Impact & Opinions | Tionchar & Tuairimí

SDG Champion

The Winter 2023 Edition of Cois Coiribe will celebrate University of Galway’s recent victory as 2023–24 SDG Champion, exploring exactly what this designation means for the university and for wider society. Our designation as SDG Champion recognises the leading achievements of the University in working towards the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This Winter 2023 edition will feature insightful research stories, spanning key areas in which our university is rising to the challenge across UN SDGs – from health to innovation, clean energy to life underwater.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
14  MINS

The Secrets to our Future, preserved in Climate Archives: A 32-Day Research Expedition

Dr Audrey Morley

Observing marine sediments in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic Seas, Dr Audrey Morley looks to the past to further understand the future of climate change. Here, the University of Galway lecturer reveals to Cois Coiribe how she prepared for a 32–day-long journey across the Arctic aboard the RV Celtic Explorer, and what Research Project SiTrAc’s findings tells us about climate change’s tipping points.

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SDG Champion
06 November 2023
22  MINS

Cultural Values in a Sustainable Future

Prof Lillis Ó Laoire

We may not associate SDGs with culture, but the UN’s 2030 Agenda acknowledges the need to safeguard the world’s diverse cultural heritages, and the role of culture in fostering a collective sense of responsibility and belonging. Award-winning writer and singer, Prof Lillis Ó Laoire asks: how can we steward our cultural heritages to realign them with sustainable futures?

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SDG Champion
07 November 2023
13  MINS

The Real-World Effects of Cyberbullying

Dr Mairéad Foody

Easy access to virtual social space has seen young people face dangers of cyberbullying, sextortion and online victimisation. Many primary schools have taken steps to ban smartphones on school grounds, following the launch of government guidelines on restrictions of smartphone use among young people. According to Assistant Professor of Psychology, Dr Mairéad Foody, research is key in informing quality prevention and intervention among schools, parents and guardians.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
24  MINS

“Ragged Desolation of Men and Things”?

Breandán Mac Suibhne, Laura Kelly, Niall Whelehan

In an essay published in July 2023 in the catalogue for Christina McBride’s Críocha an Chroí / Heartland exhibition in An Gailearaí, Gaoth Dobhair, historians Breandán Mac Suibhne of the University of Galway and Laura Kelly and Niall Whelehan of the University of Stratheclyde respond to her images of the rock-strewn landscape of north-west Donegal.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
18  MINS

“Water is at the centre of the climate crisis.”

Rory Moses McKeown, WHO

As a fundamental human need affecting a range of SDGs, access to clean and safe drinking-water is essential to a sustainable future. Rory Moses McKeown, University of Galway alum and Senior Technical Consultant at WHO, shares his views on the challenges to water safety and access in a climate crisis, and the emerging role of water in global conflicts.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
25  MINS

Smart Sustainability at the World’s Largest Sports Air Dome

John Prenty, Kurt Reinhardt, Cathal Cregg

As 2023 SGD Champion, the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome is a beacon of sustainable innovation for Ireland. In this SDG Champion Edition, Cois Coiribe asks the team about its partnership with University of Galway, its dynamic Green Clubs programme and the complexities of managing the world’s largest sports air dome – a versatile indoor facility, accessible to clubs and visitors throughout the region and beyond.

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SDG Champion
15 December 2023
18  MINS

Imagine a Futuristic, Sustainable City between Galway and Dublin

Prof Padraic Kenna

We like to mix the global and the local in Galway. We talk a lot about climate, justice, land and housing, which is why the Sustainable Development Goals mean so much to us. Our greatest task now is to envisage the carbon-free, sustainable and inclusive communities of the future. ‘THE LINE’ offers a glimpse into what these could look like. 

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SDG Champion
04 October 2023
14  MINS

Food Systems are Failing SDG Efforts: What are the Trade-offs?

Dr Anne Mullen

“The goals and targets of the SDGs don’t always synergise – there are many trade-offs – and fixation on individual SDGs is a hurdle for progress.” According to Dr Anne Mullen of the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences and the Ryan Institute, sustainable food systems are a key entry-point to accelerate progress across multiple SDGs. University of Galway is uniquely placed to understand and act on food systems – and our designation as SDG Champion gives us an even greater voice and responsibility to do so.

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SDG Champion
25 September 2023
13  MINS

In Conversation: Ibec CEO, Danny McCoy

Danny McCoy

True prosperity calls for a balance between public and private sector, argues Danny McCoy, University of Galway alum and CEO of Ibec (Irish Business & Employers Confederation). With a varied career as an executive, senior economist and lecturer, this University of Galway alum has developed a strong perspective on the makings of a sustainable economy. Here, Danny sits down with Cois Coiribe to share his views on education, sustainability, globalisation and more.

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SDG Champion
24 August 2023
< 1  MINS

2023 in Sports

2023 has been a memorable year for sport at University of Galway. Cois Coiribe takes a look back at our most treasured moments.

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SDG Champion
17 November 2023
14  MINS

In Conversation: Dorothy Creaven, Rent the Runway

Dorothy Creaven

Since its 2009 launch, Rent the Runway has made headlines as a sustainable alternative to fast fashion, and more recently as the first female-founded company with a female CEO, COO and CFO to go public. Rent the Runway’s e-commerce service allows users to rent clothes from 800+ designers, disrupting a trillion-dollar fashion sector. At its European HQ in the heart of Galway City, University of Galway alum Dorothy Creaven is transforming the company’s digital infrastructure as VP and Managing Director. We sat down with Dorothy to discuss the impact of her work in building a sustainable future for fashion.

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SDG Champion
17 November 2023
17  MINS

Aligning our Research with Sustainable Development Goals

Prof James Livesey

In today’s hyper developed and interconnected world, we see isolated actions give rise to global repercussions like never before. As a framework for addressing global issues, the UN Sustainable Development Goals are a call to action for universities to consider the wider impact of their research. Here VP for Research & Innovation, Prof James Livesey explains how the SDGs have inspired a new approach to research strategy and prioritisation.

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SDG Champion
15 December 2023
23  MINS

Shaping MedTech’s Future: Gerry Kilcommins, Medtronic

Gerry Kilcommins

Medtronic’s Vice President of Global Platform Manufacturing & Medtronic Ireland Country Director, Gerry Kilcommins sits down with Cois Coiribe to discuss corporate responsibility in healthcare and sustainability, and the significance of the Medtronic–University of Galway partnership in cementing Galway’s place at the epicenter of one of top world MedTech hubs.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
16  MINS

Students for Climate Action: Cameron Noah Keighron

Cameron Noah Keighron

“Climate action can seem overwhelming; with all the media, reports and statistics, you might feel like you don’t know where to start.” University of Galway student Cameron Noah Keighron has joined 35 other students from 18 countries across the globe, to pave the way for a new generation of climate action. Through the Tallories Network, a cooperation for social responsibility in Higher Education, the group have devised a ten-year action plan to drive civic engagement and influence policy around education and meaningful research on the gendered impacts of climate change.

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SDG Champion
14 December 2023
16  MINS

Sustainable Galway, for a Sustainable World

Prof Pól Ó Dochartaigh, Deputy President and Registrar

Sustainability is crucial for universities to fulfil their role as responsible institutes for the public good. Deputy President and Registrar, University of Galway, Prof. Pól Ó Dochartaigh, reflects on our achievements and learnings thus far, as we embark on a transformative journey towards a sustainable Galway, for a sustainable world.

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SDG Champion
15 December 2023
33  MINS

Dr Martin Walsh OBE: Understanding Viruses at the Molecular Level

Dr Martin Walsh OBE

University of Galway alum, Dr Martin Walsh OBE has spent 30+ years studying the structure of biological molecules. In his work at Diamond Light Source, Oxfordshire, Dr Walsh uses X-ray crystallography to image a range of biological macromolecules from proteins and nucleic acids to viruses at the molecular level. The technique relies on generating crystals of the macromolecules which are then illuminated with X-rays to determine their atomic structures. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the skills of Dr Walsh and his team were diverted towards early drug discovery in the race to address the worldwide health crisis. Now in 2023, he has been named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to Science during COVID-19.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
11  MINS

Críocha an Chroí—An Artist’s Return to the Heartland

Christina McBride

A residency in the University of Galway’s Gaoth Dobhair Centre in 2022–23 allowed Glasgow visual artist Christina McBride to explore the natural and built environment of her mother’s homeplace in nearby Bun an Inbhir in a series of analogue photographs developed using local fauna and peatland materials. McBride’s residency in Donegal and the resulting exhibition, Críocha an Chroí / Heartland—was made possible by a partnership involving the University, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Ealaín na Gaeltachta and the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny. In autumn 2023, a second exhibition, Thall Udaí / Over By, focusing on the people of the place, was mounted in Sean-Scoil Bhun an Inbhir and a third is planned for Glasgow in 2024.

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
7  MINS

Ó Chois Fharraige go COP28

Dr John Caulfield

Céard atá le rá ag an nglúin óg in Éirinn faoin athrú aeráide? D’oibrigh foireann Ollscoil na Gaillimhe in éineacht le dhá mheánscoil Ghaeltachta i nGaillimh chun dóchas agus imní a ndaltaí a roinnt leis an domhan mór. 

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
19  MINS

Alumni Spotlight: Sam  Murphy-Kerry, Accenture

Sam Murphy-Kerry

University of Galway graduate and business strategy leader, Sam Murphy-Kerry is the North America Director at the Sustainability Studio at Accenture Song, the tech-powered creative group of Accenture. Accenture Song’s Sustainability Studio is dedicated to making sustainability relevant and actionable for everyone. As the business world increasingly faces pressing calls for sustainable action, creativity and strategy have never been more important. Here, Sam explains to Cois Coiribe why sustainability and growth, by definition, “ought to go hand in hand.”

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SDG Champion
18 December 2023
12  MINS

In Conversation: Oliver Wall, Chief of Staff at Bank of Ireland

Oliver Wall

In University of Galway’s Literary & Debating Society, Oliver Wall first practiced the leadership skills that would stand to him throughout a rich career in politics and corporate affairs. A former adviser in the Department of an Taoiseach during Ireland’s Presidency of the EU Council, Oliver Wall is now Chief of Staff and Head of Corporate Affairs at Bank of Ireland. We caught up with Oliver to learn more about the impact of his work at Bank of Ireland, from wellbeing at work to greenhouse gasses and more.

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SDG Champion
18 April 2024
15  MINS

The Learning Commons: A Library, Reimagined

Monica Crump

Monica Crump, Interim University Librarian explores this radically different library of the future, supporting collaboration, creativity and new forms of teaching, learning and engagement.

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SDG Champion
19 December 2023
17  MINS

A Better World Through Better Business

Dr Johanna Clancy

In a 1970 essay for The New York Times, Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman stated that “The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits.” Fast-forward over 50 years, business is confronted with major socioeconomic, environmental and geopolitical disruptions, challenged as never before to adapt, be relevant and contribute solutions to the world’s pressing issues (AACSB Pathways) – as well as making profits.

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SDG Champion
19 December 2023
7  MINS

Focal ón Uachtarán

President, Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh

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SDG Champion
11 January 2024
< 1  MINS

Sustainability at a glance…

Sustainability achievements at the University of Galway, at a glance.

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SDG Champion
15 December 2023
18  MINS

The Student Pantry: A Solution to Food Waste

Adam Mullins, Meadhbh McNutt

Astrophysics student, Adam Mullins is the founder of The Student Pantry, a student-led solution to food waste and insecurity based in the University of Galway. When 22 year-old Adam isn’t in the lab studying, he is out collecting 1000kg of wasted food items from Galway’s supermarkets to provide free, healthy meals for a growing student population. Here, Meadhbh McNutt sits down with Adam to discuss the importance of removing the barriers to sustainability and food security, and his future plans for The Student Pantry.   

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