March 2002

Release date: 27 March 2002 Irish Universities Unite to Encourage Students to Study Science A pioneering web site to encourage students to study science devised by all seven Irish university science faculties was launched today (Wednesday 27 March) in Dublin Castle by Mr. Noel Treacy, TD, Minister for Science, Technology and Commerce. Conscious of the declining interest in schools and universities in many areas of basic science, the group 'Irish Universities Promoting Science', consisting of the Deans of Science and Science Faculty Administrative Officers, has worked together for the past three years with the aim of furthering science and science education nationally and internationally and attracting students to the wide range of teaching programmes on offer. Activities have included schools liaison and collaboration in activities that popularise science such as the ESAT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Minister Treacy said, "This is an exciting initiative undertaken by the Deans and Faculties of our seven Irish universities This Inter-University website will provide quick and efficient access to reliable information not only to students interested in studying science, but also to students and researchers in other countries who wish to inform themselves about the excellent work being carried out in Irish universities. By doing so, it helps to make both Ireland and Europe a more attractive research environment, and ultimately contributes to the EU goal of having, by 2010, the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world." "I am delighted to formally launch the Joint Inter-University Science Website – www.universityscience.ie - and I congratulate the universities on their use of technology as a means of positively impacting on science and science education at all levels," Minister Treacy added. The web site provides information on scientific disciplines, undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in each university and careers and research opportunities in science. It may be viewed at http://www.universityscience.ie Ends For further information, please contact: Fidelma Haffey, Science Faculty Administrator, TCD. Tel: 01 – 608 2024 Mairéad Loughman, Administrator Officer, Faculty of Science, UCC. Tel: 021 490 2800 / 087 620 1812

Release date: 12 March, 2002 Minister announces Inaugural Science Awards at NUI Galway A new awards scheme funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and aimed at attracting international researchers to Ireland for a period of up to one year will be announced in NUI, Galway this evening (6.30 p.m., Tuesday, 12 March), by Mr. Noel Treacy, T.D., Minister for Science and Technology and Commerce. The Walton Visitor Awards are named in honour of Ernest T. S. Walton, who with his colleague, John Cockcroft, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1951. Walton s son, Professor Philip Walton, is Professor of Applied Physics at NUI, Galway. In making the announcement, Minister Treacy will be joined by Dr. William C. Harris, SFI director general, Professor Walton, and members of the Walton family. Dr. Harris called the Walton Visitor Awards "a new bridge between Ireland and the international scientific community". He pledged that SFI would fund each Walton Visitor Award with up to €200,000 per year, including salary and laboratory and moving expenses. When Walton and Cockcroft split the atom in 1932, it ushered in a new era in scientific research and is regarded as one of the great landmarks in the history of science. SFI's decision to name the new awards after Ireland s greatest 20th century scientist is an appropriate way of fostering research and collaborative links with the International scientific community. The specific aims of the Walton Visitor Awards are: To bring international researchers to Ireland for periods normally ranging up to one year To strengthen Ireland s connections to and collaborations with the international research community To enhance Ireland s reputation and culture as a home of first-class research To foster the recruitment of excellent undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students The Walton Visitor Awards programme is one of a number of new initiatives from Science Foundation Ireland to support a strong scientific research base and attract and retain excellent researchers to create a critical mass of world-class research excellence in niche areas of Information Communication Technologies and Biotechnology. Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 750418

Release date: 25 February, 2002 Understandings of Rural Development challenged in new book by NUI Galway expert Irish rural society has an image of being isolated, poverty-stricken and marginalised. However, the nature of rural areas, and particularly that of rural development, is being "rethought" and "redefined" throughout Europe. A new book by NUI, Galway expert, Dr John McDonagh, Renegotiating Rural Development in Ireland, explores this "redefining" of rural development and the implications this has for the future sustainability of rural communities in Ireland. The book, which was officially launched today (Monday, 25 February), in NUI, Galway by Eamon Ó Cúiv TD, Minister for State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, challenges different perceptions about rural life while deconstructing current processes and practices utilised in this complex arena. Dr McDonagh states that a new form of governance is required in order to achieve a collective benefit that is unobtainable through current practices of groups acting either independently or in isolation. Dr McDonagh states: "The premise of this book is that rural Ireland does not have a democratic ethos under which it can develop greater self-reliance … where local communities can participate genuinely in the decision-making process." Throughout the book Dr McDonagh suggests that current methods need to be drastically overhauled in order for rural communities to survive. He argues that there has been a perception that EU-funded initiatives such as LEADER have been the driving force behind development but in reality these programmes often do not get to the core of what is required. As such, there is a need for a renegotiation of the methods of funding and implementation of rural development projects, as well as a need for greater input and influence from the rural communities affected by, and involved in, these projects. In particular the book argues for new methods of rural management that are more than merely partnerships between governmental and non-governmental groups fulfilling a set of funding criteria. "While there has been a perceptible shift in recent years from the top down policy to a more bottom-up partnership approach," says Dr McDonagh, "rural communities in Ireland still have only limited influence on the development process." He argues that the reluctance of successive Irish governments to alter the administrative and institutional capacities of the state has given rise to the perception that these programmes are effective. However, in many cases these programmes and projects are not meeting the requirements of rural people and this goal is only attainable through the integration of government and EU programmes with the input and needs of rural communities. Dr McDonagh further argues that there is a need for greater understanding of what rural development is all about; "what people want from rural areas; whether people will accept trade-offs between rural and urban living and whether problems in rural areas can be dealt with exclusively through some specific rural development strategy or rural-oriented planning". Ends Information: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel: 091 750418

Release date: 1 March, 2002 Taoiseach launches new Research Centre in NUI Galway An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, T.D., today (Friday, 1 March), launched the Centre for Innovation and Structural Change (CISC) at NUI, Galway. CISC has been awarded competitive funding of €2.8 million under the Irish Government's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions (PRTLI). Professor Roy Green has been leading NUI Galway's innovation policy work since he arrived from the University of Newcastle in Australia a few years ago. He has already fostered links with institutions of excellence abroad, including MIT in the US and the University of Cambridge in England. "Research in CISC will be undertaken in areas including spatial strategy, internationally-traded services and industry clustering", he said. "Our research will help inform economic and structural policy in what I believe are three areas of "weakness" in the Irish economy: a dependence on foreign investment, low levels of research and development and a geographical imbalance in economic activity". Since innovation policy is not widely studied in Ireland at the moment, he believes that the data produced by the new centre will fill a void in international terms as well as in a regional or national sense. "All of our research will produce publicly available results which we'll post on a website. Since there's no comprehensive source of data on the area at the moment, it will be especially useful in contributing to EU and OECD data collection," according to Professor Green. A number of smaller-scale projects in the innovation area are already underway, including a survey which will map the innovation structure of the Galway/Limerick/Shannon region, or the "Atlantic Technology Corridor". This work involves the development of statistical categories designed specifically to identify trends such as levels of research work among companies in the region or connections between business and the local community. Speaking at the launch of the new research centre, Dr. Iognáid Ó Muircheartaigh, President of NUI, Galway said, "The University is proud of its excellence in research and the contribution that its research activity makes to national and international policy-making. The Centre for Innovation and Structural Change is a significant and exciting development in an important area of business strategy". Ends Information from: Máire Mhic Uidhir, Press Officer, NUI, Galway. Tel. 091 750418