NUACHTÁN SAOR IN AISCE VOL.19 Issue 4. 24 OCT 2017
Student Independent News
HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES? By Sorcha O’Connor Are you adventurous at heart? Willing to use only your brain and initiative to achieve your goals? Then Jailbreak 2018 could be for you.
The annual rat-race competition organised by Amnesty International and St Vincent de Paul was launched again last week on 19 October by Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor ahead of its
2018 round of fundraising and excitement. The thrilling competition is open to all third-level students, who will take on the challenge of reaching a mystery location in March next year in under 36 hours
– with no money of their own. Participants must blag their way to the finish line in the fastest time possible, solely using the good will of others, asking them to donate to the charities and for a lift to their destinations.
Jailbreak 2018 is launched in Trinity College Dublin last week.
The fast-paced competition has seen students set off from Dublin to find themselves in many locations dotted around the continent, including San Marino, Krakow, and Lake Bled in Slovenia. Last year’s winners Trinity pair Liam Cronin and Mark Perham reached San Marino before all other teams and were also the top fundraisers of the €57,000 raised last year. Now into its sixth year, Jailbreak has raised a whopping €225,000 so far and is the world’s leading student charity competition. This year, Cumann Gaelach will co-organise the event to promote the Irish language throughout the international event. Speaking at the launch of the competition, co-director of the exciting race across Europe Hugh Fitzgibbon said the competition was “like no other”. “A race across Europe to reach a mystery location with the aim of raising money for St Vincent de Paul and Amnesty Jailbreak truly is a challenge like no other!” he said. He explained the team would be visiting third-level institu-
tions across Ireland over the coming weeks looking for students to apply for the whirlwind experience. “We are very excited for Jailbreak 2018 and will be visiting colleges all over Ireland in the coming weeks with all the information. Get involved!” Minister Mitchell O’Connor said she hoped the competition would heighten engagement with the two worthy causes behind the event. “It is great to see third-level students use their ingenuity, stamina and the power of their collective to help people less fortunate than themselves,” she said. “I am sure the enthusiasm of the 2018 Jailbreak participants will motivate people within our colleges, universities and the wider community to engage with the two charities, St. Vincent de Paul and Amnesty International.” Further information on how to sign-up can be found on www. jailbreakrace.com or on Facebook Jailbreak HQ, Twitter @ JailbreakHQ and Instagram @ Jailbreakhq.
NUI Galway crowned University of the Year By Teodora Bandut Our very own NUI Galway has been named University of the Year by the Sunday Times’ Good University Guide 2018. This is the third time the University has received the accolade, winning the inaugural award in 2002 and later in 2009. The guide assesses key indicators including top degrees awarded, graduate job prospects and course completion rates across the 22 Irish Higher Education Institutes (HEI). This is the country’s only league table to measure the performance of all 22 multi-faculty third-level education institutes. The editor of the Sunday Times Good University Guide Alastair
McCall praised NUI Galway for having the best job prospects in the country with just 3% graduate unemployment rate. The university also boasts figures such as 88% course completion and world-renowned members of academic staff. “In the eight years since NUI Galway last won our University of the Year award it has continued to grow its global reputation as one of the great seats of learning,” he said. “Some of its academics are among the most cited in the world and its reputation spans the arts and the sciences.” On learning the good news, outgoing NUI Galway President Dr Jim Browne explained the Uni-
versity’s vision for the ten years he has been in office. “We try to orient our programmes to support the ambition of our students and the needs of our economy in the longer term. We also try to have an appropriate balance of traditional academic scholarship and work-based learning,” he said. With its strong reputation for research, bringing in €65m of research income last year, NUI Galway awaits investments of €49m from the Science Foundation Ireland over the next six years. The centre helps to link industry with academia and aims to assist NUI Galway in its commitment to do so also.
The university’s openness to alternative means of teaching and learning has also been praised, especially in regards to its celebration and promotion of the Irish language. The university offers classes in the language from beginner to advanced level as well as programmes taught through the medium of Irish. An additional €19m in funding is also expected from the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme. The university is rooted in the Galway community and is “pivotal to the regional economy” and “plays an active role at all levels” according to Alistair McCall. As the city gears up to be 2020’s cultural capital, NUI Galway will be at its heart. Having
recently inaugurated the O’Donoghue Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance, the importance the campus places on the arts has always been highlighted. NUI Galway continues to climb in international rankings also with recognition from Top 250 of the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2017/2018, as well as the QS World University Rankings 2017/18, which places us in the top 1% of universities worldwide. The university hosts international centres such as Moore Institute, Institute for Life course and Society and The Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy. Addition-
ally, NUI Galway has been listed as one of the most beautiful universities in Europe according to Business Insider. Dr Jim Browne stated that the success is due to the contribution of all participatory parties. “Our students and staff are the vital ingredient that make this University truly special and this award acknowledges their creativity, innovation and hard work. The ambition here knows no bounds and I am confident that we are on a path for even greater renown for this institution and the region,” he said. This year’s runner up, for a second consecutive year, was Trinity College.