Education

Based in University of Galway’s School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Cell EXPLORERS is a public engagement programme that aims to address science-related misconceptions held by some young people and provide positive experiences with hands-on science.

Cell EXPLORER’s recently launched the GROWS project to challenges perceptions around who gets to be a scientist—inviting young people from disadvantaged and minoritised groups to discover science through creative and novel activities—and analysing the societal impact along the way. Here former National Coordinator Dr Sarah Carroll and GROWS Manager Dr Kristin Anderson delve into the benefits of creative engagement for scientists and young people alike.

Whose identity, experience and knowledge matters and how are we accountable for including diverse perspectives and characteristics? These are questions that Dr Helen Maher, Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), addresses on a daily basis at University of Galway. We sat down with Helen to reflect on our progress to date, the steps still to take and the vital difference that EDI makes to a university community.

Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh became the 13th president of Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of Galway in January 2018. In December 2019 / January 2020, he launched the University’s Strategic Plan 2020–2025, ‘Shared Vision, Shaped by Values’, at the outset of what was to become a challenging period for third-level education, shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now approaching a halfway point in our value-based strategy, Ciarán reflects on our achievements and learnings thus far, exploring what it means for the University to be rooted in Galway, while always reaching outwards towards the horizon.

“We have one of the highest participation rates in the world in third-level education, but we are a long way off being one of the highest investors in that education. For the sake of this country and its young people we need to stop trying to do this on the cheap,”  says Deputy President and Registrar of University of Galway, Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh.

Community-engaged learning with a focus on sustainability is central to the curriculum at NUI Galway’s Civil Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering and Project & Construction Management degrees. Prof Jamie Goggins and Dr Magdalena Hajdukiewicz discuss the impact on both society and the students who partake. 

As someone who spent many years teaching political science and sociology in NUI Galway, I feel a close bond with the university, an affection that stays with me to this day as I recall so many wonderful years of teaching and research there, as well as the lifelong friendships forged.