Post Card From Inisbofin Island in Co.Galway
Chat with
Jennifer Cleary of Euraxess Dublin & Elainen Mahon from IDEA
Special Inmmigration Changes and new policies
y a D s ’ k c St Patri The day that every one want’s be Irish
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Inisbofin Island • Immigration • Capoeira festival • Bit of Craic • Chat with
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EDITOR’S WORD
T
he Research Brazil Ireland showcase - in the form of a very interesting Science Week - was held at Dublin Castle starting 23 February. The depth and breadth of projects undertaken by postgraduate Brazilians studying here impresses. Much of it is important; some of it will be life-changing.
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The St. Patrick’s Festival was enjoyed by many international students too. However, the day of the parade itself is frequently marred by violence and brawling - and it is an unfortunate stereotype (heavy drinking and fighting) that the Irish continue to perpetuate. A ban on belowcost alcohol has been suggested as a possible solution, and legislation is being brought in to this effect targeting supermarkets. However, studies have shown that placing a minimum price per unit of alcohol rather than preventing supermarkets from attracting customers with lossleaders is a far more effective method of reducing alcohol consumption. If people intend to get drunk and cause harm to others, risking injury to themselves, they will. Another solution is touched upon by Shane Burke, who we interview as a representative of the European Students for Liberty. Local coordinator Shane studies at Carlow. He also dispels some of the myths related to Libertarianism. More politics, with the British general election on the way. (Yawn!) But some news is of minor relevance to students: One of the promises that the Liberals abandoned when entering the Conservative-led government five years ago was their free third-level-education policy. It is something which the British public still discusses. It is this betrayal, among others, for which the Liberals and Deputy Leader Nick Clegg are unlikely to be forgiven in May.
We have an interview with Jennifer Cleary of Euraxess, a European-wide portal for academics who wish to travel for work, or chase research interests in foreign climes. We also have a chat with EU Project Coordinator Elaine Mahon of the Irish Development Education Association. IDEA promotes global justice and equality, raising awareness about development through education in schools, community groups and other bodies across the country and in six of the recession-hit European Union countries. Plenty more in the magazine besides. We hope you enjoy it.
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Editorial Editor Richard Gibney rich@yeah.ie DESIGN Designer : Eliav Raffaele Pictures Yeah! Team WEB & Blog William Lobo
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contributors Daini Silveira Viliani Turati Miren Maialen Sarah O’Sullivan Camila Mello Je Yuna Tourism Ireland Study Group Sinse Hoo Oscar Harley-Monks Department of Justice and Equality LT Dalin Oma Pineda
Yeah! Magazine is published by DMP - Dreams Media Producers Address: 148 Sherif Street , Dublin 1 Dublin-Ireland
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consultancy@yeah.ie www.yeah.ie. www.dreamsmediaproducers.com All the contents of Yeah! Magazine are only for general information and/or use. Such contents do not constitute advice and should not be relied upon in making (or refraining from making) any decision. Any specific advice or replies to queries in any part of the magazine is/are the personal opinion of such experts/consultants/persons and are not subscribed to by Yeah! Magazine.
BIGESST CAREER MISTAKES THAT YOU COULD MAKE
6 regulars
features
6 Chat with...
16In focus
22 Study
Pancake Tuesday or Fat Tuesday is celebrated around the world, we look at how the Irish side see this tradition
The Brazilian Ambassador to Ireland explains Brazil’s Science Without Borders initiative is breaking
32Special
26Music and
Jennifer Cleary from Euraxess & Elaine Mahon IDEA
8In Focus
Research Brazil-Ireland brings its 1st science week at Dublin Castle.
10Profile
“What’s Life Like for Students in Other Countries?”
24 Post Card
Finding Inishbofin in Co.Galway an Island of culture, history and natural treasure.
student life
Entertainment -Capoeira Festival
INIS is aware of alegations that Shelbourne College failed to refund monies due to certain students whose visa were refused
-Diana Danieli concert -12Points Festival
30Careers
38Bit of Craic
Biggest career mistakes that you could make
St Patrick’s Day where everybody wants to be Irish
chat with
Jennifer Cleary of Euraxess in Dublin Who started the initiative and what are its goals?
“We provide practical assistance for researchers who are moving from Ireland to Europe or to Ireland from Europe. We have a section on our website that promotes Science without Borders. On that, we have information for researchers who want to come to Ireland – the posts that are available from third-level institutions, from the universities and institutes of technology that have signed up to Science without Borders – so that’s practical information. We’re one of the only countries that has a Euraxess portal with a PhD section.”
“The European Commission started the initiative – they saw that Europe was way behind the US and Asia when it came to providing practical information to researchers – say you had moved to Ireland ten years ago, and you wanted to get details on moving your family over, you might phone the visa office and get three answers from three different sources. So the researchers can now go online and get the definitive information. If they can’t get that, they can call a person at a helpdesk or they can email, so their information is tailored to their needs and details.”
Netherlands – would even have a special tax advisor at Euraxess to discuss pension options. Mobility is almost essential for many researchers because they want to work at the top level. They may pursue research opportunities overseas in order to continue to learn, continue to upskill in their specialty. So obviously, pensions are important if you want to travel to conduct research in a specific field.” And does the portal extend beyond universities? There is a lot of research and work carried out in the private sector, such as Pharmaceuticals, Technology, Facilities Management, and Environmental Science.
“We’re trying to encourage collaboration with the private sector, because whether you’re in a university or institute of “Euraxess is not for technology or you’re looking for work in a company, we want undergraduate students to provide information on any generally but I would advise undergraduates that if you wish research roles. At Euraxess, there are forty organisations to do research, this is how you and six hundred people working do it, there is a life beyond across Europe. There are nongraduation, this is how you get member countries such as opportunities, this is how you Israel and links to the United get European funding, and you States, South America and have all the links, you have all Asia. It’s about removing the the organisations that want usual barriers that people to host early-stage research. face. Practical problems that Some countries – such as the people face such as moving the family, if your wife or husband will find employment, or how you bring up your kids in a Inter natio new environment – so we nal Stud e answer childcare n may purs ts u e re s e a queries, and rc h opportun address ities schooling overseas for children .” too.” Who can use the Euraxess portal?
“
Elaine Mahon of the Irish Development Education Association
Elaine Mahon of the Irish Development Education Association heads up the Irish section of a European Commission project. Shared by six EU countries, “Challenging the Crisis” engages young people from some of the recession-affected countries of Europe in a campaign for global justice. She talked to Yeah! about her work on the project, and with IDEA Tell us about yourself, Elaine. I studied European Studies in Trinity, and then I worked in the European Union, and two years with them in the Sudan. I managed their aid program for human rights projects. I worked only with Sudanese organisations; they were human rights projects. I remember thinking “That’s what needs to happen in Ireland.” The Sudanese are doing a great job promoting human rights in their own country. Now, they get external support and they have external visibility which protects people from their own government. Our work in IDEA is about having conversations and raising awareness of people in Ireland about human rights, poverty, inequality and so on. These issues
don’t just affect other countries. Development Education facilitates people to understand the problems, make connections globally and act for social change. I was having a conversation with somebody about it, and he said “That’s called Development Education!” and I hadn’t heard of that before, and that’s how I got involved. I worked at the National Youth Council for four years, and now I’m here with IDEA. What is development education? Development education is education and awareness-raising about issues related to international development. Information about issues in Africa, Asia, Latin America – and it would happen through schools, through youth groups, community development projects and teacher training, Trade Unions, many different fora. IDEA is the umbrella association for all of that educational work in Ireland. Who funds IDEA? Our main donor is Irish Aid, which is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and obviously the Irish government has huge support for public awareness raising for international development. We also have a project through the European Commission as well. We also receive support from Trócaire and Concern. Traditionally, development education focused on what’s happening overseas, what’s happening away from us, in other parts of the world. I think we see a shift now where there’s so much inequality in our own country – and although we’re not focusing on that exclusively – we are trying to make the links between social injustice and global injustice. So the project that we have with the European Union
is called Challenging the Crisis. It is doing that educational work in all the countries that have gone through the financial crisis in Europe. We have partners in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain. I’ve heard about moves away from ideas like “charity” and moves towards “partnerships”? The main problem now globally is inequality. Poverty is still a huge problem. But the issue is that the gap between the rich and poor is getting bigger and bigger. And that happens both within countries and between countries. Obviously between the Western world and everywhere else, there is a huge disparity there. But if you live in other countries like India, South Africa, Brazil, inequality is a problem in those countries. I don’t think just giving money is the answer: We give with one hand and we take with the other. A lot of debt – which we see in Ireland and Europe as well – unfair and exploitative trade agreements, the arms trade, I mean the West benefits hugely from that. I think aid is just a drop in the ocean; we need to look at the wider structures that create this inequality, between and within different parts of the world. Follow Challenging the Crisis on Twitter @ctcrisis, and IDEA @IDEAIreland.
People who have gone through the impacts of austerity care more about others. They say “You’ve gone through it, and so have I. Why are we both going through it?” That’s much stronger than having an Irish response to the bank debt or whatever.
ideaonline.ie
research
1 st sCiência
By Richard Gibney
Week at DUBLIN CASTLE
The Research Brazil Ireland Science Week at Dublin Castle took place in February. Postgraduate students and academics who are studying or working in Ireland are showcasing a number of projects in fields as diverse as optics, medicine, technology and culture. The event acts as a discussion forum about collaborative and cooperative research between Ireland and Brazil. The event’s launch on Tuesday 24 February 2015 was attended by Brazil’s ambassador to Ireland, Afonso Jose Sena Cardoso. Among the postgraduate attendees showing their projects was Fabiola Honorio Neto, working under her supervisor Prof. Fiona McNicholas of UCD School of Medicine and Medical Science, and Udo Reulbach, lecturer in Child Psychiatry at UCD. “Events such as this Brazil-Ireland Science Week are big incentives to new researchers and to international collaborations,” she said. Ms. Honorio Neto is working in an under-researched area of psychiatry in Ireland. “I am comparing data from Brazil’s mental health service, and Ireland’s mental health service, to determine the differences between the two in treating ADHD,” Ms. Honorio Neto explained. “Politics, management of illness, culture and environment, and tre-
atment are all involved in the research. Patient experience and that of the patient’s family are also considered. The work covers doctors and psychiatrists, and multidisciplinary teams that work in mental health. My research is based on random samples in public clinics and child mental health centres both in Ireland and in Sao Paolo. “The systems are different,” she continued. “They are both mostly publicly funded but reforms in mental health happened earlier in Brazil than in Ireland, so historically it can have an influence on ADHD treatments.” — Victor Mazzarini of Maynooth University is co-editor of a book called Ubiquitous Music. With fellow academics Damián Keller and Marcelo Pimenta, Dr. Mazzarini’s work discusses how technology has amplified and enhanced ways in which we receive and play music. The cross-pollination of culture and technology has affected our daily lives in ways we often don’t acknowledge or recongise. “Since the early 90s, computer technology has become ubiquitous: computers are among us in more ways than we can imagine,” Dr Lazzarini said, “especially with mobile devices. Ubiquitous music is a paral-
lel area to all these developments – it’s how you can use the spread of technology to make music and how we can use it for education, for study and creativity, and for performance. Starting from technological and scientific concerns, we cross into the cultural theory of how we deal with these technologies as creative devices. The technology allows you to extend the ways that you can make and play music. Here you have a device – a mobile device or computer – that allows you to extend the ways that you make music and extend the ways that you can play music. They can take any shape you like. You can adapt them in ways that you couldn’t with traditional instruments.”
1 st Ciência Week 2015 Denise Valente was the inaugural winner of an RBI Science Week prize for her work in optics and crystal fibres at UCD School of Physics.
DENISE VALENTE WINS INAUGURAL RBI SCIENCE WEEK Denise Valente is the inaugural winner of a Research Brazil Ireland (RBI) Science Week prize. RBI encourages science, technology and research partnerships between Brazil and Ireland. At the first event of its kind held by the research bridging consortium – hosted in Dublin Castle on Tuesday 24 February 2015 – the UCD School of Physics PhD student was presented with the award for her work on crystal fibres as a retinal simulator. “The basic idea is that the photoreceptors in the retina and optical fibres behave similarly. They react to light in the same way,” Ms Valente explained. “You can simulate retinal photoreceptors in the crystal fibres. You can then check how the crystal fibres react in conditions
such as astigmatism, and deduce that similar reactions would take place in retinal photoreceptors. We have a limited idea of how the retina functions physiologically, but we don’t know exactly how the retina works so the simulator will help to determine how problems arise or how to fix retinal damage, rather than studying the retina directly.” Although it could be saving people’s vision in the nottoo-distant future, the winner claimed that the research is in its early days. “There are other effects that we have to introduce into our model,” said Ms Valente. Nonetheless, the RBI prize is a strong imprimatur for Valente’s work in the fields of optics and ophthalmology.
The three-day celebration of collaboration between the two countries at Dublin Castle with a series of college tours and other social events
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FROM HORIZON 2020
Funding calls from Europe that may support Brazil Ireland research: Information & Communications Technology The EU-Brazil call 2 (deadline April 2015) has 3 topics:
EUB1. Cloud computing, Inc. security (3.5M Euros each side); EUB2. High Performance Computing (HPC – 2M each side); EUB3. Experimental platforms (1.5M each side) Call For Competitive Low Carbon Energy This topic is subject to completion of an agreement with the Brazilian government and thus the text may still change.
Europe as a Global Actor
Topic: : Enhancing and focusing research and innovation cooperation with the Union’s key international partner countries – proposals targeting Australia, USA, Brazil, South Africa, Ukraine Integrating Society in Science and Innovation Topic: Supporting structural change in research organisations to promote Responsible Research and Innovation
Another postgrad showcasing her work was Bianca Pereira. After completing her Master’s at Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, she studies at the semantic web research centre Insight Data Analytics, in NUI Galway. “In my research I try to determine what the content of the text and what the meaning of a text is,” Miss Pereira said. Her software uses multiple semantic knowledge bases to determine the meaning of text on blogs. The research has applications in the government and business sectors, as well as many others.
contact us : consultancy@yeah.ie
travel
DO YOU WANT TO MOVE OVERSEAS? & WHY?
By Richard Gibney
There are a number of reasons for a move abroad. If you’re thinking of emigrating – perhaps to study overseas – you are likely to have itchy feet. Here is our list of reasons for moving abroad. Do you have any you want to share? Let Yeah! know why you moved or will move overseas. 1. Study. We wouldn’t be the magazine for international students if we didn’t mention study as a reason for travel. Travel broadens the mind – and so too does study. Language learning has been shown to alter the brain and mind for the better. Being able to think in more than one language provides a student with more than one cultural perspective, and an ability to understand different viewpoints. College courses that are unavailable to students in their home city may be a great reason to travel too. Disadvantages? Expense and fewer friends and family to rely on. Advantages? Being thrown into a world of independence away from the nest; having the kick of adrenaline associated with a big move is probably conducive to studying – you are more spongelike, absorbing everything. 2. Work. You can’t get work at home. Unemployment is higher in some territories than in others. Or perhaps you can get work, but it’s
not what you want to do and you feel that your career prospects are stifled at home. There may be opportunities for career advancement in other parts of the world. Researching your prospects before you travel is a very good idea. If you don’t have any jobs lined up and you’re moving from an Anglophone country to a non-Anglophone country, you can enhance your prospects by doing an intensive TESL course, and then teach English overseas. Alternatively, whether your native tongue is Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese, or Arabic, look to destinations where there are students eager to learn your lingo! 3. Class. The dreaded C-words, whether class or caste, may hold you back in your hometown or country. For decades, British professionals and tradesmen frequently emigrated overseas to find work in societies with less class structure, such as the United States or Australia. Today, people flee their countries seeking asylum from persecution, or due to prejudices of many kinds at home (whether real or imagined). They may feel that it’s time to pack the suitcase. These people often thrive in their new environ-
ments, where their backgrounds have none of the cultural baggage they have back home, and – sadly – the physical baggage involved in moving away is more attractive. 4. Itchy feet. Some people just enjoy travel. They won’t settle anywhere for too long, their urge to explore too great. If that person is you, then you won’t be stopped. And the very best of luck to you!
culture
One Saint for all....
By Daiani Silveira
Saint Patrick’s Day 2015 takes place 17th March in Dublin, and offers visitors a packed schedule with attractions for all ages. High-lights include: concerts in theaters and on the streets, poetry recitals, shows and workshops for children, and film screenings, among others. One of the most anticipated events by the public is the traditional street parade. This year the St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on Tuesday, March 17th, covering 2.5 km of the main streets of the Irish capital. According to legend, St. Patrick was taken from Wales as a boy
and forced to herd pigs on an Irish farm. He escaped and became a priest. He returned to Ireland as a bishop, after having a dream in which he was begged by the Irish themselves to return and convert the people from paganism. He used the three-leaf shamrock to teach the Irish how God is the Trinity, with the Son and the Holy Spirit. The myths surrounding Patrick include one about ridding the country of snakes. Another myth concerns his meeting an ancient Irish warrior, Oisín, from the band of Fionn MacCumhail, reconciling ancient fables from Ireland with Christianity.
€19 million cash injection to Limerick Economy from overseas students
S
OME €19 million is expected to be injected into the Mid-West economy from the 2,500 international students attending the University of Limerick. The number of international students at the university this year - from 100 countries - is the highest in its four-decade history. The figure of almost €20 million has been arrived at from student spending estimates of between €7,000 and €12,000 in one year. It does not take into account tuition
fees paid to UL. Josephine Page, of the International Education Division at University of Limerick, said: “International students make a very significant impact to our region in terms of our economy, tourism but also in the cultural links built which will continue for years to come. I think the reason we excel in this area is because so many of our students are encouraged to partake in international study themselves and so we welcome inter-
national students as we’d like our students to be welcomed abroad. Thirty per cent of UL undergraduate students spend a semester abroad, this is through Erasmus, non-EU exchange or Cooperative Education.” International students make up 13.5 per cent of UL’s total student body, with increases year on year. UL students also travel abroad on study or work placements. It has the most successful - and largest - Erasmus programme in Ireland.
education
R$4 million in Scholarships to Brazilian students launched during Irish Ministeral visit to Brazil
The Irish Government, and Irish universities and institutes of technology have this week offered more than R$4 million in scholarships to Brazilian students to study in Ireland. Four separate scholarship schemes for Brazilian students were announced by the Irish Minister for Education Jan O’Sullivan, at the opening of the new Irish consulate in Sao Paulo, on St Patrick’s Day, March 17th. The Education Minister announced Government of Ireland scholarships, worth nearly R$1.3 million for Brazilian students. The Irish government will give 30 scholarships to international students, with 50% of these offered to Brazil. Minister O’Sullivan said that the scholarships are “a long term investment in future global relationships.
The scholarships will assist in ensuring that Ireland’s international profile and attractiveness is enhanced by educating the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, decision makers and social innovators.” In addition, member of the Irish Universities Association will provide a scholarships scheme, worth R$2 million, to Brazilian students who studied in any of Ireland’s seven universities under the Science without Borders programme, to return to Irish universities to complete Masters programmes. This scholarship scheme is worth R$2 million over five years.
Institutes of Technology Ireland, an
association of Institutes of Technology are offering scholarships, also to returning Science without Borders students who have studied in any of their member institutes, to the value of more than R$470.000,00.
Josephine Page, Director, International Education Division, University of Limerick said that she was delighted with this new scholarship as it will further enhance the relationship between USP and UL. Braszllian students have proven to be a wonderful addition to our campus, they are excellent ambassadors for their home country and integrate well making the most out of the academic and cultural opportunity that study abroad offers. The Irish Education Minister l spend a week in Brazil, meeting with officials from the Brazilian government; federal agencies like Capes and CNPq; business and education contacts; and members of the increasing Irish commu-
nity in Brazil, as well as alumni who have studied in Ireland. Nine Irish Higher Education Institutions joined the official delegation from Ireland. Ireland has become very popular for science and engineering students, who had the opportunity to study overseas, as part of the Brazilian Federal scholarship scheme, Science without Borders. Despite being a very small country, Ireland was the fourth
So far, the Institutes of Technology have welcomed 1,000 Brazilian students to their campuses. The participating institutes of technology will waive all tuition and registration fees for ten scholarship recipients, and each recipient will also receive €5,000 towards their accommodation and living expenses. The University of Limerick also launched a special scholarship offer, worth R$320,000 over five years to students from the University of Sao Paulo. The WB Yeats scholarship invites undergraduate and graduate students from USP to the UL Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.
most popular destination in the world. The opening if the new Irish consulate in Sao Paulo marks 40 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Brazil, and will be led by Consul General Sharon Lennon, adding to Ireland’s presence in Brazil. Education in Ireland, an arm of the Irish government responsible for promoting the Irish education system, is based in Rio de Janeiro, along with Research Brazil Ireland, an initiative of the Irish government to encourage and support collaborative research between Brazil and Ireland in the scientific research space. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, RBI hosted a conference in Dublin Castle last month, entitled “Collaborative Research for a Better Future”, to which more than 80 senior Brazilian researchers travelled, along with the presidents of three funding agencies (FAPESP, FAPERJ, Confap).
profile
W ha t’s Li fe Li ke ? Pancake Tuesday
Pancake Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, Carnival, Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday is celebrated around the world. In the Christian calendar, it commemorates the start of Jesus’ journey into the desert, where he fasted for forty days. To honour Jesus’ achievement, people celebrate with a big blow-out – whether that’s pigging out on dessert crepes, or partying like it’s 1999 – before they start to observe a forty day period of abstinence or fasting (such as giving up sweets and chocolate).
Kosi, from Nigeria, Age :25 was raised Catholic, and has just completed a course in Digital Media “Nigeria is not really a Catholic country, but the east – where I am from – is predominantly Catholic and Pentecostal in some parts. We don’t really celebrate anything like Pancake Tuesday there. I think it’s quite interesting, but I don’t really see what’s special about pancake! During Lent, we abstain from meat and things that people regard as delicacy. I find it more reasonable to celebrate with alcohol and partying than to eat pancakes. For Lent, abstaining from meat or chicken is a huge sacrifice, and pancakes are not special.”
Interviews compiled by Oscar Harley-Monks.
Victoria, from Dublin Age: 18, studies tennis coaching. She claims she did not appreciate the significance of the day as celebrated around the world. “For me it was, just, pancakes and you got them on a Tuesday and that was it! I liked pancakes as a child. I gave up chocolate every year for Lent. I don’t do that now. I still eat pancakes every Pancake Tuesday. I wouldn’t be running for the pancakes any more now! But I’d take them if they’re there. The homemade ones are better than getting them from anywhere else. Once you know your mam’s making them I think it’s better. Family made!” We’d love you to contact Yeah! with any stories from your culture about how Pancake Tuesday is celebrated.
From Milano Milano is a city that breathes design, so I came here to breathe. I am Viliane Turatti a Brazilian designer in Italian lands. I would say the most fascinating places in Italy to be discovered. I traded the traditional for something to be discovered, lived here for two years and still find interesting places to visit. The city is the epicenter of major events like the Settimana della Moda and the Salone Internazionale del Mobile and Fuori Salone in April; the latter spreads throughout the city. It’s a week of shows and design events that focus primarily in neighborhoods like Navigli, one of the underground districts of Milan. Brazil is always present at the show, bringing the work of architects and designers who excel in Brazilian lands. Film festivals, documentaries, and independent films are usually part of the Milanese cultural scene, certainly there will be some festival in the city when you arrive. Enjoy! The Duomo Cathedral in the Gothic style, is often the starting point for the city, a break to enjoy the cappuccino coffee in the morning, and brioche al cioccolato is welcome as you try to unravel all the statues and incredible details.
Following via Dante, you reach the Sforzesco Castle with its Parco Sempione, a place of picnics in the summer and a serene snowy landscape in winter. The city is known for the hottest nights in Italy, none of this noticeable until daylight runs out. In the evening, for many wandering along the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a handmade ice cream at this time is welcome, and with pistacchio and cioccolato fondente it’s even better, but you’re advised to take risks and choose the flavors that are unfamiliar. A buttery tasting “caramella al salato ass” in the Brera district is still one of my favorites. After that, everything takes you to the Navigli district with a particular atmosphere, divided by canals where taverns, jazz bars and clubs are found. A good tip is to start the evening with the traditional “aperitivo”. Or the charming district of Brera, with their cafes and restaurants in tablecloth chess tables on the cobbled streets. Gastronomy is a source of national pride and rightly so, a good margherita pizza or pasta al pesto trofie can do very well with your senses and will give all grace to this cultural experience in Italy, and it all ends with a coffee, of course. Viliane Turatti
in focus
Biggest Career
Mistakes One Can Make Written by Sinsee Ho
There is certainly a lot of advice out there on the career mistakes we can make. Some of them are pretty relevant to most people. A good piece on this subject came from Deepak Chopra recently, here. So I’m going to list down his three points plus two more from my own experience. 1. Setting low expectations While some people are gifted with “roaring selfconfidence,” most are insecure and uncertain, he explains. “They want to feel safe, and they think that by lowering their expectations, a sense of security will come to them. It isn’t true.” He says setting your expectations too low may keep you trapped in a job that has a low possibility of turning into anything worthwhile. “For every copy boy who becomes editor of the newspaper, every tour guide in Hollywood who sells a blockbuster script, there are hundreds more who remain stuck in those jobs,” Chopra says. “It’s not really the job that keeps anyone stuck; it’s the psychological limitation of setting your expectations too low.” 2. The certainty trap “Life is uncertain, and the vast majority of people feel so uneasy about this that they seize on certainty when they shouldn’t,” he says. Especially when it comes to our careers, so many people are inclined to take the easiest and most
comfortable path — they pursue a job that others expect them to pursue, base their decisions on others’ opinions, and avoid risk-taking at all costs. “Yet real success is built upon making peace with uncertainty, turning the unknown into a field of creative possibilities,” Chopra explains. “Personal uncertainty is hard, undoubtedly. It takes a conscious effort to place yourself in a position where things are open-ended. But if you don’t, the other alternative is being in a position that’s closed off.” 3. Not seeing how much you will grow When a professional applies for a job, they typically try to prove to the employer that they can handle the role and its responsibilities. But this isn’t necessarily the best approach. “This ritual is empty, a piece of drama that’s supposed to show confidence,” Chopra says. “In reality, great careers are built on growth.” Instead of showing that you already know how to handle the job, you should strive to prove that you have the skills and experience necessary to succeed, but point out that it’ll require some learning and growth on your end. Then make it clear that you’re ready for this type of challenge. “Seeing your own potential to grow isn’t easy, especially when you are young. But it’s a mistake not to see that you will grow, meaning that your future self, although out of reach, has an enormous amount to offer,” Chopra says.
4. Jumping from industry to industry, too often Do you know how much time is needed to learn and get yourself familiar with an industry? Well, it varies from industry to industry but one thing is certain, it takes time. Very often, I hear remarks from Sales Professionals along this line: “The industry doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that I have good selling skills and hence, give me anything to sell, I can do it.” As much as I like that confidence, to be able to perform well in an industry means you must know it well enough – knowledge gives you confidence! But more importantly, your contacts and network! If you change industry (totally unrelated), most often than not, you can’t leverage on your past contacts anymore. I will say, what a pity! It means starting all over again. The contacts in this context are more valuable than the skills you possess. So plan your career move carefully.
5. Thinking too much about the money Money is and should be one of the factors to consider when making a career move. However, if that’s the only thing to consider, then that’s a huge career mistake. I recall a remark by my friend with a business/accounts degree some time back. Upon his graduation, if he had joined an audit/tax consultancy, his starting salary would be a mere RM700 whereas joining a bank, the starting pay was RM1400. He had chosen the latter, solely because of higher pay. No offence to those that are working in the bank but many years later, my friend regretted he had joined the bank as he felt stuck - his 10-15 years of experience in the hire-purchase department somehow is not demanded in any other organization apart from the same industry, while his other course mate that started out as a Tax or Audit Trainee is now Chief Financial Officer in a big corporation and has the flexibility of moving from one company to another if he wants. The point is NOT about not working in banks but to give priority to the type of work you would enjoy doing or good at, rather than the money alone.
in focus
VIDEOGAMES: GOOD OR BAD? One hobby shared by many young people is video gaming. It’s a contentious hobby which has – it is reported – led to deaths due to overplaying, particularly in Far and South-East Asia. LT Dalin is a writer, a mother and wife in Norway. Before she settled down to domestic bliss, she attended Staffordshire University in the UK for her studies, and has spent time living in Cork, Ireland. She spoke with Yeah! about her days as an avid gamer.
How good were you?
Stats are difficult. MMORPGs are split. Especially those with roleWhat was your alter ego in the gaming world like? playing aspects. I RPd mostly, but I also raided and did pve. I hardly Describe him or her. touched PvP. My alter ego [in World of Warcraft] was a green haired gnome, who had no family and grew up in the jungle far from other gnomes. She was short for a gnome and young to be out in the world alone. She was, however, skilled. She began working for a council and then switched to the evil side where things… progressed beyond spying.
Is gaming addictive? Gaming is definitely addictive. And not only that, but in a game, especially mmorpgs, people can be whoever they like. So that’s addictive too.
Why did you choose to leave the gaming community? Was it Does gaming teach you skills beyond the games game-related or life-related? themselves? Did you learn things when gaming that you can apply to your life or work today? It’s too easy to find people who are intriguing and interesting and people who will take over everything, even your relationships. So What it teaches you depends on the game. But it can teach you when I got together with my husband I waved bye bye to it. He languages, especially if you’re not a native English speaker (as a didn’t. But I did. lot of games are in English). It can teach you patience, because you’ll have to do certain things more than once to get it right. It can also teach you how to be a ragefacing idiot because you sit behind a screen anonymously. Any sexism encountered? Well, sure. A lot of guys pretend to be girls to get attention. And if the word gets out that someone is a girl in real life then shi.. hits the fan and that girl will be overrun by attention. I saw that way more 10 years ago than I do now, because girls have found it’s okay to play and guys are no longer as surprised to find a live one. You hear about these gamers [in MMORPG] who basically kill the captains of space destroyers and make off with the ships, and sell them for $10,000 in real money, or just set off and you never hear of them again. What sort of stuff did you do? What coups did you take part in or whatever else? It wasn’t really like that. I just helped shape a server is all. But I was far from the only one. Just one of many. Though I was one of only a handful of gnomes. Did the developers change the nature of the game play, making it less exclusive so that all-comers could take part or do anything that badly affected the environment? Yes, with every expansion and whatnot it became easier. But that’s the thing all over. All game developers are trying to reach a wider audience and in doing so a lot of the challenge has LT Dalin is a writer, a mother and wife in Norway she attended Staffordshire disappeared. University in the UK for her studies, and has spent time living in Cork, Ireland.
HIS EXELLENCY AFONSO JOSE CARDOSO ON EDUCATION His Excellency Afonso Jose Sena Cardoso on Education, International Partnerships, the Research Brazil Ireland Week, and Science Without Borders.
The Brazilian Ambassador to Ireland explained how Brazil’s Science Without Borders initiative has sent 100,000 students around the world from Brazil’s third-level institutions, to countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Ireland. We would like to encourage a two-lane relationship when it comes to student travel. Ireland is not the only country to offer student visas. Today, Brazil is the largest market for international students. The Brazilian students study overseas for one year, one and a half years, and they return to complete their studies in Brazil. But we also want [Irish] students to go to faculties and universities in Brazil and spend some time there. The
problem is that English-speaking peoples know the lingua franca all over the world. They do not feel as much at ease learning a second language, so it is difficult to have the “second lane” open up. But now we have not only Brazil but also Ireland pushing this. There are a number of areas in which we can see there is plenty of work to be done, and it can be done. Of course, we are always interested in attracting business, but the real problem today is about how to bridge the link between research and universities, and the practical applications, real life, the private sector. It’s extremely important to have the ways and means of drawing closer the academies on one side and the corporations on the other side, how to make this process much shorter and more effective. What is essential [in education] is really
essential for everyone. There are many areas in which [Ireland and Brazil] share a collective interest. We have partnerships with other countries – and there is plenty of space to do this with Ireland. And we would like to see that the Irish feel the same. I would dare to say that the most important aspect of the relationship between Ireland and Brazil in the next few years is not going to be trade. It’s not going to be investment, although investment is getting bigger and bigger and more important. It’s going to be cooperation. Cooperation in science and technology, and innovation which is this area where research and the application of research come together. By Richard Gibney
i recommend
Wstuhdaentts recommend!
ns, io ct ra t at , s nt ve e st e b ’s d n la e Find Ir restaurants and night life
Kio Palhum
Marco Servio Luna
Claudine Torres. M
Age: 38 From: Spain
Age: 25 From: Mexico
‘Ireland is much more than just beaut iWhen you go see Dublin, you have to do it along with friends by bike. Trinity college, St. Patricks Cathedral, the statue of Oscar Wilde… it doesn’t matter where they take you, you have a unique story for you. Sometimes even with a poem.
I know a lot about Dublin. ones we did a tour the streets around Dublin Castle were closed due to a EU summit, so we went to see some other beautiful sites. Long story short: do you want to do something different and authentic on your spare time? Just take your bike and run to the streets.
CAROLA TALSINE
Age: 22 From: Italy
Inis Oírr is the smallest of the three Aran Islands. It doesn’t have the big attraction of Dun Aengus, found on Inis Mor, but I think this makes one appreciate the island for what it is. It must have taken great determination for people to have made this rugged island habitable. There seem to be more rocks than grass here, and the land is densely covered in pale stone walls. You need to be able to climb a bit and walk on a ground of loose rocks and stones, not really a good place to walk in bare feet. To get there, we caught the ferry out of Doolin (a great place for music!)
The Ring of Kerry has very beautiful coastal, mountain, cliffs and small town atmosphere. Nature lovers will die for this place. The trick to the Ring of Kerry is to find out when the tour busses are there. Go at least 2 hours before they leave; that way you will always be ahead of them. The roads are quite narrow and steep; often dropping off into the sea. So you don’t want to be behind a tour bus. Many people opt for the tours because the roads are winding mountain, sea roads. My friend
Age: 29 From: India Glendalough is an area of great natural beauty in Co. Wicklow, not too far from Dublin. You could visit it on an organised day trip from Dublin or you could travel on the public bus. If you’re in Ireland,this is another place to visit...This was an old settlement in the past and I heard monks used to stay here but now it is turned into a grave site. There is a Hiking route from here to the Mountain so you need some energy to overcome the fatigue. The views around this Valley are just aMAZing! It’s a must see...
drove just fine and we were able to stop at our own leisure. There seems to be a problem with fog at certain times of the year. We had no fog at all. As a matter of fact we had warm 70-80’s sunny days every day. Not a drop of rain, only a mist one morning. We were there in late June. Clear blue skies. If you have every been to northern California HWY1, it is similar to that kind of road. The ring of Kerry also takes you inland to the beautiful lakes. This is a must-see area of Ireland.
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STATEMENT BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND EQUALITY on
SHELBOURNE COLLEGE The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service has been informed that Shelbourne College is seeking to enter voluntary liquidation. The college will now be immediately removed from the Internationalisation Register, which means that no immigration permission will be issued in respect of it.
INIS is aware of allegations that the college has failed to refund monies due to certain students whose visa applications were refused. While INIS cannot comment on specific allegations regarding refund of fees it is understood that some funds remain outstanding and the affected students should continue to pursue this issue with the college. It should be noted that if a private business is allegedly involved in deThis is standard practice across EU jurisdictions which are involved in international student business. Should the student’s visa application be refused then the fees must be returned (less a reasonable small handling charge). Almost all colleges honour their commitments in this respect. INIS has previously
frauding a person with whom it has dealings this is a matter for the application of criminal law and should be reported to An Garda Síochána for appropriate criminal and/or fraud investigation. A college taking money from students pending a visa application is fully aware that they have no entitlement to those funds until the student is confirmed as being allowed to come to Ireland as a student.
Wahala Adnaan Riaz Ex director Shelbourne college
put Shelbourne College on notice requiring that confirmation be provided that students entitled to a refund had received that refund as required under the immigration rules and in accordance with the college’s refund policy. INIS has pursued this matter with the management of the college since this issue came to its attention. INIS will be in further contact with the appropriate Garda Authorities in relation to this matter. Arrangements for Shelbourne College students currently residing in Ireland will be available on the INIS (www.inis.gov. ie) and the Non-EEA Student Taskforce (www.studenttaskforce.ie) websites shortly. The
intention is that these students will, where appropriate, be facilitated in finishing out their courses. This regrettable situation with Shelbourne College further emphasises the necessity of the reforms to the international student immigration system which the Minister, in conjunction with her colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, announced in September 2014. A wide range of measures have been designed to reform the international education sector, including the elimination of a large number of courses from eligibility for immigration permission. A higher quality industry provides some greater reassurance of the integrity of contractual engagement with prospective students. sourse inis.
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Ireland
Chat with European Students for Liberty Local Coordinator Shane Burke
Libertarianism Libertarianism is a school of thought that places liberty front and centre. Ayn Rand, whose objectivist philosophy places an emphasis on one’s rational self-interest, non-interventionist capitalism and the free market, has been embraced by libertarians and the far right in the United States. Elements of right-wing philosophy in the United States and the West, such as “letting the markets regulate themselves” and small government, are regarded as libertarian (and Republican in the US). It is seen, therefore, as a right-wing philosophy where the welfare or nanny state – even in their least pernicious forms – are unnecessary. Shane Burke of Students for Liberty in Ireland chatted to Yeah! to dispel some of the myths associated with the Libertarian movement.
Tell us about the Libertarian movement and Libertarianism, as you see it. It’s been around for a number of decades. We originally got started as a proper movement in the States – in the – at least – the mid to late 1950s – to get to the point we’re at now. A lot of ideas came earlier but it became institutionalised and spread from various bodies from the 1950s onwards. It started out as a set of organisations but the ideas have remained constant and they’ve spread around among a number of people. Most people see libertarianism and they think Republican [the United States political party of the right]. Most of my [Irish] friends would look at the Republican Party in the United States and they see hawks and bigots and homophobes. But – for instance, on foreign policy – a lot of libertarian Republicans would not want to get involved in the Middle East. As I see it, libertarianism looks at issues from two perspectives. It comes as a surprise for people to know that Noam Chomsky regards himself as a socialist libertarian. Left-wing libertarians see people being subjected, the workers not getting the fair share of profits from their bosses and the best way to work around inequalities is to – for example – do away with inheritance.
There’s a lot of intellectual diversity in the movement. The problem with politics and society is there are litmus tests for everything. There are two sides to each argument. We’re an educational organisation, we’re not a party. We don’t define libertarianism in any concrete form. It would be associated with low taxation, spontaneous order, but it crosses over to the left too. There are a lot of non-interventionists. A lot of us are against corporate bail-outs and corporate greed. Every party in government is going to be a broad tent anyway. They have to represent people whose views they don’t necessarily agree with. Non-interference applies to a lot of science as well. Science seems very cold on the surface, but if you don’t want to learn the skills or you don’t want to seek the help, you won’t do it. On right- and left-wing libertarians There are Libertarian Democrats in the States as well. Unfortunately it’s been associated more with Republicans, who would be anti-abortion, pro-guns, anti-homosexuality and pro-big business. It acts as a detriment to the movement in some circumstances, but they agree with Democrats in certain areas, such as capping corporate welfare, foreign policy and social issues. It’s a broad idea that embraces multiple perspectives, not necessarily a bad thing. You’re a member of Fianna Fail as well. What do your party peers think about your Libertarianism? To be honest, being a libertarian can be a lonely place. Fianna Fail policies – some of them would be good. But, for example, they’ve recently come out with minimum pricing [on alcohol]. I wouldn’t agree with that at all. I think if you’re going to address overconsumption of alcohol, it’s a cultural issue, and the best way to address it is through education to change their opinions. If people are going to drink, they’re going to drink and there’s nothing you can do to stop them. You can shut the pubs at 11pm and they’ll go home and get absolutely inebriated anyway. The only way to stop people – making it prohibitively expensive – would create a black market, like in Prohibition-era America. If there was a libertarian government, how would it affect our daily lives? Education, for example, for most people, the only option available is third-level in Ireland. Some of us don’t want to go to college, and some of us have other interests. If you
look at other countries, such as Germany, there are more options – they have the choice of hundreds of apprenticeships, in everything from construction to banking. I think libertarianism would make our lives more fulfilling if we were given more active options with the encouragement of the State. The State could encourage more options through the spread of apprenticeships. People who go to college might not want to go. Libertarianism would level the playing-field. They might do better in other areas. Libertarianism is centred on that and education is an example of that. A lot of people are educationally-gifted and some people are better with their hands. The same goes for employment. Wages will go up in certain sectors of an economy when there’s a demand for labour. Employers have to compete to get the labour they want. But if people didn’t play around so much with the economy, such as encouraging the housing boom, you wouldn’t get such anomalies in wages to begin with. Salaries would find their own equilibrium by people interacting with the economy, rather than it being absolutely inflated compared to what it needs to be. If investment comes from overseas, how would you address a discrepancy where – for example – Google needs, say, fifty people who speak French? Suddenly the demand for French speakers shoots up and it’s skewed. That goes back to education. You have people in the economy with those skills to begin with. The way you can attract people to your economy is education. Bringing people into the economy with skillsets – new people, with new cultural values and new idea – I don’t think there’s an economist who disagrees with emigration, even open-door emigration. Would there be pullback of services, under a libertarian government? Public health, social welfare, public transport? When ideology meets politics, there is compromise. A libertarian government wouldn’t last long if it were to pull back on public services that the people want. Some policies aren’t viable. You have to do what’s in the best interests of the public. Take British Telecom: Back in the 80s, you would have to wait six months before you got a telephone line, before it was privatised. If there’s a demand for something, the electorate is going to either demand it or providers will fulfil that demand.
in focus
INIS- Irish Naturalisation & Immigration Service 2015 priorities for Immigration Service to include completion of civilianisation of border control at Dublin Airport, reform of the asylum system and an online appointment system for re-entry visa applicants Supporting the economy through immigration ¡ British Irish Visa Scheme. This historic initiative which aims to boost tourism and business visitors to Ireland by facilitating visa required nationals to travel freely between Ireland and the UK using a single visa issued by either country was launched by Minister Fitzgerald and the UK Home Secretary in London in October 2014. Conceived and implemented by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service in cooperation with the UK Home Office, the landmark initiative will mean that tourists, business visitors and other eligible visitors will be able, for the first time, to visit both the UK and Ireland, including moving freely between north
and south of the island of Ireland on a single visa. The Minister reported that the Scheme commenced in China in October and stated that the target for 2015 is to complete the worldwide rollout with India being the next country to benefit in the coming weeks. ¡ Immigrant investor and entrepreneur programmes. During 2014, 25 applications for residence under the Immigrant Investor Programme were approved and 12 applications were approved under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme. This brings to the total number of projects approved since the launch of these programmes to 41 under the Immigration Investor Programme and 30 under the Start-up Entrepreneur Programme. The Minister said that she was pleased to report that the projects represent a combined investment commitment of over ₏40 million in Ireland. Student Migration. Ireland continues to attract high numbers of non-EEA national students to study at degree level and for English language
Deportations/Removals from the State. Approximately, 2,360 persons were deported/removed from the State in 2014. the minister appointed implement a comprehensive reform programme in the area of international education ;
training. For the period January to end November 2014 almost 49,500 persons were given permission to be in the State as students. This compares with 45,800 for the same period in 2013. NON-EEA STUDENTS
Only approved English and Higher Education programmes will be eligible for visas, along with some foundation programmes. This will be reflected in a new list of eligible programmes. These are the key principles behind the policy that are relevant to nonEnglish language students. All further education courses, including FETAC courses, will be removed from the visa list (i.e. visas will no longer be available for further education programmes) The listing will focus on higher education courses accredited in Ireland - i.e. programmes leading to a QQI award (formerly HETAC) or an award by a university or institute of technology - and will exclude most courses that are accredited in other countries. A few exceptions will be made for specialist courses not accredited in Ireland, e.g. ACCA courses with Platinum providers. However, we do not expect very general programmes, e.g. business degrees, to be on the list if they are not accredited in Ireland. Students already studying a course that is removed from the visa list will be able to complete it. However, students buying courses now should take care to choose programmes which will qualify for the new list. Visas/residence permissions will not be available for programmes which are not on the new list. It may not be possible to obtain a refund from a college if it has sold a course which does not qualify for the new list. Source INIS
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CHANGES TO THE EMPLOYMENT
ENTITLEMENTS OF NON- EEA STUDENTS HOLDING IMMIGRATION STAMP 2 – WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JANUARY 2015 The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INS) has posted the following notice for employers on its website www.inis.gov.ie. It outlines new rules to take effect from 1st January 2015. INIS NOTE TO EMPLOYERS Changes to the Employment entitlements of Non- EEA Students holding Immigration Stamp 2 – with effect from 1 January 2015 As part of a package of reforms of the regulatory regime for international education, announced in September by the Ministers for Education & Skills and Justice & Equality, some changes have been made to the terms of the concession under which non-EEA students (holding Immigration Stamp 2) are permitted to work. At present the work concession is operated on the basis that the student can work 20 hours per week during term time and 40 hours per week during the vacations. Since term and holiday time is set by the college this has given rise to considerable variability as to entitlements to work and is open to abuse.
From 1 January 2015 the work concession will be standardised and will no longer be dependent on the term times set by the colleges. Students holding a valid immigration stamp 2 will be permitted work 40 hours per week only during the months of May, June, July and August and from 15 December to 15 January inclusive. At all other times they will be limited to working 20 hours per week. It should be noted also that the hours specified are the maximum that a student can work in any given week and not an average over time. A student who is working for more than one employer remains subject to the overall limits (e.g. during the period when the 20 hour limit applies a student could not work 15 hours each for 2 employers). There is an exception to the general rule where a student can work for 40 hours per week outside the specified times above. Students who obtain a minimum of an honours degree at bachelor level are entitled to receive a 12 month extension to their student permission during which they can work for 40 hours per week. For
students who graduate with an ordinary level degree the period is 6 months. The student will have a stamp 2 permission but should also be able to produce a transcript of their final results from the college in support of their entitlement. Students on this scheme can work without a permit and can be employed on contract/ internship/probation for this time. If the employer wishes to offer employment beyond the duration of the graduate scheme an employment permit will be necessary. Note that employing a student beyond the hours permitted is an offence under the Employment Permits Acts. Restricted Activities • Students are not permitted to work as taxi drivers either as employees or in their own right as holders of a taxi licence in their own name. • Students may not engage in self employment. (Some additional forms of employment are likely to be added to the restricted activities list in the course of 2015). Source INIS
Lively bar on Capel Street with regular Brazilian entertainment and cuisine.
for information consultancy@yeah.ie
careers
CV AND RESUME MISTAKES THAT COULD COST YOU THAT JOB OPPORTUNITY The “zero-hour contract” is an arrangement between an employer and an employee. Under such conditions, the employer can dictate the hours an employee works – from full time to “zero hours”. It destabilises an employee’s expectation of steady income. Although clearly not ideal – and some in the UK argue that it is illegal there – the current economic environment where such things happen might give hope to students, who requi-
re flexibility in order to attend classes. It suggests that seasonal and part-time work is available at greater frequencies than in the past. So what do you do if you want a potential employer to keep you “on the books” for work that might come up? Although technology is altering how we find out about jobs, the Curriculum Vitae is still a standard method of applying for a job. There are numerous common mistakes found on CVs. We run through a few of them now. Getting Lost in Translation You need to ensure that the meaning is not lost in translation. For instance, “actuellement” in French means “currently” – a formal way of saying “right now” or “at the moment”. But the English word
“actually” is closer in meaning to the French “vraiment” – and informally means “really”, or “in truth”. So a French person who writes on his English CV that he is “Actually working as a bank clerk” might raise some eyebrows with potential employers. Spelling and grammar Whether English is your first language or not, good spelling and grammar are important. There are frequently words that even cause natives to err. Words such as lead/led sound the same, but first is the dull metal, the second is the past of “to lead” – which is pronounced to rhyme with need. Lose rhymes with booze or snoozed, and loose rhymes with juice. But they are frequently mixed up. The first is when something is missing, the second is when something is free from constraint. People mix up they’re, there and their, and you’re and your, and its and it’s. Make sure you know the differences, or get someone who knows to check your work! Getting dates wrong or being ambiguous Leaving room for a prospective manager to take things the wrong way isn’t a good idea. If you don’t define your employment and academic history clearly to potential employers, they may think that you have something to hide. You don’t want a future boss to see a gap in your employment history that is a miscalculation or simple typo on your part! You can fully disclose any and all gaps in your employment history via a cover letter or through explanation on the CV itself, such as “Gap Year” or “Travel”. Any employer prefers uncertainty to fuzziness or vagueness. Keep things clear and simple. Good luck getting that job!
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postcard
Inishbofin Island, County Galway Tourist trail in Cromwell’s Fort, built around 1650 on Inishbofin Island, County Galway
As stated earlier the O’Malley clan in the 16th century was reputed to have had a castle on Dun Grainne. Don Bosco, a supposed ally of Grainne Uaile, was said to have had a castle opposite Dun Grainne where the ruins of Cromwell’s Barracks now stand. Together they prevented unwanted intruders from entering the surrounding waters, or they used the natural harbour as a trap to attack and loot those ships with valuable cargo on board. They succeeded by stretching a chain boom across the harbour entrance from the castle at the harbour to Scealp na gCat at the opposite end. The Cromwellian regime built the imposing and well-preserved star-shaped fort at the same site about 1656. In the years following construction, the barracks was used to house captured Catholic clergy from all over the country after the English Statute of 1655 declared them guilty of high treason.
Here they awaited transportation to the West Indies and other remote places. After the restoration of Charles II to the throne in 1660, the barracks was used mainly as part of a defensive strategy. During the Jacobite War it was used when the Irish Forces held out until after the Battle of Aughrim in 1691, when they surrendered to the Williamite Forces. Their interest in these islands was simply to cast an eye over French pirates that trawled up and down the west coast and who often took refuge in such natural harbours as the one located at Inishbofin. To the east of Cromwell’s Barracks is an impressive crescent-shaped medieval harbour. This must have played a major part in allowing ships in and out during the Cromwellian and Jacobite Wars. It is now almost totally silted up but it is still visible at spring tides.
Inis Bo Finne (Island of the White Cow) lies seven miles off Galway’s coast. The island is 5.7km by 4km. The main activities on the island today are tourism, farming and fishing. There are five townlands, West Quarter, Fawnmore, Middle Quarter, Cloonamore and Knock. Inishbofin has three official looped walks of varying difficulties, each offering spectacular views of the island’s wild Atlantic scenery. Several safe award winning sandy beaches strewn with shells and with crystal clear water make swimming, snorkelling and diving a joy. For the more adventurous, the islands waters make for spectacular diving. Two of the beaches on Inishbofin have been awarded the ‘Green Coast Award’ prized for their exceptional water quality and their natural, unspoilt environment. Inishbofin is a special area of conservation and a special area of protection. The island is a breeding area for many species of birds. The rarest or most threatened species breeding on the island at present are the Corncrake. The Corncrake have been nesting and breeding on Inishbofin for many years.
For the adventurous there are exciting mountain walks, hill climbing and excellent shore angling. Inishbofin has become an important centre for traditional Irish music and song with its own Ceilí band. Inishbofin plays host to many visiting musicians and artists. It is estimated that Bofin was inhabited as far back as 8000–4000 B.C. The first documented history of the island dates from early Christian times. As you sail around the tower and signal light into the harbour you will notice Cromwell’s 16th Century Barracks. It was used as a prison for catholic priests from all over the country after the English Statute of 1585 declared them guilty of high treason. So if you do not know Ring of Kerry, don’t waste your time; pack your bags and go there. Festival May 2015 The island boasts a variety of events throughout the year, whether it’s the Arts Festival or Walking Festival in May, The Regatta in August or the Trad Music & Set Dancing weekend in September you are sure to be kept well entertained.
inishbofin islands Location: Connemara, Co. Galway. 10°12.45W Size: 5km x 3km Highest point: Westquarter Mountain Population: 170(approx) Average Temperatures(°C):
nishbofin is blessed with one of the calmest natural harbours in Europe. It is an excellent stopover for boats/yachts travelling along the west coast. The co-ordinates of the new pier on Inishbofin are: Coordinates: 53°36.75N
Tide Times & Heights for Bofin Harbour on 26th March 2015 03:10 - Low Tide ( 0.90m ) 09:34 - High Tide ( 3.50m ) 15:35 - Low Tide ( 1.30m ) 21:53 - High Tide ( 3.40m) Students discount avaliable Top experiences: wild winter walks, birdwatching, cycling, geo caching
irish awareness
2015 The European Year of Development
By Dochasnetwork and Mirem Maialen
There are a number of reasons for aOn 1 September, Dóchas submitted the National Activity Plan for the European Year 2015 to the European Commission Representation. In April 2014, the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council designated 2015 as the European Year for Development. The motto of the year will be “Our world, our dignity, our future”. It is the first time that the EU has dedicated a thematic year to an “external” policy area. The European Years have been organised since 1983 to increase understanding, promote debate, and positively change attitudes on certain issues at the European level. For instance, 2013 was designated as the European Year of Citizens, and 2012 was named the European Year for Active Aging. The EU says that the aims of the Year of Development (EYD2015) are:
On 1 September, Dóchas submitted the National Activity Plan for the European Year 2015 to the European Commission Representation.
1. To inform European Union citizens about the EU’s and the Member States’ development cooperation 2. To foster direct involvement, critical thinking and active interest of EU citizens and stakeholders in development cooperation 3. To raise awareness of the benefits of EU development cooperation. Dóchas has been chosen to coordinate the Irish action plan for the European Year of Development. As a membership organisation of over 60 Development NGOs, and as active member of CONCORD, Dóchas is uniquely placed to help achieve the overall aims of the European Year (EYD). IMG_0546.PNG Following consultation with members, other NGOs and the Department of Foreign Affairs, and taking into consideration the Irish National context, Dóchas has decided that the he national priority in Ireland
for EYD2015 will be: “To establish a new development narrative in Ireland that shifts beyond aid and charity to address issues of universality, solidarity, engagement, individual and collective responsibility, and global solidarity”. Our proposed work plan for EYD 2015 is based on the premise that the current development narrative in Ireland lacks a focus not only on results but also on how development processes work, and how meaningful societal change happens. Dóchas believes that by highlighting the progress being made in developing countries, and by giving greater attention to the voices and actions of people experiencing extreme poverty, we can change public attitudes to poverty and development, as well as create new spaces and opportunities for discussion of overseas aid and development.
infocus
Is it a reality that college
is a passport to a
different places? By Drew Faust, President of Harvard University From the earliest days of our country, we have seen education as the foundation for democracy and citizenship, for social mobility and national prosperity. Higher education opens minds and opens doors. Yet high school students and families are increasingly questioning its value. Is investing in a college or university education still worth it? The short answer is “yes.” There is no doubt that college pays off financially. A wide range of statistics shows the economic advantage of a four-year college education. Over a lifetime, students who graduate from college can expect to make about 60% more than those who do not, well over a million dollars more than they would otherwise. Completing college makes an even greater difference to the earning power of young women. A 25-34 year-old female with a bachelor’s degree can expect to make 70% more than if she had only completed her high school diploma. College graduates also tend to lead more active lives. They vote more often, volunteer more often and are more likely to own a home. They are healthier and less likely to smoke by a margin of 17 percentage points. They and their children are less likely to be obese, and their children are more likely to go to college. Education encourages people to engage as citizens and live healthier and longer lives —powerful reasons for earning a college degree. But what about the benefits of college that are more difficult to measure? They are equally significant and add up to a lot of value over the course of a lifetime: College takes students to places they’ve never been before. College is a passport to different places, different times, and different ways of thinking — from learning new languages to considering the arc of human history to diving deep into the building blocks of matter. It gives students a chance
to understand themselves differently, seeing how their lives are both like and unlike those who inhabited other eras and other lands. For many of us, it is the best chance we will have to follow our curiosity — to take a course on art, or literature or to explore life in another century or another culture. College introduces students to people they’ve never met before. This is true both literally and figuratively. One of the most important ways in which students learn, at colleges and universities everywhere, is by interacting with people who are different from themselves both inside and outside of the classroom. I recall one student, an evangelical Christian from Virginia, who was admitted to Harvard but wasn’t sure he would fit in at a school in the Northeast. When he attended the recruiting weekend for accepted students, he found himself part of a late-night discussion with other admitted students from around the world, debating the characteristics that define a genuine hero. Not everyone agreed, but the differences were what made the conversation exciting, and he realized how much he could learn at a place full of engaging people with a wide range of viewpoints. College teaches students the virtue of slowing down. No one denies the value of speed, connectivity and the virtual world in an economy that thrives on all three. But “thinking” is a word that is too often forgotten, trammeled in our rush to communicate faster and left behind as our brains struggle to keep up with our devices. College teaches students to slow down, to convert information to insight and knowing to understanding. It nurtures critical engagement, enlightened skepticism, and an endless desire to self-educate, preparing students for a lifetime of considering information and growing in knowledge and in wisdom. Source http://blog.universitiesuk.ac.uk
special
A WARNING TO ALL STUDENTS Learner Protection Many private colleges offer no meaningful form of learner protection and students at these colleges will simply lose their fees if they close. Learner Protection is an additional safeguard you should be looking for in choosing a course, alongside it being quality assured and accredited in Ireland. Recently announced policy changes will soon raise quality standards and reduce the number of visa eligible courses, with a strong focus on Irish accreditation. (Read more information for English language courses / non-English language courses). There are four kinds of learner protection with private colleges that ICOS believes are of value: Protection provided through QQI for the further and higher education programmes it accredits (formerly FETAC and HETAC) Protection provided by groups of colleges – MEI for some English language schools and HECA for some private Higher Education providers Protection provided by private colleges through membership of a bonding scheme, such as the
Irish Course Providers’ Association An enrolled learner protection bond (this is a special type of insurance policy issued to students). The availability of a learner protection bond for a course does not guarantee that it has been quality assured in Ireland and we advise students to also check on quality assurance in assessing any course/provider. We do not see a mere exchange of letters between colleges as offering secure learner protection. All courses with public institutions – universities and institutes of technology – have secure learner protection. Learner protection may also be referred to as Protection for Enrolled Learners (PEL) or Protection for Learners (PfL). If you are in any doubt about learner protection for a college, please contact support@icosirl.ie
entertainment CAPOEIRA FESTIVAL
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4th International Festival of Capoeira and Brazilian Culture is an annual festival of Dublin School of Capoeira.
WORKSHOP
4th International Festival of Capoeira and Brazilian Culture is an annual festival of Dublin School of Capoeira. 27th - 29 March
CONCERTS
A concert by Brazilian Soprano Diana Danieli accompanied by Pianist Grace Smith on Thursday, 23rd April 2015, at 19:00. DIT theatre.
Yeah! attended a great showcase of Brazilian Soprano Diana Daniel was born in Curitiba, Brazil. She studied at the Boston Conservatory, dance talent, martial arts and food on in and the Royal College of Music in London. Dublin 2. The annual event gathers capoeira Opera roles include Ankhesenpaaten in Philip students to train and play. An important Glass’s Akhnaten, Cherubino in Le Nozze di meeting for all capoeiristas, several senior Figaro, She has recently sung Micaela with capoeira teachers come to share knowledge the Metropolitan Opera Guild, and Mimi and Fiordiligi with Mannes Opera. she also with the participants. Dancers of all levels has performed with guitarist Jaime Zenamon were present from Ireland, Brazil, Spain, during the Internationales Gitarrenfestival Hungary and France. Kühlungsborn (Germany).
FESTIVALS
12 POINTS FESTIVAL 2015 For its 9th edition, 12 Points Festival returns to its Irish home in Project Arts Centre, following a trip to Umeå, Sweden last year. Over 4 nights, the festival will presents 12 young, cutting-edge jazz acts from 12 different European countries. The diverse programme features acts comfortably rooted in straight jazz and also some more rebellious acts with electronic, folk and rock fusions.
bit of craic
As the one national holiday that is celebrated in more countries around the world than any other, St. Patrick’s Day is the day when everyone wants to be Irish.
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Information about Widener University in Ireland contact consultancy@yeah.ie
INTERNATIONAL STUDY CENTER 2014–2015
www.widenerisc.com