News Archive

NUI Galway’s Lorraine Tansey was one of 28 President’s Award Leaders who was recognised at a special Civic Merit Award Ceremony. The President’s Awards recognise these Leaders from all over Ireland who have supported young people to take part in the Gaisce programme for more than five years.The ceremony was MC’d by Gold Awardee Jamie Moore and the guest speaker on the night was Irish sports commentator Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh.  Speaking about the Civic Merit Awardees, Yvonne McKenna, CEO of Gaisce – The President’s Award said, “Gaisce are delighted to celebrate the work of our President’s Award Leaders. We could not empower young people to realise their potential without them. Our President’s Award Leaders truly are the lifeblood of the Gaisce programme.” She continued: “Five years is a big milestone, and the time and hours given by you all collectively is enormous. Incalculable, however, is impact you have all had on the lives of young people in Ireland, an impact that will continue to be felt long after they have received their Gaisce award.” Lorraine Tansey as NUI Galway’s President Awards Leader has been supporting students to achieve the challenges of the Gaisce award programme for fifteen years. Lorraine said: “Community volunteering, skill development and physical movement are the three main components of the award and students inspire us across the campus to actively engage in civic skills.” A special message from the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins was read by Chair of Gaisce – The President’s Award John Cunningham: “I thank you for the generous support you offer to the many young people who, every year, undertake the Gaisce journey. That is a greatly empowering journey on which you all play an important part, impacting positively on the development of so many of our younger citizens.” Gaisce – The President’s Award is a personal development programme for young people which enhances confidence and wellbeing through participation in personal, physical and community challenges.   Since its inception in 1985 over 178,000 young Irish people have completed a Gaisce Award, including former Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh and Irish rugby international Robbie Henshaw. -Ends-

New video documentary highlights people who work in labs are using 15-16 times more plastic than the average person in Ireland CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices based at NUI Galway has launched a new short video documentary ‘The time to green our labs is now’ as part of the Galway Green Labs initiative, which recently led to the CÚRAM lab being the first in Europe to be awarded Green Lab Certification. The video documentary tells the story of the Galway Green Labs initiative, which was spearheaded by Dr Una Fitzgerald, a CÚRAM funded Investigator and Director of the Galway Neuroscience Centre at NUI Galway. Together with her ‘green team’ of CÚRAM researchers and staff, and with the support of the University Registrar and Deputy President, Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, and the Community University Sustainability Partnership, she is working to transform practice across campus to address issues such as plastic waste, energy reduction, recycling, and water usage. Dr Una Fitzgerald, NUI Galway, explains her motivation for establishing Galway Green Labs: “What has emerged is that people who work in labs are using 15-16 times more plastic than the average person in Ireland. This practice is done more so out of convenience than out of necessity, so we’re trying to change mind-sets to heighten our awareness of the cumulative negative impact on the environment of this way of working. All we’re asking lab scientists to do is question what they’re doing - to ask themselves, “Is there something I can do to lessen the environmental impact of my work in the lab”. And to talk to others, and spread the message of the urgent need for change.” University Registrar and Deputy President, Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, is supporting the initiative and commented: "For many years NUI Galway has been improving its performance in terms of energy efficient buildings, waste management, water use and more. Recently we've brought together a Community and University Sustainability Programme that is looking at practices and spreading what we do out into the entire community and crucially bringing it into educational practices under the model Learn - Live - Lead. The Galway Green Labs initiative is a major part of this work." Certification was awarded this November by My Green Lab, a non-profit organisation that aims to fundamentally and permanently improve the sustainability of scientific research by unifying and leading scientists, vendors, designers, energy providers, and others in a common drive toward a world in which all research reflects the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. Run for scientists, by scientists, it leverages its credibility and track record to develop standards, oversee their implementation, and inspire the many behavioural changes that are needed throughout the scientific community.  Though My Green Lab focuses solely on laboratory environments, it believes its activities will excite similar changes across other industries, and in the private lives of the millions of people who spend their time in labs. Alison Paradise, CEO of My Green Lab, commented: “Labs comprise an industry that is three times larger than the construction industry and half the size of the automotive industry. Labs, for all their good intentions, are estimated to discard over more than 5.5 million metric tonnes of plastic each year, which is enough to cover an area 23 times the size of Galway ankle-deep. They also consume 5-10 times more energy and water than office spaces. If every lab in Ireland were to turn off just one piece of equipment overnight for a year, it would be the equivalent to offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions associated with driving 2.8 million kilometres.” Sinéad Ní Mhainnín, Resource Efficiency Officer, Connacht Ulster Regional Waste Management Office, who appears in the film, is supporting Galway Green Labs, and says: “By 2020 we aim to achieve a 50 percent recycling rate for municipal dry recycling. Working with Dr Fitzgerald and the Galway Green Labs team is going to go a long way to help us in achieving this goal.” The documentary is funded by CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices at NUI Galway, Connacht Ulster Regional Waste Management Office and St. Anthony’s and Claddagh Credit Union, Galway. For more information about Galway Green Labs, contact Dr Una Fitzgerald, NUI Galway, at una.fitzgerald@nuigalway.ie.  Click here to view the Galway Green Labs short video documentary:https://vimeo.com/375847945. Follow on Twitter at #GalwayGreenLabs and @GalwayGreenLabs.  -Ends-

The winners of the prestigious 2019 Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Awards were revealed recently at the annual SFI Science Summit. NUI Galway academics Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM received the ‘SFI Best International Engagement Award’ and Dr Muriel Grenon, lecturer in Biochemistry from the School of Natural Sciences received the ‘SFI Outstanding Contribution to STEM Communication’ award. Over 300 leading members of Ireland’s research community came together to celebrate the significant contributions made over the past year to Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) in Ireland. This year there were eight categories in total, with ten award winners. The SFI Best International Engagement Award recognised the accomplishments of Professor Abhay Pandit for his research-led international activities at CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices based at NUI Galway. Speaking about his award, Professor Abhay Pandit, CÚRAM, NUI Galway, said: “I am honoured to receive this award from SFI. This honour recognises the trust, hard work, dedication and excellence of the entire team of advisors, researchers, industry partners and staff at CÚRAM who I have the privilege to work and collaborate with. It is through our international research collaborations that we are driving the development of new understandings and the advancement of real solutions to develop affordable, innovative and transformative device-based solutions to treat global chronic diseases. By striving to be outward facing we are not only training to empower future leaders but also work hard to champion stakeholders in the community (artists, filmmakers, teachers) to engage them with the STEM message.” The SFI Outstanding Contribution to STEM Communication award recognised the accomplishments of Dr Muriel Grenon for her outstanding contribution to the popularisation of science and raising public awareness of the value of science to human progress. Speaking about her award, Dr Muriel Grenon, NUI Galway, said: “I would like to share this award with all past and present Cell EXPLORERS coordinators, volunteers, and supporters. Our programme is based on the simple idea of sending local science role models with a passion for Science to meet the general public locally. We meet young people at an age when they decide if they like science and if they would consider it as a career. Due to its hands-on aspect, the programme has achieved great popularity within schools and contributes to changing stereotypes about science and scientists. This is only possible through the amazing work that our coordinators do behind the scenes and the dedication of our volunteer scientists. I am very proud of what we have achieved together – the delivery of a programme with a high standard of public engagement, a high education value, inspiring many young children all over Ireland.” Professor Pandit is an Established Professor of Biomaterials at NUI Galway and Scientific Director of CÚRAM. He has been an elected member on the Council for both the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society and European Society for Biomaterials Society. He was the first Irish academic to be inducted as an International Fellow in Biomaterials Science and Engineering by the International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering and elected as a Fellow of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative International Society. He was also elected to the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. Professor Pandit has published more than 250 papers in peer-reviewed journals, filed numerous patent applications and has licensed four technologies to medical device companies. He has coordinated four EU grants to date and has generated research contracts from industry and government funding agencies totalling €90 million. Throughout his career, his work has been outward facing, from engaging in international collaborations and hosting international conferences, to supporting trade missions and championing residency programs for leaders in the community (artists, filmmakers, teachers) to empower them with the STEM message. Dr Grenon is a lecturer in Biochemistry at the School of Natural Sciences in NUI Galway and the founding Director of the Cell EXPLORERS science outreach programme. Dr Grenon started out the programme in 2012 with a team of 10 undergraduate science students in NUI Galway and has built Cell EXPLORERS into a national network comprising 13 partner teams with members from 15 Higher Education Institutions in Ireland. Between 2012 and 2018 Cell EXPLORERS involved 1,187 team members, visited 471 classrooms in 280 schools and reached 32,000 members of the public. Cell EXPLORERS has also successfully integrated science outreach projects into the final year of the Biochemistry undergraduate course at NUI Galway allowing the creation of potential novel science outreach resources each semester. Dr Grenon is also involved in driving science communication internationally: Cell EXPLORERS is part of Scientix, the community for Science Education in Europe. The programme has also started a collaboration with the University of Kwatzulu-Natal in South Africa, where a team is currently piloting the ‘Fantastic DNA school’ visits. Dr Grenon’s contribution and dedication to the popularisation of STEM has been recognised by the ‘Outstanding Contribution to STEM’ award at the 2013 Galway Science and Technology Festival, the 2017 ‘NUI Galway President Award for Societal Impact’ and been made Knight of the Order of the Palmes Académiques by the French Ministry of Education in 2019. -Ends-

Ombudsman for Children’s Office and UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre launch collaboration, Our Future:  Voices from Transition Year   The Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) and the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway have joined forces to co-host Our Future:  Voices from Transition Year, an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). On Friday, 29 November, 150 transition year students from Galway city and county taking part in Our Future: Voices from Transition Year will be asked to share their priorities for the future and the changes they feel are needed to ensure that children’s rights and interests are promoted and protected in Ireland. The young people will engage in a series of Youth Cafe round table discussions and there will also be an opportunity to provide feedback to the Ombudsman and the UNESCO Chair. 2019 is also the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Ombudsman for Children’s Office and the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre. Reflecting these milestones, the OCO and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child collaborated to host a youth-led event to ask students about the key issues that concern them and the programmes or policies they would like to see in place to support them to reach their potential. They will also invite children to share their views on how the UNESCO Centre and the OCO can bring their influence to bear on these issues into the future. The event, organised and moderated by young people, is part of the Youth as Researchers programme at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre at NUI Galway.   The Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon said: “2019 is a significant year as it marks not only the 30th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but also 15 years since the Ombudsman for Children’s Office was established and 10 years since the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre came into being. We are delighted to take this opportunity to use the experience we have built up over the years to meaningfully engage with children. “Children have the right, under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to have their views on issues that concern and affect them heard and considered. I will take every opportunity to share the views and concerns of those taking part in Our Future: Voices from Transition Year as I travel the country, advise on policy and legislation and meet with decision makers at all levels.” UNESCO Chair, Professor Pat Dolan, NUI Galway commented: “Supporting young people to engage in research on issues of interest to them is core to the UNESCO agenda for the development of youth participation and its potential for fostering better social responsibility and civic behaviour. Given the concerns of school-aged children in social issues like bullying, racism and climate change for example, opportunities to have their voices heard are hugely important. Research has shown that civic engagement positively contributes to adolescents’ development, enhancing their skill set and empowering them to investigate and take action on issues of relevance to their lives.” Our Future: Voices from Transition year will take place at the Institute for Lifecourse and Society, North Campus, NUI Galway at 10:30am on Friday, 29 November. -Ends

NUI Galway has announced the winners of its Threesis 2019 competition which took place in the O’Donoghue Theatre on campus recently. The fast-paced event featured three-minute talks by twelve NUI Galway researchers who shared the story of their research using just three presentation slides, in front of three judges and a voting audience of over 100 people. The winner of Threesis 2019 as well as securing the Audience Winner prize was Sam Afoullouss with his bite-sized talk ‘Ireland’s Deep Sea Pharmacy’. Sam is a PhD candidate in the School of Chemistry and School of Natural Science, working together with both the Ryan Institute and Marine Institute. Sam’s research focuses on discovering new medicines derived from marine organisms. In particular, he studies sponges and corals from the Irish Deep-Sea, located off the west coast of Ireland, at a depth of 2 km. His research is funded by Science Foundation Ireland. In second place was Ríona Walsh, with her talk ‘Into the Woods: Can Woodland Creatures Protect us from Lyme Disease?’ Ríona is a PhD candidate in the School of Natural Sciences. Her research is transdisciplinary research on Lyme disease in Ireland, investigating the ecology, epidemiology, and awareness of this disease. Her work is funded by the School of Natural Sciences scholarship. Securing third place from the judges was Tianming Yao with his talk ‘Shaking off Romantic Shackles’. Tianming is PhD student in the School of Political Science and Sociology. His research topic is the media construction of sexuality. His research investigates how our bodies and emotions have been regulated and controlled by social structure, and explores the underlying power transition behind the changing media construction of sexuality. Not only was there the challenge of time as part of Threesis, but the participants were tasked with using clear and jargon-free language. The judges in the final were: journalist Lorna Siggins; Dr Sylvia Maretto, Research Support Officer, NUI Galway; and John Crumlish CEO, Galway International Arts Festival. Professor Andrew Shearer from NUI Galway’s School of Physics acted as MC for the evening. Professor Lokesh Joshi, NUI Galway’s Vice-President for Research, commented: “Threesis brings some of our fantastic people carrying out incredible research across all disciplines on a journey which empowers them to communicate the story of their research clearly and concisely. The grand finale was a really interesting event, full of fascinating, bite-sized insights into incredible research. Finally, I would like to congratulate Sam, who was a very worthy winner tonight in final full of excellent speakers.” The Threesis competition was initiated at NUI Galway in 2012. It is open to all research students and postdoctoral researchers at NUI Galway. Finalists included undergraduate students and PhD candidates from across all Colleges on campus. Videos of the three winning presentations will be available at: www.nuigalway.ie/threesis -Ends-

Researchers from NUI Galway’s Centre for Pain Research recently received prestigious prizes for their research at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Irish Pain Society 2019, continuing an impressive track record of success in these competitions. Researchers from the Centre won prizes in every research category at the event.  Orlaith Mannion won best presentation at the Irish Pain Research Network short oral data blitz for her short presentation demonstrating that drugs which boost levels of the body’s own marijuana-like cannabinoids have potential for effective treatment of post-operative pain following groin hernia repair. Her work was supervised by Professor David Finn and Professor Brian McGuire. Rachel Humphrey won the Irish Pain Society Preclinical Research Medal for her poster demonstrating that alterations in pain processing may be a feature of autism spectrum disorder symptomatology, and pinpointing brain regions that could be implicated. Her work was supervised by Dr Michelle Roche and Professor David Finn. Mehnaz Ferdousi won second prize in the preclinical poster category for her Science Foundation Ireland funded research on the effects of novel opioid drugs on pain, anxiety and depression related behaviour. Her work was supervised by Professor David Finn, Dr Michelle Roche and Professor John Kelly. Monika Pilch won the Irish Pain Society Clinical Research Medal for best clinical poster on how perspective-taking influences what we pay attention to when evaluating facial expressions of pain. Her work was carried out with Dr Denis O’Hora and Professor Brian McGuire. Nessa Sweeney won second prize in the clinical poster category for her work examining the experience of young Irish mentors supporting adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, supervised by Dr Caroline Heary and Professor Brian McGuire. The research competition was judged by a panel of international experts who commended the high quality of the research.  Both co-directors of the Centre for Pain Research at NUI Galway also contributed to the event. Professor Brian McGuire delivered a keynote presentation on the assessment and management of pain in people with an intellectual disability, and Professor David Finn presenting in the Irish Pain Research Network Symposium on the values and challenges of preclinical models in translational research. They joined a number of other clinical experts and scientists from a range of professional disciplines such as pain medicine, surgery, nursing, physiotherapy and psychology in presenting their work to an audience of scientists and health practitioners. Marking the Global Year against Pain in the Most Vulnerable, the meeting heard about challenges and opportunities in identifying and treating pain, and new and innovative approaches in research and clinical practice. -Ends-

As part of the Galway Science and Technology Festival, National University of Ireland Galway will be hosting a Space Careers roadshow on Friday 22nd November. The roadshow is run by ESERO Ireland in partnership with CIT Blackrock Castle Observatory. Featuring a whole host of speakers from the Space Industry including Space engineers, astronomers, and artists, the roadshow offers students the opportunity to see the exciting array of careers available to them in the space industry in Ireland. The roadshow will be emceed by acclaimed Science Communicator and artist Dr Niamh Shaw. Professor Walter Gear, Dean of Science & Engineering at NUI Galway “As an astrophysicist, I am particularly pleased to that the Science & Technology Festival is bringing the Space Careers Roadshow to NUI Galway this week.  Building on Ireland’s membership of esteemed international space organisations, this event showcases the breadth of exciting and rewarding careers available to our graduates in the space sector, including opportunities that extend beyond traditional physics, astronomy and engineering subjects’” Ireland is well positioned to exploit careers in the Space industry. Ireland has a well-educated workforce and excellent tech infrastructure. Our membership of groups such as the European Space Agency and European Southern Observatory affords Irish engineers, astronomers, and more, opportunities that wouldn’t otherwise be available to us. While there are obvious STEM career benefits, there are also opportunities available in areas such as Space Law, Architecture, Art, Languages, and more. Ireland’s commitment to advancing careers in this sector was confirmed earlier this year when the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation launched Ireland’s first Space Strategy for Enterprise. There are still spaces available for students at the Space Careers Roadshow. Spaces are free, but allocated on a first come first served basis. To book spaces for your students contact info@bco.ie or visit http://www.bco.ie/events/.

NUI Galway’s Fiona Neary has been awarded an Achiever of the Year Award as part of Knowledge Transfer Ireland’s Impact Awards. The annual awards showcased the success in knowledge transfer carried out in Ireland’s Higher Education Institutions and publicly funded research organisation for the wider benefit of the economy and society at large. Fiona Neary is Innovation Operations Manager with the NUI Galway’s Innovation Office and was lauded for her passion and commitment to supporting entrepreneurs. In particular, she was recognised as co-founder of BioExel, Ireland’s first MedTech Accelerator. Since January 2018, Fiona co-delivered two rounds of the intensive 6-month investor ready accelerator programme, which saw 14 companies achieved €9.7m investment to date. David Murphy, Director of the Innovation Office at NUI Galway said: “I congratulate Fiona on this well-deserved award.  Fiona drives impact for the university and region by inspiring and progressing the start-up community on campus. She is the interface between these companies and the university, providing practical supports and sharing her expertise as an entrepreneurial mentor.” Spin-Out Company Impact Award NUI Galway was also shortlisted for its spin-out Neurent Medical. Neurent Medical is developing a new-to-world, medical device led procedure to treat patients with rhinitis. The founders of Neurent Medical, having identified an unmet clinical need in treating rhinitis, developed new technology with support of the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund which will remove huge unnecessary spend for the healthcare system. The company’s founders were part of Bioinnovate Ireland at NUI Galway and Neurent Medical spun-out of the university in 2018. The Innovation Office at NUI Galway has supported the project through from idea conception, invention disclosure, funding application, project implementation, IP management and patent protection, and through company formation and licensing the technology from the university.  Neurent Medical continues to work closely with NUI Galway through funded research programmes. Commenting, KTI Director and Chair of the Judging Panel Dr Alison Campbell said:  “The EU’s Innovation Scoreboard classifies Ireland as a “Strong Innovator” with our performance ranking favourably among our EU peers. Tonight’s awards recognise and pay tribute to the work of those on the ground nationwide in Ireland’s Technology Transfer Offices who actually make this innovation happen, acting as a vital link between industry and academia. They provide the information to companies, support and manage the processes that allow commercialisation and collaboration to flourish, freeing up researchers and businesses to get on with the business of innovating. Today we recognise their achievements both at the wider project level, but also through the individual KT Achiever of the Year award.”   The Innovation Office’s role in driving impact NUI Galway’s Innovation Office plays a crucial role in driving impact for the university, with a focus on the benefits to society and the economy. The team works closely with the university’s research community to take research breakthroughs and knowledge out into society; to support collaborations with industry; to mentor spin-outs and spin-ins; and to deliver programmes that engage staff and students in entrepreneurial projects. Up to 40 start-ups are based on campus at any one time, becoming a key part of the thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in Galway. -Ends-

NUI Galway will promote the meaningful integration for Ireland’s newest communities, breaking down barriers to education, and eliminating discrimination in all its forms  NUI Galway will celebrate its recent designation as a University of Sanctuary today (Thursday, 21 November) with Galway City Mayor, Councillor Mike Cubbard and NUI Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh attending the event from 10am-12pm in the Aula Maxima. The 2019 University of Sanctuary scholarship recipients from several diverse and under-represented backgrounds will also participate in the event. Minister of State for Equality, Immigration, and Integration, David Stanton, TD will also launch the University’s annual report on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) for the academic year 2018/19 today (Thursday, 21 November). President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “We commit to broadening access to university education from under-represented groups, while leading on and promoting equality and diversity throughout the University. While we look at diversity in terms of race, ethnicity, culture, language, religion, and experiential upbringing, we look at people simply as people. Fellow human beings on a journey through life. “Education is key to supporting society’s development and it’s fundamental that our education system does its utmost to assist those most in need. Students who have fled war, persecution, genocide, and many other human rights violations deserve our support. Their resilience should be rewarded, and we are pleased this week to award eight University of Sanctuary scholarships in 2019, underlining our commitments to developing our position as a University of Sanctuary.” In 2017, student members of the Fáilte Refugees Society created a university-wide movement to challenge educational inequities, prejudice and racism that existed nationally and in the West of Ireland in particular. NUI Galway’s student-led society, Minceirs Whiden (Travellers Talking), is the first student society for Travellers in Ireland established by a university, and gives our students from the travelling community a place to talk and share support. Six undergraduate and two postgraduate University of Sanctuary scholarships have been awarded in 2019, which include: four scholarships in College of Science; two in Business, Public Policy and Law; one in Engineering and Informatics, and one in Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies. Figures published in the annual report show that the NUI Galway community is increasingly reflective of the diverse society and of the diversity in the West of Ireland. NUI Galway had 3,972 international students in 2018/19, making up 18% of all undergraduate students and 28% of postgraduates. The numbers of international staff have also grown by 4% (from 20% to 24%) in the last year, with more than 110 countries represented on campus. NUI Galway also records statistics for average age, gender breakdown, and staff with disabilities. The annual Equality, Diversity and Inclusion report outlines key achievements during the past year, including: The success of the University of Sanctuary campaign, placing NUI Galway among those universities internationally who work to ensure that higher education is accessible and welcoming to asylum seekers, refugees and to members of the Traveller Community. The celebration of 20 years of Access Programmes, which support individuals in realising their educational potential through various non-traditional entry routes to higher education. The development of equality and inclusion priority actions to link with the University’s new Strategic Plan, which will be launched in early 2020. The embedding of Athena SWAN, a gender equality award, throughout the University and its Schools. The undertaking of a Gender Pay Gap analysis, ahead of required government legislation, to proactively confront any issues that may be present due to gender inequality. The Gender Pay Gap captures the extent to which women are represented evenly across an organisation, at both junior and senior levels. The development of a Staff Guide to Disability in the Workplace to support staff who require reasonable accommodations. The establishment of an International Staff Network to support and provide a voice for all non-Irish staff members of NUI Galway. Places of Sanctuary Ireland (PoSI) is a network of groups in local communities which share the objectives of promoting a culture of welcome and inclusiveness across Irish society for those seeking International Protection in Ireland. Their University of Sanctuary initiative encourages and celebrates the good practice of universities, colleges and institutes welcoming refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants into their university communities in meaningful ways. The University of Sanctuary steering committee at NUI Galway also includes the Irish Traveller community in its remit, with a focus on the promotion of Irish Traveller culture as an innate and positive element of Irish society, and to address the low levels of participation at second and third-level education amongst Irish Travellers. Speaking at the launch, Minister Stanton said: “I am delighted to be at NUI Galway today to launch this report. With this being their third Annual Report, it is clear that the University actively lives by its values and that equality, diversity and inclusion are front and centre in the way it carries out its role. This Report encapsulates the great progress that NUI Galway has made in recent years and demonstrates that it remains committed to creating a welcoming work and study environment where diversity is celebrated, where everyone can contribute and reach their full potential, and where everyone is treated fairly and respectfully.” NUI Galway’s Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Professor Anne Scott added: “I am delighted to see this report of our programme of equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives launched today by Minister David Stanton. This annual report provides clear evidence that we in NUI Galway are making significant progress in building a sustainable diverse and inclusive culture in our university. We all appreciate that we are on a stimulating journey with significant challenges ahead. However, our commitment to this broad-based agenda is clear. We look forward with confidence to building on these achievements and continuing this important work in academic year 2019/20.” Guest speakers at the University of Sanctuary celebration will include the Mayor of Galway City, Mike Cubbard; NUI Galway President, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh; NUI Galway's Students' Union President, Clare Austick, as well as student representatives from across the university. There will be live music on the day from the Galway One World Choir, as well as from colleagues in the Centre of Irish Studies at NUI Galway. To read the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) annual report, visit: http://www.nuigalway.ie/equalityanddiversity/. -Ends-

Recently conferred NUI Galway graduate Fionnuala O’Malley, was awarded the OMEP Student of the Year Award 2019 for her paper: Promoting Inclusion in Early Years Care and Education. The winning paper was submitted as part of her final year studies in the part-time BA in Early Childhood Studies and Practice. The award, bestowed on students by OMEP-Ireland, includes a trophy, a cash prize and the publication of the winning paper in the next edition of An Leanbh Óg. OMEP: the World Organisation for Early Years Education (or Organisation Mondiale pour l'Educational Prescolaire) is an international non-governmental, non-profit organisation with standing at the United Nations and UNESCO. OMEP is made up of a worldwide network of locally based chapters, including OMEP-Ireland who host the ‘Student of the Year’ award, an annual Early Childhood conference and publish the peer-reviewed academic journal An Leanbh Óg. The ‘Student of the Year Award’ is an open competition for students undertaking third level studies in the area of Early Childhood Education and Care throughout the Republic of Ireland. Fionnuala O’Malley, from Enfield, Co. Meath, said: “The module and the essay motivated me to reflect upon and interrogate not just my own values and experiences around equality and inclusion but also really brought home the critical role the early year’s practitioner can play in preventing prejudice and promoting inclusion.” The winning paper focused on ‘The role of Early Years Practitioners in challenging prejudice and providing inclusive early education to young children’. The paper also critically analysedrelevant theories, explored best practice models, situating the discussion within the current Irish Early Childhood Education and Care context. Speaking about the paper, module tutor Lynda Smyth said: “Fionnuala developed an excellent, insightful critique throughout the paper, particularly in relation to the role of the adult in ECEC practice. Promoting an inclusive environment in our early childhood settings is about the key adults having the knowledge, values and skills to ensure each child develops a sense of belonging, which enhances their wellbeing and identity. This is the foundation for everything else that happens in these important settings.” Dr Sheila Garrity, Academic Coordinator of the BA and MA in Early Childhood Studies and Practice at NUI Galway, said: “Throughout the four years of our degree Fionnuala stood out as a committed student, with a passion for exploring the factors that come together to provide for rich early learning experiences for young children. The students who undertake our degrees are in the existing workforce; they are combining study with employment, maximising that theory-practice connection; however, they are also balancing many demands in their busy lives. For a student of this blended learning part-time degree to achieve this accolade speaks of course to the student’s own capacities, but is also a reflection of the quality of the team we have here in the Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development, including all of our committed tutors.” The BA in Early Childhood Studies and Practice was launched in 2010 and is offered through CALPD in collaboration with the School of Political Science & Sociology and the UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre. Offered on a part-time, outreach basis, the course was designed to support the existing Early Childhood workforce, for those wishing to upskill to a degree, while engaged in employment in the field. Students are able to benefit from their own workplace as a placement setting creating a more achievable and feasible model for student-practitioners. Information on the BA in Early Childhood Studies & Practice is available at: www.nuigalway.ie/adultlearning or you can contact the Centre on 091-492080 or email earlychildhood@nuigalway.ie. Information on the OMEP Student of the Year Award is available at: https://omepireland.ie. -Ends-

NUI Galway and Galway Community Circus have launched a new partnership for 2019-2022 to develop circus arts in Galway and Ireland. Galway Community Circus were recently successful in their Erasmus+ grant application for a three-year research project Circus++ in the first European wide, third level, long term training programme for circus teachers. A grant of €360,000 was awarded for the research and development programme: ‘Circus++ Youth and Social Circus Arts – an innovative and inclusive education for Europe’. It will allow Galway Community Circus, along with four other circus schools across Europe, and three universities (including NUI Galway), to devise a curriculum for the first ever BA and MA courses in Youth and Social Circus, in the world. The future curriculum will be delivered by the partnering universities from 2022 onwards. Lead partner, the University of Tampere Finland, will lead the project together with Finnish circus partner, Sorin Sirkus and the International Youth and Social Circus Network Caravan. Finland is an international leader in social circus and has used circus in a theraputic and educational context for many years. Executive Artistic Director of Galway Community Circus and Finnish native,  Ulla Hokkanen, said: “Circus++ means that Galway Community Circus will be at the forefront of this exciting, international development in youth and social circus. Through the project, circus will be understood on a deeper level for the developmental and well-being benefits it offers, as well as for its unique characteristics as an art form. We are delighted that NUI Galway will be part of this jourrney with us, providing a new and innovative educational offering to Irish and international students.’’ Dr Ian Walsh, Lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies, NUI Galway said: “The development of this new curriculum in partnership with Galway Community Circus and our other European partners offers NUI Galway the opportunity to develop new expertise in assessing and evaluating the circus arts and to build on our current teaching and research in the areas of applied theatre and popular performance studies. There is great value in students studying the circus arts as it develops skills in concentration, working together as an ensemble and task completion.” Galway Community Circus is a flagship for Youth and Social Circus and has been in operation for 18 years. It is one of the most active arts organisations in the country, with over 650 members a week attending classes and training at their venue in Shantalla. In 2020, the company will present ‘Wires Crossed – A Balancing Act for Europe’, produced in partnership with Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture and the European Funambulism Network. This tightwire project will see 400 people cross the River Corrib and The Claddagh Basin in August 2020, to highlight positive mental health.  NUI Galway will also partner with Galway Community Circus on the Creative Europe funded project ‘Wires Crossed: Head, Heart, Balance’, a shared project with The Serious Road Trip (Romania), Ecole de Cirque de Bruxelles, and the Université Libre de Bruxelles. This will see ‘Wires Crossed’ continue on to the Capital of Culture 2021 in Timisoara, Romania, as well as the publishing of scientific research on the neurological effects of funambulism on the brain. ‘Wires Crossed: Head, Heart, Balance’, will run from October 2019-September 2022, with NUI Galway being the evaluator for the project. Circus+ is a partnership project between universities and circus schools from five partner countries. Partners include Tampere University, Sorin Sirkus, Stockholm University of Arts, Cirkus Cirkör, Le Plus Petit Cirque du Monde, NUI Galway, Galway Community Circus, CIRQUEON and Caravan - International Youth and Social Circus Network. For further information contact Dani Gill, Communications Co-ordinator, Galway Community Circus at dani@galwaycircus.com or 085 7604072. -Ends-

NUI Galway’s School of Education recently hosted a Diversity in Teaching research symposium. Building on their previous Diversity in Initial Teacher Education (DITE) project funded by the Irish Research Council (2013-2015), the Diversity in Teaching event was Ireland’s first research symposium on the topic.   Professor Anne Scott, Vice-President for Equality and Diversity at NUI Galway, opened the event and welcomed over 60 participants who were in attendance from higher education institutions all over Ireland, as well as from Canada, the US, and the UK. Professor Liz Thomas of Edge Hill University, England provided the keynote address, examining the role of professional passion in improving diversity and success in teacher education. The symposium was organised by Drs Elaine Keane and Manuela Heinz, who further contextualised the symposium’s work by examining the rationale for diversifying the teaching profession. The remainder of the day featured 18 papers presented by national and international participants, many drawing on projects funded under the Higher Education Authority’s innovative Programme for Access to Higher Education (PATH), Strand 1 (Equity of Access to Teacher Education), which in 2017 committed €2.4 million to projects to diversify the teaching profession in Ireland. Chaired by Dr Rory McDaid, Marino Institute of Education, the day closed with a panel session looking to the future in the area, with contributions from Neil McDermott, Higher Education Authority; Eilish Bergin, Department of Education and Skills; Owen Ward, Professional Master of Education student; and Drs Elaine Keane and Manuela Heinz, School of Education, NUI Galway.   Dr Elaine Keane, School of Education at NUI Galway, said: “We were delighted to welcome so many colleagues from the national and international contexts to Ireland’s first research symposium on Diversity in Teaching here at NUI Galway. Diversifying the teaching profession has long been a core research focus for us here in the School of Education, and the symposium’s work here today has laid the foundation stone for the progress of this important work into the future.” Dr Manuela Heinz, School of Education, NUI Galway, said: “The research symposium offered teacher educators, representatives from the Department of Education and the Higher Education Authority, teachers, student teachers and education researchers the opportunity to discuss ways forward. Our previous DITE research identified a significant ‘diversity gap’ between student and teacher cohorts. Now that we are supporting the recruitment of a more diverse student teacher cohort, we need to provide the necessary supports for teachers from currently underrepresented groups, an important focus for research.” -Ends-

The ‘Inaugural Professors In Conversation Series’ featuring newly appointed Business Professors at NUI Galway will continue on Wednesday, 20 November at 4:30pm with Professor Jonathan Levie, recently appointed Professor of Entrepreneurship and Regional Development will give a talk on ‘Entrepreneurship and Regional Development’. Hosted by the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics and Whitaker Institute, the event is free and open to the public. Developing a balanced economy in Ireland requires the emergence of thriving entrepreneurial ecosystems throughout Ireland, not just in Dublin. Drawing on 35 years of working with a diverse range of national and regional entrepreneurial ecosystems across the world, Professor Levie will discuss how diverse regional stakeholders can cooperate to enhance entrepreneurship within their region, including third level education institutes, financial institutions, corporates, local government, accelerators, enterprise agencies, and above all, entrepreneurs and business angels. He will also contrast the role of national government with that of regional ecosystem stakeholders. The talk will also outline plans for a new Centre for Entrepreneurial Growth and Scaling at the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics. Professor Levie will be in conversation with Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh, Entrepreneur and Independent Senator in Seanad Éireann. Professor Alan Ahearne, Director, Whitaker Institute at NUI Galway, said: “Entrepreneurial firms are the engines of growth in any regional economy. They need to be at the heart of the regional development strategies for Galway and the wider West of Ireland region. Only by understanding the roles of various regional stakeholders and how they most effectively work together can we succeed in building an environment where entrepreneurial firms can prosper.” Speaking of the event, Professor Levie said “I am very much looking forward to a lively discussion with Senator Pádraig Ó Céidigh. NUI Galway has much to be proud of from an entrepreneurship perspective, from working with enterprise educators in schools to winning the EI Student Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in two out of the past three years, to our world class programmes in medtech business creation. But I am convinced there is more we can do across the campus and across disciplines, and beyond the campus to work in new and innovative ways with stakeholders across the West of Ireland.”  The event will take place on Wednesday, 20 November from 4:30pm-5:30pm in Room CA110 in the Cairnes Building, North Campus, NUI Galway. To book the event, visit: www.eventbrite.ie and search for ‘Entrepreneurship and Regional Development’ or https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/conversations-with-our-newly-appointed-professors-prof-jonathan-levie-tickets-80226941943.   -Ends-

Bronnadh an gradam don scannán faisnéise is fearr ag Féile Scannán na hÉireann i Londain ar ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ le hAodh Ó Coileáin as OÉ Gaillimh ag ócáid in Ambasáid na hÉireann sa Bhreatain i Londain an tseachtain seo. Ag glacadh leis an gradam, dúirt Ó Coileáin: “Tá suntas ag baint leis an mbronnadh seo i gcathair Londain mar gur áit thábhachtach é d’ealaíona na hÉireann.  Sna blianta tar éis an Dara Cogadh Domhanda, tháinig cuid mhaith dár gceoltóirí agus dár n-ealaíontóirí go Londain chun a slí bheatha a bhaint amach:  Seosamh Ó hÉanaí, ón Aird Thoir, Carna, an píobaire, Willie Clancy ó Shráid na Cathrach, an t-amhránaí ó Chorcaigh, Margaret Barry, Bobby Casey, an tEanach i gCo. an Chláir, Julia Clifford agus Con Curtin ó mo chontae dúchais, Ciarraí, Roger Sherlock ó Shligeach a sheinneadh maidin Dé Domhnaigh sa White Hart, Fulham Broadway.  Ócáid ar leith i stair na hamharclainne in Éirinn ab ea an taispeántas a thug Druid de dhráma Synge, ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ i gCovent Garden sa bhliain 1985. D’aistrigh a lán seóanna de chuid Fhéile Idirnáisiúnta Ealaíne na Gaillimhe go dtí an chathair.  Tá an stair shaibhir seo mar chúlra agus mar thaca ag ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ agus an scannán a thaispeáint i Londain.” Dúirt bunaitheoir agus stiúrthóir Fhéile Scannán na hÉireann i Londain, Kelly O’Connor: “Thaithin an scannán go mór linn agus inár dtuairim, seasfaidh sé i bhfad mar thaifead ar bhunbhrí inmheánach agus ar thionchar na Gaillimhe.  Is fada linn go bhfeicimid an glacaadh a bheidh leis an scannán anseo i Londain.” Tá déantóir an scannáin, Aodh Ó Coileáin ina stiúrthóir cláir ar an MA (Cleachtas Gairmiúil sna Meáin) agus múineann sé ar an gcéim BA (Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge), Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge, OÉ Gaillimh.  Bhí aird na léirmheastóirí ar ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’, a léirigh Paddy Hayes ó Tua Films, nuair a taispeánadh é don chéad uair ag Fleadh Scannán na Gaillimhe i mbliana.  Taispeánadh é ag féile i Chicago i mí Mheán Fómhair freisin. Caitheann an scannán dátheangach súil fhísiúil chruthaitheach ar Ghaillimh agus ar Chonamara mar thimpeallacht ina n-oibríonn na healaíontóirí seo.  Déantar scrúdú chomh maith ar an tionchar a bhíonn ag saothar na n-ealaíontóirí ar a n-áit chónaithe.  Faoi chaibidil sa scannán tá: an ceoltóir/cumadóir Máirtín O’Connor, an file/drámadóir, Rita Ann Higgins, an scríbhneoir, Mike McCormack, Noeline Kavanagh, stiúrthóir ealaíona an ghrúpa Macnas, an t-amhránaí Róisín Seoighe, an péintéir ó Chonamara, Pádraic Reaney, agus an fear seoigh, Tommy Tiernan.  Le chéile tugann na healaíontóirí léargas úr spreagúil agus ionraic ar shaol an ealaíontóra i gcathair na Gaillimhe agus i gConamara.  Chum an Gaillimheach Jake Morgan an ceol agus cloistear an grúpa Galway Street Club sa scannán. Is togra de chuid na scéime ilDána é ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ – maoinithe ag TG4, Údarás Craolacháin na hÉireann agus an Chomhairle Ealaíon i gcomhar le hIonad Scannán na Gaillimhe.  Bhain sé coimisiún amach in 2017 agus sé an comhlacht Tua Films a léirigh an scannán. Cruthaíonn scéim ilDána deis do lucht déanta scannán, saothar cennródaíoch a chruthú ar na healaíona trí Ghaeilge. Taispeánfar an scannán sa Regent Street Cinema mar chuid d’Fhéile Scannán na hÉireann i Londain, Dé Domhnaigh, 24 Samhain, 7.30pm.  Beidh fáiltiú dí roimhe mar cheiliúradh ar Ghaillimh 2020, Príomhchathair Chultúir na hEorpa. -Críoch-

The 2019 Best Documentary Award at the Irish Film Festival London was presented to ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ a film by NUI Galway’s Aodh Ó Coileáin this week. Receiving the award at the Irish Embassy in London, Ó Coileáin said: “It is of particular significance to be selected for this award in London, a city so central to Irish artistic endeavour.  In the years following the Second World War, many of our musicians and artists came here to make a living:  Joe Heaney from Carna, Piper Willie Clancy from Milltown Malbay, singer Margaret Barry from Cork, Fiddle player Bobby Casey from Annagh in Co. Clare, Julia Clifford and Con Curtin from my own home county of Kerry, Flute player, Roger Sherlock, from Sligo who played in the White Hart, Fulham Broadway on Sunday mornings.  Druid’s performance of ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ at the Donmar Warehouse Theatre, Covent Garden in 1985 was a milestone in Irish Theatre.  Many Galway International Arts Festival shows have transferred here.  It’s against this rich background that ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ screens in London.” Founder and Director of Irish Film London, Kelly O’Connor said: “We really loved the film and think it will become a long-standing document of the intrinsic essence and influence of Galway. We can't wait to see how audiences respond to it here in London.” The film was conceived and directed by Aodh Ó Coileáin who is Programme Director of the MA (Cleachtas Gairniúil sna Meáin) and also teaches on the BA (Cumarsáid agus Gaeilge) programme at NUI Galway’s Acadamh na hOllscolaíochta Gaeilge.  The film was produced by Paddy Hayes of Tua Films and premiered to critical acclaim at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh, it also screened at a film festival in Chicago last September.  ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ examines the influence of Galway city and Connemara on seven artists of varied fields.  In turn the lens focuses on the impact of these artists’ work on the place where they live.  The artists featured in the film include: musician/composer Máirtín O’Connor, poet/playwright Rita Ann Higgins, novelist Mike McCormack, Noeline Kavanagh, artistic director of Macnas, singer song-writer, Róisín Seoighe, visual artist, Pádraic Reaney and comedian, Tommy Tiernan.  The film is scored by Galway composer Jake Morgan while Galway Street Club make a guest appearance with their own brand of music. ‘Cumar – A Galway Rhapsody’ is the project which was selected for the 2017 ilDÁNA commission.  The ilDÁNA scheme is an opportunity for documentary filmmakers to make a landmark, cinematic documentary on the arts in Irish.  ilDÁNA is a partnership between TG4, the Arts Council, and the BAI in association with Galway Film Centre. The film will screen at Regent Street Cinema as part of the Irish Film Festival London, Sunday, 24 November at 7.30pm.  The screening will be proceeded by a drinks reception celebrating Galway 2020, European Capital of Culture. -Ends-

The STARTED Project, coordinated by NUI Galway’s TechInnovate programme, will host a free workshop ‘Supporting Researchers to Create Innovation Driven Enterprises’ in the Maldron Hotel, Sandy Road, Galway from 9.30am-4.30pm on Thursday, 14November 2019. The event, in partnership with the West Regional Skills Forum, is an exciting opportunity to gain intrapreneurship and entrepreneurship skills tailored for those working on new product development, research or innovation within companies or startups. Participants will gain a detailed insight into bringing innovations from potential customer engagement through to successful commercialisation or technology transfer. They will also be the first in Europe to have free access to associated online tools, developed as part of the STARTED Project, to test the feasibility of their innovations. Online tools include: E-learning Platform “Validate Your Idea” is an interactive, free e-learning course designed to introduce researchers to entrepreneurship and guide them through the main steps on how to validate the business potential of their idea. Starting from the market discovery, the researchers will learn and apply fundamental concepts through a series of lessons that include both learning material and exercises. ResearchInno Database is the first database specifically designed for researchers who intend to evaluate the entrepreneurial potential of their invention/project/idea and helps them find potential partners, resources and competitors in their specific industry.           A roundtable on the day will explore the additional skills needs for research and development functions in industry to input into the development of funded and subsidised future training courses for the region. Denise Rocks, West Regional Skills Forum Manager based at NUI Galway, said: “This is an exciting chance for those working in Research and Development, or in a team for which innovation is essential, to gain an edge from the incredible team at TechInnovate and to learn the principles and practice of disciplined entrepreneurship to startup or spinoff their innovations.” John Breslin, Director of TechInnovate at NUI Galway, said: “We are delighted to give this free workshop on Disciplined Entrepreneurship with the STARTED Project, sponsored by Erasmus+, and the Regional Skills Forum. The aim is to move from storytelling about entrepreneurship to practical skills development on how to go about being an entrepreneur or intrapreneur, and we will have an experienced team of five lecturers and researchers from TechInnovate at NUI Galway giving a varied set of useful sessions on the day.” The STARTED Project is an Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliance initiative funded by the European Commission. It aims to reinforce and structure a European network for promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in the Research and Development area while improving the flow of knowledge and win-win cooperation between Higher Education Institutes and businesses. For more information visit: www.startedproject.eu/. The West Regional Skills Forum is an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills, serving Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. The Forum Manager acts as a single contact point in the region to help employers connect with the range of services and supports available across the education and training system. For more information visit www.regionalskills.ie. To register to attend this free event visit, www.bit.ly/startedworkshop. For more information about the event, contact Denise Rocks, West Regional Skills Forum Manager at deniserocks@regionalskills.ie. -Ends-

NUI Galway’s Centre for One Health will host a free public event, ‘Resistance Rebellion – The Rise of Superbugs’ on Monday, 18 November at 7pm in the Orbsen Building at NUI Galway. The event coincides with European Antibiotic Awareness Day. Antibiotic resistant bacteria, often called “superbugs” are appearing and spreading all over the world. These mutant bacteria grow and spread quickly because of choices people make about the use of antibiotics, such as using antibiotics when they are not needed, and the control of spread of infection. Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to human health. It is estimated that by 2050, 10 million deaths per year will be due to antibiotic resistant infections unless the world takes action now (according to the Review of Antimicrobial Resistance commissioned by the UK government in July 2014). Society has a role to play in making sure antibiotics are used in the right way to secure their use for our children and our grandchildren. Dr Dearbháile Morris, Co-Director of the Ryan Institute Centre for One Health and Head of Discipline of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, NUI Galway, says: “European Antibiotic Awareness Day is a reminder of how much the discovery of antibiotics has helped us all to live longer and healthier lives, but also of how much is at stake if we do not act to safeguard antibiotics. If we do not have antibiotics that work, certain types of surgery and cancer treatments will become almost impossible to perform safely. We can safeguard antibiotics by making sure we only use them when we need them, by making sure we complete the dose as directed by the doctor, by not sharing antibiotics with others and by making sure we bring back any unused antibiotics to the pharmacy for correct disposal.” The free event will give everyone the opportunity to meet and discuss with experts what society can do to solve the problem of antibiotic resistance. Speakers include NUI Galway’s Professor Martin Cormican, HSE National Clinical Lead on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control and Ms Caroline Garvan, Superintending Veterinary Inspector in the Antimicrobial Resistance division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine. Professor Cormican and Ms Garvan will talk about how antibiotics are becoming less useful in both human and veterinary medicine and will highlight the One Health concept, which recognises that human health is linked to the health of animals and the environment that humans share with them. To register for this free event please click here. For further details, contact Dr Dearbháile Morris at dearbhaile.morris@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

The Discipline of Journalism and Communication at NUI Galway will host the inaugural ‘John Cunningham Journalism Lecture’ on Monday, 18 November at 5pm in the Aula Maxima. The event honours the late Connacht Tribune Editor and long-time journalism lecturer John Cunningham. The lecture will be delivered by the British media commentator for The Guardian and Honorary Visiting Professor at City, University of London, Professor Roy Greenslade. In his lecture, entitled ‘21st century journalism: Reasons to be cheerful while feeling a little sad’, Professor Greenslade is expected to argue that journalism has never been more important, but that it is facing existential threats that must be overcome. Ahead of his visit to Galway and honouring John Cunningham, Professor Greenslade, said: “Journalists are producing excellent work amid the disruption to old media created by the digital revolution. But I am concerned about the loss of newsroom numbers and the verities of a collaborative news-gathering culture.”  The John Cunningham Award for journalism is also being inaugurated for the highest achieving MA Journalism graduate at NUI Galway. This year’s winner is Julia Tereno, a journalist with Newstalk, who is originally from San Paulo, Brazil. Tom Felle, Head of Journalism and Communication at NUI Galway, said: “John Cunningham was one of Ireland’s best local newspaper editors and he made an indelible impression on the lives of the hundreds of journalists he trained as a lecturer in journalism. We are delighted to be able to honour his memory with this public lecture that we hope will become an important annual event.” John Cunningham was Editor of the Connacht Tribune from 1984 until his retirement in 2007. He continued to write on politics in his weekly ‘Corridors of Power’ column until his death in 2012. A native of Tuam, he began his career in journalism as junior reporter with the Tribune in 1964. He was appointed News Editor in 1978 and in 1982 took up an appointment as Editor of The Waterford News and Star and The East Cork News with Examiner Group. John was appointed Editor of the Connacht Tribune, in succession to Sean Fahy, in 1984 and was part of a team which introduced a number of important developments and changes in the group’s newspapers. John was a regular contributor to national newspapers and to radio and television over many years. He won a Journalist of The Year Award in 1979 for his ‘Corridors of Power’ column – especially in relation to a controversy surrounding the use of Section Four of the City and County Management Act to force through planning permissions. The column was one of the longest running in the country. A former member of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission, John lectured in Journalism with the M.A. Journalism course at NUI Galway and in 2006 was conferred with an Honorary Master of Arts Degree by the College for his work in journalism and in the education area. He lectured at NUI Galway for 18 years and continued to write his weekly newspaper columns right up to his death in 2012. The event is free and open to the public. To register email journalism@nuigalway.ie. -Ends-

Fourteen NUI Galway postgraduate courses have been shortlisted in five categories for the national gradireland Higher Education Awards 2019. The categories include Best New Course, Best Science Course, and Best Business Course of the Year, and award winners will be announced on Friday, 22 November at a reception in Dublin. The postgraduate courses that have been shortlisted are: Best New Course: MSc in AgriBiosciences, Masters in International and Comparative Business Law, MSc in International Accounting and Analytics, MSc in Exercise Physiology and Application in Therapy, and MSc in Cellular Manufacturing and Therapy Postgraduate Course of the Year Award in Law: Masters in International and Comparative Business Law Postgraduate Course of the Year Award in Business, Finance and Management: MSc Business Analytics and the MSc Digital Marketing Postgraduate Course of the Year Award in Computer Science and Technology: MSc in Business Analytics and  MSc in Medical Technology Regulatory Affairs . Postgraduate Course of the Year Award in Science: MSc in Medical Physics and MSc (AgriBiosciences) ans  MSc in Medical Technology Regulatory Affairs. The annual Postgraduate Course of the Year Awards recognises excellence amongst Irish postgraduate course providers. The winning courses are judged on the success of the course including employability of graduates, recognition of the course’s quality or ranking by external bodies, research record of academic staff, and providing a good experience for students. Judges also take feedback from students into consideration when selecting a winner. Valerie Leahy, Postgraduate Recruitment Officer at NUI Galway, said: “We’re delighted to again make the shortlist for these important national awards; it’s great that the calibre of our postgraduate courses is being acknowledged, as is their effectiveness in terms of employability, and interaction with industry and business. These courses are now accepting applications and those interested can apply online via the NUI Galway postgraduate applications system at www.nuigalway.ie/postgraduateapplications. We also offer generous full-time taught masters scholarships for first-class students, so that’s another reason to consider NUI Galway for postgraduate studies.” Over 5,000 postgraduate students (including international students) currently attend NUI Galway and the University offers a wide range of fourth level courses, developing programmes based on its traditional academic strengths of Arts, Social Sciences, Celtic Studies, Commerce, Medicine, Nursing, Health Science, Law, Engineering, Informatics and Science. These areas have been augmented with innovative Research Centres in areas as diverse as Biomedical Engineering, International Human Rights, Digital Media and Film Studies, and Regenerative Medicine. -Ends-

NUI Galway and Zagreb University conduct longitudinal study on male adolescent sexual aggressiveness and pornography use A research study conducted by NUI Galway and Zagreb University in Croatia on 600 Croatian male high school students aged 15-17 over a 20- month period, has found that pornography use is associated with sexual aggression over time but only when people report a pre-disposition to aggression. In isolation, pornography use does not predict sexual aggression. The aim of the study, which was published in the journal Aggressive Behaviour, was to provide robust and precise (individual level‐based) longitudinal insights about the often hypothesized link between pornography use and sexual aggression. The researchers focused on the following two questions: Is pornography use during middle to late adolescence related to male adolescents’ sexual aggressiveness? Do personality traits account for the relationship between pornography use and sexual aggression? The study found that frequent pornography use during the first round of data collection was associated with sexual aggressiveness, but over time pornography use did not predict sexual aggression. In other words those who reported sexually aggressive tendencies were also more likely to watch a lot of pornography. Those who watched none or very little pornography were least likely to report that they had acted in a sexually aggressive way. This was consistent across six time points (every three months) throughout the 20-month study. Bullying and peer pressure consistently predicted sexual aggression. This supports other research (Espelage, Basile, Leemis, Hipp, & Davis, 2018 study conducted in the US), which shows that people who report non-sexual aggression such as bullying or delinquency in early adolescence are more likely to report sexual aggressiveness in later adolescence. Adolescence is a key stage in sexual development, where beliefs about appropriate sexual behaviour is formed. It is well documented that many harmful behaviours manifest during adolescence, with approximately half of sexual offenders reporting their first assault during this time. The rising prevalence of pornography use mostly, but not exclusively, among male adolescents has prompted concerns among researchers and policy makers about the impact of pornography, which can portray sexual aggression, on youth sexual socialisation - particularly regarding the replication of aggressive or violent behaviour. However, much of the research that explores the link between pornography use and sexual aggression is based on cross-sectional data (data collected at one point in time from different people) and the direction of these associations is largely unknown. The researchers believe there is a need to explore this relationship over time using longitudinal data with the same cohort of people, as conducted in this study. Lead researcher of the study, Dr Kate Dawson, School of Psychology, NUI Galway, said: “Taking into account the need to prevent sexual coercion among young people, and the significant association between pornography use and self-reported sexual aggressiveness at the age of 16–17 years, we suggest that school-based sexual violence prevention programmes should commence for that age group. Intervention efforts should also address the potential contributing role of violent pornography in the reinforcement of sexually aggressive behaviour. Similarly, our findings may inform recently proposed pornography literacy programmes, which provide tools for critical interpretation of sexually explicit imagery, but also to educate that a lack of consent is never acceptable.” The study was carried out by Dr Kate Dawson from the School of Psychology and Active Consent Programme at NUI Galway and Dr Azra Tafro and Professor Aleksandar Stulhofer from Zagreb University, Croatia. To read the full study in the journal Aggressive Behaviour, visit: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ab.21854 -Ends-

NUI Galway will officially launch the archive of Siobhán McKenna, commencing a day of celebration of the eminent career of the actress and director, including a symposium and exhibition on Friday, 15 November. President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins will attend as Guest of Honour along with members of McKenna’s family, her great friend Margaret McCurtain along with respected theatre figures, Garry Hynes and Lian Bell. Following the deposit of her papers in NUI Galway in 2012, the James Hardiman Library will officially open the Siobhán McKenna archive to scholars and the public. Siobhán McKenna (1922-1986) was an internationally renowned actress and director. Born in Belfast, she moved early in life to Galway when her father became a lecturer and subsequently professor at University College Galway. She graduated with first-class honours from the University in 1943. Her acting career had already commenced while she was a student, including lead roles at the Taibhdhearc before joining the Abbey Theatre following her graduation. Her subsequent international career included acclaimed performances in London, Paris and New York. She became the first Irish actor to win a Tony award in 1956. Following her return to Ireland in 1960 she took on director as well as acting roles in Ireland and internationally, directing 15 plays in the 1970s. Despite failing health from the late 1970s onwards she continued to act until the year of her death, 1986, her final role being that of Mommo in Tom Murphy’s play Bailegangaire, performed at Druid Theatre and subsequently in London and Dublin. She was a member of the Council of State between 1975 and 1986 and was also a human rights activist, campaigning against apartheid in particular. The James Hardiman Library at NUI Galway holds the Siobhán McKenna Archive. The collection consists of 55 boxes of material in paper and audio-visuals, covering all aspects of her life and career, as well as material relating to her family and friends. Highlights include material relating to over 77 different productions she was involved in, including scripts, correspondence, photographs and press cuttings. The productions span a number of companies, and the geographical spread includes Ireland, England, Europe, the United States and Australia. Her television and film roles are also featured. There is material relating to her writing and political activism, including Northern Ireland issues and the anti-apartheid movement, along with research notes and copies of a range of talks at festivals, book launches and other events. The collection was donated to NUI Galway through the generosity of her son Donnacha O’Dea, as well as the good offices of Margaret MacCurtain, and Siobhán McKenna’s manager from the 1970s onwards, Johnny Hippisley. The catalogue of the archive is at https://tinyurl.com/yylzlnsl.   The University holds a number of closely-related collections including those of Taibhdhearc na Gaillimhe, the Druid and Lyric Players Theatres, playwright Tom Kilroy, actor Arthur Shields and, in digital format, the Abbey and Gate Theatres. These collections reflect NUI Galway’s position as a leading centre for research and teaching in theatre and drama. The launch of the archive in the O’ Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance will be followed by a symposium titled ‘Celebrating Siobhán McKenna’. The symposium includes a panel discussion on ‘Women Theatre-makers Now!’ which will discuss the position of women theatre-makers four years after the Waking the Feminists campaign was started to advocate for equality for women theatre-makers. Panelists will include Lian Bell (Waking the Feminists), Ionia Ní Chroinín (Moonfish Theatre Company) and Dr Tanya Dean (Technical University of Dublin and co-author of the Gender Counts report). Lelia Doolan and historian Dr Margaret McCurtain will be in conversation remembering the life of Siobhán McKenna followed by an interview with Garry Hynes on her recollections of working with Siobhán, while Professor Lionel Pilkington will deliver a lecture on McKenna’s acting and activism. The symposium will draw to a close with a short performance of a devised work-in-progress piece in the Irish language inspired by McKenna’s archival materials and performed by students of the BA in Drama, Theatre and Performance at NUI Galway. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “Siobhán McKenna is one of Ireland’s great cultural icons. It is a huge honour for NUI Galway to hold such an extraordinary collection of her excellence and high standards. Siobhan’s archives is a significant resource now open to all of our students and staff to enjoy, and of course the wider public globally. It is especially fitting and respectful that her archives are held in our University given her close ties as a graduate of this University and that of her father who was as a teaching professor here, which led to Siobhán’s long-term association with Galway’s rich cultural heritage and her extraordinary acting career.” Dr Ian Walsh, Lecturer in Drama and Theatre Studies at NUI Galway commented: “Siobhán McKenna is an inspirational figure for students at NUI Galway not only through her extraordinary achievements as an actress of international renown but also in her political activism, commitment to the Irish language and her leadership of artistic projects. McKenna was a theatre-maker before that term had been established and it is fitting that in the symposium that celebrates the launch of this archive that we have a panel discussion on where women theatre-makers are now, four years after the Waking the Feminists campaign. The archive will no doubt lead to new exciting research on McKenna’s many achievements and it has already led to the creation of a new work in the Irish language by students of the BA in Drama, Theatre and Performance on the life and legacy of Siobhán McKenna. I am greatly looking forward to seeing this work-in-progress at the symposium.” John Cox, University Librarian at NUI Galway, said: “The Siobhán McKenna archive is an invaluable addition to our collection of theatre archives. It will provide many insights into her eminent career and we are delighted to open it for research and teaching, helping to ensure the continuation of her lasting legacy for Irish and international theatre.” For more information about the Siobhán McKenna Symposium contact, ian.walsh@nuigalway and for more details about the event, visit: https://bit.ly/2MPqt1P -Ends-

Tá sraith léachtaí ar siúil ag Coláiste na nDán, na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta agus an Léinn Cheiltigh in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh. Díríonn an tsraith seo ar Ollúna nua-cheaptha an Choláiste agus leanfar di le léacht ón Ollamh Pearsanta, Lillis Ó Laoire ar an Déardaoin 28 Samhain, ag 5.00p.m. in Institiúid de Móra, Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh (G010). Ina chaint dar teideal, Ó Turgenev go Toraigh: Taighde ar thraidisiúin amhránaíochta na Gaeilge, pléifidh an tOllamh Ó Laoire torthaí a chuid taighde ceannródaíoch ar amhránaíocht na Gaeilge le tríocha bliain anuas in Éirinn. Léiríonn an scéal ‘Ceoltóirí,’ ón chnuasach Scéalta Sealgaire,comórtas idir bheirt amhránaithe, ina ndéantar cur síos ar bhuanna na beirte iomaitheoirí. Is scéal cumhachtach rúndiamhrach é agus tugtar léargas máistriúil ann ar thréithe an taibhléirithe san amhránaíocht. Nochtar ann chomh maith an  nasc idir amhráin agus spiorad an náisiúin. Tugtar léargas cosúil leis sin i scéal Phádraig Mhic Phiarais, ‘Bríd na nAmhrán.’ Agus an dá scéal seo mar phointí tagartha aige, pléifidh an tOllamh Ó Laoire cúlra agus comhthéacs a chuid taighde ar an amhránaíocht. Beidh trácht aige ar Thoraigh agus ar Sheosamh Ó hÉanaí chomh maith. Mar is cuí ar an ócáid, agus sa dea-chleachtas inchuimsitheach is fearr a léiríonn spiorad an dátheangachais in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, tabharfar an léacht i nGaeilge agus cuirfear aistriúchán comhuaineach Béarla ar fáil. Dúirt an Dr Seán Crosson, An Leas-Déan Taighde i gColáiste na nDán na nEolaíochtaí Sóisialta agus an Léinn Cheiltigh in Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh, an méid seo: “Cúis áthais dúinn leanúint leis an tsraith léachtaí poiblí seo. Tugann sí deis iontach don Ollscoil an pobal mór a chur ar an eolas faoin taighde nuálach ceannródaíoch ar ardchaighdeán atá siúl san Ollscoil. Is é an tOllamh Ó Laoire an t-ochtú cainteoir sa tsraith. Go dtí seo tugadh léachtaí ar an mbeartas sóisialta, ar an oideachas, ar an smaointeoireacht pholaitiúil, ar theiripithe ar líne, ar an stair agus ar shíceolaíocht na hiompraíochta. Is onóir mhór í deis a thabhairt don Ollamh Ó Laoire labhairt mar chuid den tsraith seo. Is scoláire agus duine d’amhránaithe móra comhaimseartha na hÉireann é, fear a roinn a thuiscint ar thábhacht an tseanchais bhéil agus na n-amhrán go fial fairsing le blianta, trína chuid taighde agus trína chleachtas.” -Críoch-

A lecture series at the College of Arts, Social Sciences, and Celtic Studies at NUI Galway featuring new Professors in the College will continue with Personal Professor in Irish, Professor Lillis Ó Laoire, on Thursday, 28 November at 5pm, in the Moore Institute NUI Galway (GO10). In his talk titled ‘Ó Turgenev go Toraigh: Taighde ar thraidisiúin amhránaíochta na Gaeilge’ (From Turgenev to Tory: Research on Irish-language song traditions), Professor Ó Laoire will share findings from his ground-breaking research over the past thirty years of the song tradition in Ireland. The story ‘Singers’ by Turgenev from the collection Hunters Tales portrays a competition between two singers, giving a description of the abilities of each competitor. It is a powerful, mysterious story and is a masterful presentation of  the characteristics of song performance. The connection between song and the spirit of a nation is also made. A similar portrayal is found in P. H. Pearse’s story ‘Bríd na nAmhrán.’ Taking these two narratives as reference points, Professor Ó Laoire will discuss his research into song taking in background and context; his field work in Tory Island and the work of Joe Heaney will also feature. As befits the occasion, and in NUI Galway’s best spirit of inclusive bilingualism, the lecture will be delivered in Irish, with simultaneous translation into English. Dr Seán Crosson, Vice-Dean for Research in the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Celtic Studies at NUI Galway, said: “We are delighted to continue this lecture series which provides a great opportunity for the University to make the general public more aware of the world-leading innovative research being undertaken in the college. This is the eighth speaker in the series which has featured contributions to date in the areas of social policy, education, political thought, online therapies, language transmission, historical research, and behavioural psychology. It is a great honour to now feature Professor Ó Laoire in the series, an academic who in his research, publications, and practice as one of Ireland’s finest contemporary sean-nós singers, has brought a deeper appreciation and understanding of the value and significance of our oral traditions to both the academic community and the wider public.” -Ends-

From 7-9 November, a major labour history conference will be hosted by the Discipline of History at NUI Galway, exploring ‘Labour, Gender and Class in the Struggle for Irish Independence, 1918-1924’.  This free conference is one of the highlights of the Decade of Centenaries programme for 2019. It is co-organised by the Irish Congress for Trade Unions and the Irish Centre for the Histories of Labour and Class at NUI Galway and is supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The programme includes an address by the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht on Saturday, 9 November.   Over two-and-a-half days, sixty scholars will scrutinise the interplay between labour, gender, and class during the revolutionary period in Ireland. At the core of the conference, a series of five expert panels will discuss contentious questions: the role of trade unionists (including Irish immigrant trade unionists) in the revolutionary events; the impact of the struggle on the lives of women; the existential challenges presented by sectarian polarisation in the North-East; and the several competing ideologies in the labour milieu. The conference will also feature original research from established and emerging scholars, which will illuminate the regional experience of the revolution, with particular attention to the West of Ireland and to the Belfast region. On Friday, 8 November a special resource will be launched by Noel Ward of the Irish National Teachers Organisation to assist teachers in engaging with themes relating to labour, gender and class when teaching the Struggle for Independence. This teachers’ handbook will be a freely available resource for schools, published on the Irish Congress of Trade Unions website. The programme also includes an innovative theatre workshop, theatrical presentations, a walking tour, musical performances and a History Ireland hedge-school, in venues on the NUI Galway campus and in Galway City. Minister Josepha Madigan, said: “I am very pleased to support this timely and important conference. I commend all involved at NUI Galway and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions for their collaborative and imaginative approach which has created a really interesting and engaging programme of events. I am delighted to support events such as this, which encourage respectful and meaningful debate.  “One hundred years on, we have the freedom and the maturity to really delve into and consider the various narratives surrounding the complex events of this formative period in our shared history. We have learned that the exploration of our past can be an empowering, enriching and healing process, which encourages us to look to the future and the values that we wish to preserve for the generations to come.”  Dr John Cunningham, co-organiser of the event, Discipline of History, NUI Galway, said: “The period between 1918 and 1924 was when Labour and the trade unions became an important factor in Irish social and political life, when socialist and republican ideologies and organisations interacted with one another, as reflected in the Democratic Programme of the first Dáil, and in relatively well-known episodes such as the Limerick Soviet and the general strike against conscription. By examining these and lesser known incidents of the period, and by interrogating the character of the various social in Ireland, the conference will add to the historical understanding of the struggle for Irish independence in all its complexity.” Patricia King, General Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, said: “The crucial role played by the Labour Movement in the Struggle for Independence has been largely forgotten. The first general strike in Irish history was in 1918 to oppose conscription. Three more followed, concluding with that against militarism and the drift to Civil War in 1922. Other major contributions were the drafting of the Democratic Programme of the First Dáil, the role union organisers played in creating the Dáil Courts, collecting the Dáil loan and creating alternative state structures to challenge British rule. While many trade unionists played prominent roles in the Irish Volunteers and Citizen Army, often at the cost of their own lives.”  All events are free, and light lunches and a catered meal will be served in the Mechanics Institute, Middle Street, Galway, on Friday, 8 November.  Events at NUI Galway will take place in the O’ Donoghue Centre. For further information visit, https://ichlc.wordpress.com, register at https://bit.ly/2BZbuND or logon to www.eventbrite.ie and search for ‘Labour, Gender and Class in the Struggle for Irish Independence’. -Ends- 

Teachers’ Research Exchange (T-REX) National Award to the School of Education, NUI Galway to Support Innovation in Teacher Education NUI Galway School of Education lecturer, Dr Clíona Murray has been awarded a prestigious teacher researcher award within the national T-REX (Teacher’s Research Exchange) Module Innovation Framework. Dr Murray teaches on the Professional Master of Education and Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas programmes in the School of Education at NUI Galway, and her main research interests are in teacher identity and professional development, education policy studies, and inclusion and diversity in education. Coordinated by Mary Immaculate College, Limerick with partners NUI Galway, University of Limerick, and Marino Institute of Education, Dublin - T-REX is a nationally funded online platform and set of tools to support teachers and educational researchers and professionals to collaborate, undertake and share research, and is freely available to all teachers in Ireland. Following an open call for proposals, an independent review panel, which included Initial Teacher Education representation, teacher representation and student representation conducted a rigorous review of applications from all over the country. The five national awardees developed proposals which impressed the panel in terms of their creativity and innovativeness; value for student learning; and exploitation of what the T-REX platform has to offer. Each of the awardees will receive financial, academic and technological support to develop their modules and to integrate the T-REX research platform and approach. Speaking of her award, Dr Clíona Murray, School of Education, NUI Galway, said: “This funding from the T-REX Module Innovation Framework will support the development of a collaborative research community within the Practitioner-Based Research module of the Máistir Gairmiúil san Oideachas, and enhance the emergent research literacy skills of students in initial teacher education at the School of Education in NUI Galway.”  Dr Tony Hall and Dr Cornelia Connolly, the T-REX Principal Investigators at NUI Galway’s School of Education, said: “The Module Innovation Framework is an important component of the T-REX ecosystem to help bridge research and practice in Irish education. It is designed to support lecturers and teacher educators to embed the T-REX platform and philosophy within their own teaching practice. We would like to congratulate Dr Clíona Murray on her award, which should help to enhance teacher education at NUI Galway, as an important part of the wider national deployment of T-REX, supported by the National Forum, the Teaching Council, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment and Centre for Effective Services.” Funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, T-REX recognises and encourages module leaders in Initial Teacher Education and Early Childhood Education in Ireland to re-design their modules to incorporate the T-REX platform into their teaching. For more information about T-REX, visit: www.t-rex.ie. -Ends-

Symposium to support people working in men’s health and to discuss and provide solutions to combating isolation and building resilience in men’s lives The School of Nursing and Midwifery at NUI Galway will host a Men’s Health Symposium focusing on the current issues that affect men’s health across their lifespan. The free event is aimed at health professionals and allied professionals who have an interest in men’s health and wellbeing, taking place on International Men’s Day on Tuesday, 19 November. The symposium offers attendees the opportunity to discuss, debate and seek solutions to current issues influencing men’s wellbeing across generations. It coincides with the Movember movement in promoting conversations and dialogue about men’s mental health, masculinity, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, health promotion, social isolation and personal stories. In partnership with the Centre for Nursing and Midwifery Education, Galway and the HSE’s Health Promotion Unit, the symposium will specifically examine the influence masculinity has on men’s health; building resilience; and promoting positive mental health and wellbeing for men. It will also highlight how men can access services that will support their health and wellbeing along with motivating them to adopt healthier lifestyle behaviours. A wide range of experts, practitioners, researchers and men’s health advocates from across Ireland will present on current issues in men’s health: Cathal Gallagher, Operation Transformation Leader 2019 will talk about his operation transformation experience and credits the show for helping him transform his outlook in life and making physical and mental health changes. Davy Glennon, Senior Galway Hurler will talk about his former battle with gambling addiction. Biddy O’Neill, Health and Wellbeing Programme, Department of Health will talk about men’s health in the workplace through a holistic approach. Dr Noel Richardson, CIT will talk about a space for vulnerability in men’s lives and Suicide in Ireland Report. Dr Phil Noone, NUI Galway will talk about aging men in rural Ireland and social inclusion. Laura Tully, AIT will talk about engaging farmers in physical activity, health and wellbeing and The Roscommon Fit Farmers Project. John Wall, Prostate cancer advocate will talk about living with prostate cancer. Dr Bróna Mooney, Symposium Chairperson from the School of Nursing and Midwifery at NUI Galway, said: “Younger men’s experience of prostate cancer is influenced by their adherence to traditional masculine narratives, which may both assist them in recovery and deprive them of important sources of social and emotional support. This symposium addresses topics such as mental health, social isolation, health promotion initiatives and a range of other critical men’s health issues.” Paul Gillen, Health Promotion and Improvement Services, HSE and Marissa Butler, Centre of Nursing and Midwifery Education, Galway, said: “We are delighted to co-organise this Men’s Health Symposium with NUI Galway. This event will highlight the importance of focusing on and supporting initiatives that seek to improve men’s health and wellbeing, to promote positive male role models and encourage us as health professionals to engage men and boys in healthier lifestyle choices.” The symposium will take place from 8.30am-4pm on Tuesday, 19 November in the main Lecture Theatre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Arás Moyola Building, NUI Galway. To register to attend, visit www.eventbrite.com and search for ‘Men’s Health Symposium’. Follow on Twitter @n_gnursing and @CMNEGalway and #mhsym2019 and on Facebook at School of Nursing & Midwifery, NUI Galway. -Ends-

Documentary follows three personal stories of the patients’ voice impacting major research programmes in neonatal brain injury, Type 1 diabetes and chronic pain from arthritis CÚRAM, the SFI Centre for Research in Medical Devices based at NUI Galway has announced the documentary, The Patient Effect has been selected as the Science on Screen commission for 2019. The documentary will have its world premiere screening at Pálás Cinema in Galway on Saturday, 16 November at 6pm. The documentary tells the story of public and patient involvement in research – how tapping into the lived experience of patients, their families and carers, has the potential to hugely enhance the quality and relevance of health and medical research. Directed by Mia Mullarkey, this Irish documentary follows three personal stories, which reflect the power of including public and patient voices in planning and conducting research. Paul Ryan, father to Sophia who was born premature at 25 weeks, is contributing to a major research programme, exploring the most effective methods to monitor and manage babies with neonatal brain injury. Cameron Keighron (NUI Galway Student’s Union VP and Education Officer) lives with Type 1 diabetes and has been heavily involved in developing a new way of delivering healthcare to young people with diabetes. Margaret Devaney and the Swinford Arthritis Walking Group in Co. Mayo, provide a first-hand insight of the impact of chronic pain on their day-to-day life with medical device developers at NUI Galway, inspiring the developers in their research endeavours. Professor Andrew Murphy from NUI Galway and Director of the HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland, said: “In health research, it is crucial that the public and patient voice is heard, helping to ensure that publically-funded research addresses issues that matter to patients. We hope this documentary will inform people about the importance of public and patient involvement in research and inspire both the public and researchers to get involved.” Produced by Alice McDowell of Ishka Films, the chosen documentary overcame stiff competition from production companies based all over Ireland. Speaking about the documentary, McDowell said: “Patient and public voices have the power to transform the way we approach scientific and medical research in Ireland and worldwide. We've certainly witnessed this phenomenon during the past couple of months of filming and are excited to share three moving and inspiring stories in our soon-to-be-released documentary.” Science on Screen is a collaborative initiative of CÚRAM and Galway Film Centre, partnering this year with the HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland and PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway. The scheme has been running since 2016 and has seen the production of four documentaries on topics ranging from Parkinson’s Disease (Feats of Modest Valour) to Tendon Injury (Mending Legends), to Diabetes (Bittersweet) and Stroke (A Tiny Spark). These films have been screened at prestigious film festivals around the world, had eight national broadcasts on RTÉ and TG4 and reached an audience of one million. Professor Abhay Pandit, Scientific Director of CÚRAM, NUI Galway, said: “CÚRAM is delighted to see our Science on Screen programme evolve through a partnership with the HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland and PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway this year. This film demonstrates the potential of public and patient involvement in research including the medtech field. Science on Screen has brought stories of Irish research to a global audience and we are excited to see where this film will go.” Alan Duggan, Manager of Galway Film Centre, said: “The competition for the Science on Screen commission showcases the wealth of creative talent working in documentary in Ireland. We are incredibly proud to be continuing to work with CÚRAM on this wonderful initiative and we are delighted to welcome HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland and PPI Ignite @ NUI Galway to the partnership this year. We have no doubt that The Patient Effect will go on to be as successful as all of the other Science on Screen commissions that have already screened to audiences around the world.” Free tickets for the premiere on Saturday, 16 November at 6pm in Pálás Cinema, Spanish Arch, Galway are available on: https://bit.ly/2WICydr. The Patient Effect will also be screened in the ARD Family Resource Centre, Doughiska on Thursday, 21 November at 12pm. All are welcome. The documentary is funded by a Health Research Board award to the HRB Primary Care Clinical Trials Network Ireland and by CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, NUI Galway. For more information, contact Martha Killilea, NUI Galway, at: martha.killilea@nuigalway.ie. Click here to view a short trailer of The Patient Effect: https://vimeo.com/367628357. -Ends-

BioExel held its Medtech Opportunity Investor showcase in the Meyrick Hotel on recently, featuring over 40 start-up companies based in Ireland. This aim of the showcase was to provide national and international investors the breath of exciting opportunities emerging from the Medtech start-up ecosystem, particularly in the west of Ireland. The event illustrated how start-ups in the region are innovation drivers, developing novel life-changing technologies in collaboration with healthcare professionals, academia, manufacturers, SMEs and multinationals. Examples of this can be shown in some of the successes from the Bioexel companies such as; 1)Hidramed Solutions - CEO Suzanne Moloney from Hidramed Solutions is developing HidraWear, the world’s first adhesive-free wound care solution for suffers of Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) which is a disease of the skin that affects at least 1 in 100 people.  Suzanne said: “Bioexel really enabled me put a structure in place for my medical concept and through constant support and mentoring I developed a commercial roadmap that has led to IP, product design, clinical trial, CE marking, and seed investment. The dedicated Accelerator is a great mechanism to engage with experienced mentors and become part of the environment that supports each other on the start-up journey” 2)Bluedrop Medical another Bioexel participant successfully raised €3.7m in 2019 with a mix of investment and EU grant funding to enable further clinical emersion of the product. The home based system performs a daily scan of the patient’s feet and sends the data to the cloud for analysis through advanced algorithms capable of detecting abnormalities. By detecting skin damage early, the technology could enable healthcare providers to prevent hundreds of thousands of amputations, improving lives and significantly reducing costs. 3)Cortechs has created data-driven, therapeutic applications that use cognitive training, brainwaves and biofeedback    data to improve Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This is based on neurofeedback which is scientifically proven to improve attention deficit behaviors. The company has already received an EU grant of €1.3m for development of their products and is now open for seed investment of €2m. BioExcel’s two-year pilot delivered great success with 14 companies securing investment and funding of €9.7m and creating 52 jobs. BioExel is managed by Medtech Director, Dr Sandra Ganly, also a co-founder of BioInnovate Ireland and Senior Research Fellow in NUI Galway, and Fiona Neary, Commercial Director and co-founder of BioExel, and Innovation Operations Manager at NUI Galway. The Western region has a strong Medtech ecosystem and this is actively supported by the expertise and infrastructure at NUI Galway. The strength of this ecosystem was very visible at the event as 25 NUI Galway start-up companies exhibited, presented and showcased to an audience of investors not only in person but streamed to investor’s locations around the world from San Francisco, Boston, New York, London and Geneva. The event encapsulated panel discussions, words from key opinion leaders and successes from early stage companies. The event was opened by Fiona Neary, before opening remarks from Professor Ciarán hÓgartaigh, President of NUI Galway, and Tomás Ó Síocháin, CEO of the Western Development Commission (WDC). Between pitches and presentations by companies present, insightful panel discussions took place. The first panel discussion, chaired by Dr Sandra Ganly, focused on the impact of grant supports on fundraising strategies for start-ups and how these grants are enabling the start-up community progress to market readiness. Sandra was joined by Tony O’Halloran, CTO and Co-Founder of Aurigen Medical, Dr. Brendan Boland, CEO and Co-founder of Loci Orthopaedics Ltd, and Dr Imelda Lambkin, Manager of Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund at Enterprise Ireland. The second panel discussion focused on the role and impact of domain specific accelerators on an ecosystem and how the success of Bioexel shows this model works. This panel was chaired by Gillian Buckley, General Partner for BioExel and Investment Manager for the WDC. She was joined by Donnchadh Cullinan, Manager of Banking Relations and Growth Capital at Enterprise Ireland, Eimear Gleeson, Investment Associate at Atlantic Bridge Ventures and David Murphy, Director of the Innovation Office at NUI Galway. According to Gillian Buckley, “Bioexel has filled a critical gap in the Western Region’s ecosystem and supports a new generation of MedTech companies. Bioexel builds on the reputation of the West of Ireland as an international centre of excellence in Medtech. Bioexel along with the WDC Investment Fund are unique resources to the region’s entrepreneurs to set up and grow indigenous Irish businesses from a regional location.” Jennifer Melia, Manager, High Potential Start-Ups, Enterprise Ireland, said: “Enterprise Ireland is committed to supporting early stage collaborative innovative opportunities between the enterprise sector and health system with the aim of internationalising medtech technologies. To date, 14 new and emerging enterprises have and continue to benefit from the BioExcel programme through direct collaboration with international technology and healthcare sector stakeholders. Enterprise Ireland has supported the programme which successfully delivered on its objective to accelerate the commercialisation process of new technologies, products and services in a regional location.” BioExel is a partnership programme funded by Enterprise Ireland, Western Development Commission, Galway University Foundation, Bank of Ireland seed and early stage equity fund, and hosted by NUI Galway. The University is home to Ireland’s only centre for stem cell manufacturing, extensive translational and clinical facilities, biomedical sciences research laboratories, and the CÚRAM Centre for Research in Medical Devices. This is further strengthened by NUI Galway’s expertise in funding grants, knowledge transfer, and innovation programmes such as BioInnovate and BioExel. –ends-

The ‘Inaugural Professors In Conversation Series’ featuring newly appointed Business Professors at NUI Galway will continue on Wednesday, 6 November with Esther Tippmann, Professor of Strategy, Leadership and Change. She will talk about developing multinational corporation subsidiaries in Ireland. The lunchtime event hosted by the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics and Whitaker Institute is free and open to the public. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is critical to the success of the Irish economy. Professor Tippmann will discuss the challenges of and opportunities for developing subsidiaries of multinational corporations. She will draw on research-based insights into how managers in subsidiaries can deliver value beyond their mandate, develop innovative solutions within a complex organisational setting and develop their roles and mandates. The talk will provide insights for well-established subsidiaries and subsidiaries of young scaling firms. Professor Tippmann will be in conversation with Mark Gantly, President of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland and Senior R&D Director at Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Professor Alan Ahearne, Director, Whitaker Institute, NUI Galway, said: “The subsidiaries of multinational corporations (MNCs) employ thousands of people in Galway and hundreds of thousands of people across Ireland. With the recent bad news of significant jobs losses at Novartis in Cork and Molex in Clare, we need to understand better how MNCs’ subsidiaries in Ireland evolve and how they compete within their own corporate structures and in the global marketplace.”  Professor Esther Tippmann, NUI Galway, said: “Given the importance of Foreign Direct Investment to the Irish economy, our research on subsidiary development offers many systematic insights for leaders of subsidiaries on how to grow and evolve activities and mandates. Together with colleagues here at NUI Galway, we are excited about future research opportunities in this area and strong engagement with subsidiaries in the region and beyond.” Mark Gantly, Senior R&D Director at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said: “US multinationals have played an important role in the development of the Irish economy over the last 50 years, and it’s clear that the Irish subsidiaries have steadily increased their strategic contribution to those companies. It’s important that we are rigorous in our analysis of the reasons for this success, and I am delighted to support Professor Tippmann and the wider team at NUI Galway as they conduct their research.” The event will take place on Wednesday, 6 November from 1pm-2pm in Room CA110 in the J.E. Cairnes Building, North Campus, NUI Galway. To book the event, visit: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/conversations-with-our-newly-appointed-professors-prof-esther-tippmann-tickets-78146758057 -Ends-

Over 6,000 Students to Graduate Over 6,000 students will graduate from NUI Galway at the University's winter conferring ceremonies, which take place from Saturday, 9 November to Wednesday, 20 November. NUI Galway has also announced the names of those to be conferred with Honorary Degrees at the 2019 Winter Conferring. The eleven individuals to be conferred with Honorary Degrees are:  Seamus O’Grady – Retired Director of Adult and Continuing Education at NUI Galway Shelley McNamara – Director of Grafton Architects Yvonne Farrell – Director of Grafton Architects Orla Guerin – Broadcaster and journalist with the BBC Cathal Goan – Broadcaster, journalist, editor and former Director General of RTÉ Mary Gordon – Founder/President of Roots of Empathy Paul Farrell – Country Manager for IBM Nuala Ward – LGBT+ activist and advocate Fergus Finlay – Retired CEO of Barnardos John Ging – Director of the Operational Division at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Breandán Feiritéar – Broadcaster and former Head of Raidió na Gaeltachta and TV, film and radio producer for RTÉ and TG4 Speaking on the announcement, NUI Galway President, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh said: “NUI Galway is fortunate to be associated with many outstanding honorary graduates throughout its history and those being honoured this year form a particularly distinguished group. Each one has made an excellent and distinctive contribution to the diverse fields of adult and continuing education; children’s rights, journalism and broadcasting; international social entrepreneurship; research, development and innovation; activism for social change; contribution to society, human rights and our defence forces. NUI Galway is very pleased to be in a position to respect and recognise these exceptional individuals. Each of those we honour also have a special bond with our region - drawing on the unique experiences, strengths and challenges with which we as a University also engage – our proud record of achievement in widening access to education, this year marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Adult and Continuing Education; our strong association with the Defence Forces since 1969; our profile on international human rights, and our emphasis on creativity and innovation. In honouring these exceptional individuals, we also signal what we value in areas that matter to us and to our society. We are delighted that our honorary graduands are being honoured at the same time as we celebrate the achievements of over 6,000 of our students across our four Colleges. On behalf of NUI Galway, I am delighted to honour all of our graduates and their achievements, a great occasion for everyone involved.” The Adult Learning and Professional Development conferring sessions taking place on Saturday, 9 November, at 11am, 1.30pm and 4.30pm. The conferring ceremonies from 11 to 20 November will take place at 11am and 3pm each day. -Ends-