven Ellis is Professor of History and Adrian
Frazier is Professor of English.
The gala attracted a capacity
crowd of graduates and
friends of NUI Galway from
the United States and Ireland
and raised in excess of
$200,000 for Autism Research
at NUI Galway.
In December 2011, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn
TD presented an RIA Gold Medal to Professor William Schabas,
Chairman of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway.
The RIA Medals acclaim Ireland’s foremost contributors to the
world of learning and science and are awarded to only two
outstanding academics each year.
Adrian Jones, Goldman Sachs.
National Award for English Lecturer
NUI Galway Lecturer in English Dr Frances McCormack was among third-level teachers recognised as exemplifying excellence in
teaching at the 2011 National Academy for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (NAIRTL) awards. Dr McCormack is
also the Vice-Dean of Learning and Assessment in the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies. The highly competitive
awards value and celebrate successful efforts at integrating research, teaching and learning.
Previous NUI Galway recipients include Dr Dagmar Stengel (Botany and Plant Sciences), Dr Aisling McCluskey (Mathematics),
Prof Ray Murphy (Human Rights) and Dr Peter Cantillon (General Practice).
iTunes
Channel wins
eGovernment
Award
A project developed in Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge
at NUI Galway was presented with an Ireland eGovernment
Award in May 2012. The iTunes U–COGG channel was
developed with funding provided by An Chomhairle um
Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG).
The iTunes U–COGG channel, which won the Irish language
category award, comprises video and sound resources to
promote the acquisition and enrichment of the
Irish language in all-Irish schools within and outside the
Gaeltacht. In this initial stage of the project, 300 media clips
have been carefully selected and are aimed at fifth and sixth
classes. These learning clips cover genres such as song, poetry,
stories, puzzles, factual and historical events. The clips are
presented in different dialects selected from the rich archive
materials of RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and NUI Galway.
- 21 -
Report of the President 2011/12
NUI Galway at a glance
Students
International Students
Staff
In 2011-12 there were 17,318
students at NUI Galway.
In 2011-12 there were 2, 257 international
students at NUI Galway.
NUI Galway is the second largest employer
in Galway City. In 2011-12 there were 2,541
staff working at NUI Galway.
Undergraduate
12,464
Undergraduate
636
Postgraduate Taught
2,377
Postgraduate Taught
213
Academic Staff
Postgraduate Research
1,246
Postgraduate Research
328
Research Staff
Exchange/Visiting Students 953
Other Students
Total
Total
17,318
About NUI Galway
●
●
●
●
448
Administrative/Support Staff 1,015
Erasmus, Visiting and
International Summer School 1,080
278
1,078
Total
2,541
2,257
Estate
Established in 1845
90,000 Alumni in 107 countries
5,295 graduates in 2011/12
178 PhD graduates in 2011/12
The riverside campus
has over 90 buildings
on 105 hectares.
Other Income
Student Fees
€10m
2011/12 Income
The University has an annual income of €222 million
and a capital spend of circa €40 million.
€101m
State Grant
€53m
Research Income
€58m
Other income
€10m
Total
Research Income
€58
€101m
€5
3m
Student Fees
State Grant
€222m
Technology Transfer
Údarás na hOllscoile/Governing Authority
In recent years, NUI Galway has
consistently outperformed every other
Irish university in terms of technology
transfer. Notable achievements in 2011
alone include:
Dr Noel Dorr
• The creation of four start-up
companies leading to high tech job
creation
• The licensing of 19 technologies to
both Irish and international companies
• 47 new inventions disclosed
• Eight new patent applications
• 19 licence and option agreements
• 26 R&D contracts with industrial
contribution greater than €25,000
Chair
University Management Team
Dr James J. Browne
President
Professor Nollaig Mac Congáil
Registrar and Deputy-President
Mr Keith Warnock
Vice-President for Capital Projects
Ms Mary Dooley
Bursar
Mr Gearóid Ó Conluain
University Secretary
Dr Kieran Loftus
Executive Director of Operations
Professor Chris Curtin
Vice-President for Innovation and Performance
- 22 -