National University of Ireland, Galway

Civic Engagement at NUI Galway

NUI Galway launched a major project in 2001, entitled the Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI), which set out to underpin and realise a civic mission as part of its core activities. The CKI's activities were viewed as ‘integral to the University's strategic mission and involved a fundamental examination of the role of the University in the social fabric' and were subsequently reflected as a core priority by NUI Galway's Academic and Strategic Plans 2003-2008. The CKI aims to promote greater civic engagement through core academic activities, namely teaching, research and service at the levels of students, staff, courses, programmes and the institution as a whole. Within CKI there are four basic strands and the following represents the goals for each facet of the project:

Research
Through research, NUI Galway strives to become an internationally recognised centre for applied research on community regeneration, knowledge and interactions with learning institutions, while also promoting research into the areas of student volunteering and service learning.

Student Volunteering-ALIVE
The goal of the CKI is to enable NUI Galway to become a role model in promoting the development of civic and leadership skills in students. To this end a student volunteering programme entitled ALIVE (A Learning Initiative and the Volunteering Experience), was established by the CKI to harness, acknowledge and support the contribution that NUI Galway students make by volunteering. Established in September 2003, over 2,000 students have been recognised to date for their volunteering commitment within a variety of pathways including community and non-governmental organisations, through participation within societies and clubs, and mentoring first year students through the Student Connect Programme to mention a few.

Service Learning
The CKI seeks to establish NUI Galway as a pioneering institution in the implementation of service learning programmes across all faculties. Service Learning seeks to reinvigorate the civic mission of higher education and instill in students a sense of social responsibility and civic awareness. It is a pedagogical tool that encourages students to learn and explore issues vital to society inside and outside the classroom. Students learn from engaging with communities by active participation.

Knowledge Sharing
To promote the growing and sharing of the University's knowledge resource for the betterment of academic staff, employees, students and the wider community. Books recently published include 'Higher Education and Civic Engagement: International Perspectives'.

NUI Galway and local charity COPE Galway sign partnership agreement

The President of NUI Galway Dr James Browne, and Chairman of COPE Galway, John Concannon, have today, signed a memorandum of understanding, sealing a partnership between the two Galway based organisations. This agreement commits both organisations to deepening their engagement with the people of Galway, through a range of partnerships and collaborations.

Speaking on behalf of NUI Galway, President Browne said "NUI Galway is committed to providing a positive and supportive learning environment for students. The educational experience at NUI Galway is enhanced by opportunities for experiential learning and personal development afforded to students through service learning, volunteering and other activities in local, national and international arenas". He continued: "The University has always enjoyed strong relationships with the city of Galway and with non-profit and voluntary organizations in its area. We are proud to work with organizations such as COPE Galway, to ensure that the economic, social and cultural needs of the region are met in the fullest possible way."

"We are delighted to form this partnership with NUI Galway" says John Concannon, Chairman of COPE Galway. "We see our collaboration with NUI Galway as an opportunity to underpin this positioning with knowledge-intensive activities and collaborations."

One such activity is a joint conference being planned for spring 2010 with NUI Galway's Irish Centre for Social Gerontology. COPE Galway provides services for older people in the community, the flagship one being its meals service, Community Catering. "We are particularly interested in promoting quality of life for older people, and providing opportunities for older people to contribute to health promoting research. We see this collaboration with the Irish Centre for Social Gerontology as a fantastic opportunity to benefit from the vast experience of the centre in terms of health promotion research" said Mr Concannon.

COPE Galway is also seeking to significantly increase awareness of its work in Galway. They aim to achieve this through a combination of community partnerships, research and community based studies. This will give COPE a unique insight and understanding on issues of common concern to the people of Galway which will, in turn, enable them to develop their services to ensure these concerns are being addressed.

For further information contact:

Lorraine McIlrath, Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI), NUI Galway. 091-495234
Jacquie Horan, CEO COPE Galway. 091 778 750
Fintan Maher, Director of Development & Communications, COPE Galway. 091 778 750